Seattle Set To Destroy Economy With Highest Minimum Wage Increase In The World

The city of Seattle is about to phase in a drastic increase in the minimum wage to $15/hr, thanks to the efforts of its new socialist city councilwoman, Kshama Sawant. Seattle’s far left mayor Ed Murray has now taken up the effort, and it is expected to be passed into law by the city council soon. The increase will affect nearly 100,000 workers, including almost all fast-food workers. Around 30 percent of all jobs in Seattle currently pay less than $15/hr. What is going on is pay-to-pay politics, led by the unions. The losing mayoral candidate, incumbent Mike McGinn, unsuccessfully tried to save his campaign with a union quid pro quo. He received a $100,000 contribution from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union 21 last year, coincidentally timed about the same time he came out publicly opposing a new Whole Foods development in West Seattle. Whole Foods does virtually everything the left wants - except they’re non-union. Whole Foods already pays its non-management employees an average of $15/hr, provides excellent benefits and health care, including same-sex benefits, and executive pay is capped. The company routinely makes Fortune’s list of “Best Companies to Work For.” Whole Foods is now the largest natural foods chain in the nation, not exactly a far right type of organization. Even though Whole Foods would be perfect for bohemian West Seattle, the unions take the approach, “Either you’re union, or we will go after you and destroy you.” They have a stranglehold on the local politicians in Seattle.
 

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Prosecutor’s Targeting of Gun Range Exec Enters 15th Year

Marcus Carter has always generously let me shoot his guns at no charge.

It has been three and a half years since I first covered the case of a Washington State prosecutor targeting Kitsap Rifle & Revolver Club (KRRC) Executive Officer Marcus Carter. Unbelievably, Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Hauge, a Democrat, has still not stopped his witch hunt, even though his waste of millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money for almost 15 years has resulted in no convictions against Carter. As someone who has been targeted for years by zealous, well-connected prosecutors because of my conservative political views, I have taken a keen interest in this case.

Elected prosecuting attorneys are connected to powerful members of the State Bar, judges and other government officials. Hauge also is a former president of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. While most judges generally won’t side against Carter – evidenced by the 15 judicial decisions in his favor because the charges are so ridiculous – they are hesitant to question or discipline one of their own. 

It all appears to stem from an incident that happened at KRRC back in 1999. Hauge originally was a guest instructor on the law for the personal protection classes. At the same time, he was involved in a high-profile prosecution of a man who used a gun in self-defense. After the jury unanimously found the man innocent, Hauge insisted on taking up two classes trying to justify the poor decision to prosecute and wasted resources in such a clearly justifiable case of self defense.

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Sen. Pam Roach once again hosts legislative day at the range!

It's that time of year! Pam Roach, who is one of a few brave conservatives in the Washington legislature, organizes a legislative day at the range every year that just took place. How cool is that? Our March issue of Western Shooting Journal will feature Assemblyman Brian Jones of the California legislature, who also organizes a legislative day at the range every year. Click here for the story by Dave Workman.

Western Shooting Journal joins sister magazine Northwest Sportsman at the Washington Sportsmen's Show this week!

Western Shooting Journal is excited to accompany our sister hunting and fishing magazine Northwest Sportsman Jan. 22-26 in Puyallup, Wash., at the Washington Sportsmen's Show. Northwest Sportsman will be at booth 971 where you can get subscription specials with premiums such as knives, sunglasses, or the first-ever Real Women of Northwest Fishing calendar! I will be conducting live video interviews with those in the hunting and fishing industries. Please stop by and say hello.

Sportsmen’s shows are always a great chance to meet guides, charters, gear and boat manufacturers, fish and wildlife personnel and others, plan 2014 trips, catch up with friends, get free back issues of Northwest Sportsman magazine, and just walk the halls amongst fellow hunters and anglers.

Click here for more information on this show. For more information from Northwest Sportsman about this and other upcoming sportsmen's shows, click here.

Indoctrination in Washington's public schools

High School Sex Ed Indoctrination Reaching Dangerous Levels

I was astonished recently when one of my stepdaughters arrived home from public high school in Washington state with a red ribbon painted on her cheek. Sex education in the schools – which conservatives have tried to limit to abstinence-only – has now gone well beyond simple education. Today's students are being coerced into promoting and acting out the politically correct views taught them. It is being done so sneakily, using the authoritative stamp of approval by the public schools, that even my conservatively raised children were cajoled into participating.

There was no way to pull your child out of the day-long event. The entire school “celebrated” HIV/AIDs Awareness.” A student group formed to educate other students about AIDs was responsible for putting on the event, and took over the front part of the school with tables and displays. On the tables were baskets of mint-flavored condoms, and students working the tables encouraged others passing by to take them.

Every few seconds, a loud gong would sound and someone would announce, “Every 12 seconds, someone is infected with AIDs, and every 16 seconds, someone dies from AIDs.” The windows throughout the school were covered with HIV/AIDs awareness messages and posters were plastered on the walls. Almost every light throughout the hallways was turned off for further dramatic effect. The main staircase inside the school was covered with red ribbons. There was a giant wheel that students were encouraged to spin in order to see what disease they would contract. Students were lured into spinning it with the promise of a prize.

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My interview with the NRA's Cam & Co. about Obamacare and gun control

Watch Your Guns Around Obamacare

What does gun control have to do with health care? As odd as it seems, Obamacare contains provisions that jeopardize gun ownership, especially for veterans. Anti-gun provisions were added to initial drafts of Obamacare legislation under the pretext of prohibiting people with mental illness – which can include PTSD - from owning guns. Fortunately, the NRA stepped in and got some of the worst language revised last December. Senate amendment 3276, Sec. 2716, part c.prohibits the creation of a firearms database and stops doctors from disclosing or collecting information relating to a patient’s firearms. Ironically, this provision was probably the only positive result of most members of Congress not bothering to read the bill before voting on it.

However, the provision does not go as far as prohibiting doctors from asking their patients if there are any firearms in their home. In January, Obama issued 23 executive actions and orders regarding firearms. Order 16 stressed that Obamacare does not prohibit doctors from asking patients about their firearms, and the fact sheet includes, “Clarify that no federal law prevents health care providers from warning law enforcement authorities about threats of violence.” What constitutes a “threat of violence” could be very arbitrary. This puts doctors in a difficult position by suggesting they act as pseudo-law enforcement agents. It is damaging to doctor-patient privilege. If doctors have a patient with PTSD or mental illness, and they fail to ask the patient about their firearms, or report them to law enforcement, they could be on the hook later. It encourages them to err on the side of snooping into their patients’ guns. This is especially troubling considered the definition of mental illness keeps expanding.

The state of Florida implemented legislation that would have severely restricted a doctor’s ability to ask a patient about guns at home, but a federal court struck it down as unconstitutional. After the NRA got that provision added, the organization backed off on pressing for further changes, no doubt because trying to get more changes done at that time would have been impossible with the Democratic-controlled Senate and presidency. But there are still areas within our healthcare laws that could prohibit Americans from owning firearms – specifically our veterans.

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