Did Commissioner Smith act alone, or is there really a political cabal at play?
It seems as though Washington Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Lorna Smith was just messing around and didn’t really want to illegally hold two commission offices simultaneously, rather it appears she just wanted to waste time and taxpayer money.
Or maybe she was coerced by Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
Or maybe Smith, Inslee and Ferguson have all been exposed as power-hungry bureaucrats with egg on their face and are now indulging in some revisionist history that seems to be the go-to tactic in today’s political theater.
This much is certain: whoever decided to appeal the trial judge’s ruling against Smith all the way to the Washington Supreme Court (where they lost again in a 5-4 decision) owes Washington taxpayers an explanation, if not an apology.
According to the Capital Press, Smith said she was thinking about quitting the planning commission before the lawsuit because of the time commitments.
“When the lawsuit came, I thought, ‘Well, that makes it easy,'” Smith told the newspaper.
But that doesn’t really jive with the facts. In her letter of resignation to the Jefferson County Planning Commission after she lost at trial, Smith hinted at an appeal and if successful she stated that she wanted her job back.
That certainly doesn’t sound like someone who planned to quit a county office voluntarily.
The case was settled in Thurston County and could have been finished then and there with minimum impact to taxpayers. Apparently, though, Smith either never intended to resign or didn’t like being told she had to resign from one commissioner’s office, or this is the perfect example of the ills of single-party rule (really, a stranglehold) on a state.
In their dissent, four justices pointed to the fact that Smith had been confirmed by the senate, and if there was a conflict of interest then surely the politicians in the legislature would have brought it up. However, these laws were written decades ago and apparently nobody in Washington ever brought up the issue before the Sportsmen’s Alliance challenged the status quo in court. Likewise, Washington’s House of Representatives, Senate and Gubernatorial office are all held by Democrats – and Gov. Inslee has ruled the state with an iron fist, keeping the legislature firmly in line.
Of course, Democrat legislators weren’t going to step out of line when it comes appointments by Gov. Inslee – he has a reputation not to cross – and all but a few Republicans challenged Smith’s appointment based on her historical stance as a predator protectionist.
This history of protecting predators at all costs fits perfectly with Inslee’s personal views, too, as he’s put his thumb on the scale of wildlife management in the state more than once when it comes to mountain lions and wolves. Not only that, but he even took the time to file an amicus brief in an attempt to sway the court in our case against Smith – an argument that a majority of the justices thankfully didn’t buy.
Given how Smith now says she never wanted to keep the Jefferson County Planning Commission office anyway (but she still voluntarily made the trip to Olympia for the Supreme Court hearing on May 30), whose decision was it to appeal the Thurston County ruling in the first place and continue to waste taxpayer money?
Remember, the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation sued Lorna Smith as an individual; Gov. Inslee or Attorney General Bob Ferguson (who is consequently running for governor) decided the state would represent her in court and also agreed to appeal the decision after they lost.
The waste of tens of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars (at least) to fight a clearly lost argument screams of vanity and a political powerplay by individuals interested only in their own reputation, legacy and authority. And in the final analysis, this group of powerbrokers, including Smith, are exhibiting an addiction to lawlessness that cannot be allowed to continue.
Two things are certain: The Sportsmen’s Alliance has held Washington accountable when nobody else would, setting precedent in the state that will have a lasting impact for all officeholders, while setting the stage for a return to law and order where those in power have run roughshod over citizens, particularly hunters and anglers, for far too long.
And … this certainly won’t be the last time we find ourselves in front of Washington judges seeking redress. The Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation vs Lorna Smith was just the first step in righting these wrongs – more accountability and a reckoning are coming. Take it to the bank.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
