Steve Starr on changes in northcentral Washington . . . for the good?
Pre-meeting introduction: Steve Starr and Bob Ferguson join forces
Governor Ferguson and Steve Starr have the same idea. Steve, Grant County chair and ARC expert, will talk to us tomorrow about what is happening in north central Washington. He was going to touch on the employment effects of data centers in Quincy. Bob thinks Steve is on the right track.
The Governor yesterday “signed an executive order forming a team to evaluate the impact of data centers on energy use, state tax revenue and job creation.” The team will take up how much energy data center use and whether job promises are kept. And at what expense.
Is this an example of energy colonialism complaining about who gets to exploit cheap real estate and cheap power in eastern Washington? Or at dig at the legislature for rejecting transparency measures to release employment data? Or just good government? I prefer the good government read.
Here is ProPublica’s article. And the Seattle Times.
Morning After Notes of the Ag & Rural Caucus
Steve Starr, chair of the Grant County Democrats, did his homework for last evening. And he certainly delivered. Steve was provocative – he pushed buttons. What he delivered was uncomfortable and his friend Bob may not have been happy. So be it.
Steve indicted identity politics and with cause. I would like to add to his point. We can re-direct our message to delivering kitchen-table policy without closing the kitchen door. We need to retain our value that everyone has a place at the table when we serve up housing, jobs, food, personal security, and dreams for a better life. We do not close the door to different colors or creeds, even when we may want to see ourselves in the faces around the table. You may not want to call it diversity, but there is value in mashing different ideas and perspectives along with the potatoes. Last night was an example.
Because Steve was provocative, I want to add a point of fact-checking. The record of Joe Biden’s immigration policy was not quite as the dominant narrative tells us. We did a very thorough review of the data in December 2023. Search for the data on the ARC website.
In our 2023 meeting, Ann Marie Danimus criticized the Democratic Congress for failing to fund and staff the necessary courts and bureaucracy to make an effective immigration policy work. That criticism was on point.
Slogans are not the answer to immigration issues. And immigration is not going away. Climate change, economic differentials, and labor demand argue for US leadership to figure out a just, compassionate, and smart immigration administration.
On another point, I failed to come up with data. I ask for your help. Fox News, as Steve reported, is alive with stories about how transgender women athletes are injuring cisgender women athletes on the playing fields, whether volleyball or rugby. What is the actual record?
Don Schwerin, chair, Ag & Rural Caucus, Washington State Democrats