Idaho Dispatch

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Washington Gov. Inslee Attacks Idaho’s Leadership, Lt. Governor McGeachin Responds

By • November 29, 2020

Governor Jay Inslee of Washington was just re-elected for his third term as governor earlier this month.

Inslee has been a staunch advocate for a statewide mask mandate and other restrictions and measures on businesses that he says are needed to fight the Coronavirus. A mask mandate statewide is in place in Washington.

Idaho on the other hand is one of approximately 13 states who do not have a statewide mask mandate. Instead, Governor Brad Little has left the issue of mask mandates up to local cities, counties, and health districts.

Inslee blasted Idaho’s decision making during the Coronavirus at a recent press conference.

Inslee was asked about people who are crossing the border from Idaho into Washington and the Spokane area in particular.

In the video, Inslee mentions a mask mandate that was recently repealed in Idaho. While Inslee does not make mention of the specific mask mandate he was referring to, Inslee is likely referring to the Panhandle Health District’s mask mandate that was repealed back in late October.

The video above was shot on November 15th which was before the Panhandle Health District reinstated their mask mandate on November 19th, just days after Inslee’s comments.

Inslee called Idaho’s leaders irresponsible and said he hopes they will be more “responsible” and “aggressive” in reducing the “burden on the Spokane medical system.”

Idaho Dispatch reached out to Governor Little to see if he had any response to Inslee’s comment but we have not yet heard from his office. If Little does respond, we will update the article accordingly.

Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin, who Idaho Dispatch also reached out to, had this response to Inslee:

It is a common understanding that the first large outbreak of Covid-19 in Idaho was from a group of people from Washington attending a wedding reception in Sun Valley, Idaho. Mr Inslee is quick to criticize Idaho yet the reality is that we are experiencing a massive influx of people fleeing liberal states and their crackdowns on our freedoms and basic constitutional rights. Like many others across the political spectrum, Mr. Inslee confuses leadership with autocratic central planning. Leadership involves translating your vision and inspiration, not using force and threats to compel compliance. It is fundamentally wrong to deprive individuals from being able to provide for themselves and their families, which is a direct result of government shutdown and restrictions of small business.

Our basic right to worship freely has also been infringed with government restrictions. I have consistently opposed mask mandates, and I would encourage Mr. Inslee—in addition to other Governors—to follow the example of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who not only refuses to impose a mask mandate on his state but who is also preventing local governments from enforcing mask mandates through fines and penalties. I believe respecting individual liberty and autonomy must remain the foundation of all policy decisions. Instead of coercion, we should work to find solutions to the challenges we face. One of those challenges includes increasing healthcare capacity. Treating Covid patients efficiently and keeping them out of our hospitals is a solution I recently offered to Governor Little. These challenges will continue as Idaho’s population grows. We will need to be creative and rely on our citizens’ help to effectively deal with these challenges. This is the mark of true leadership.

Does Idaho need to be more like Washington in our Coronavirus response? Are we doing the right things now?

Or what would you do differently if you were governor in Idaho?

Let us know in the comments below.

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Tags: Brad Little, Coronavirus, Idaho, Janice McGeachin, Jay Inslee, Mask Mandate, Washington

44 thoughts on “Washington Gov. Inslee Attacks Idaho’s Leadership, Lt. Governor McGeachin Responds

  1. I think the people of Washington and Inslee should stay in their state and quit spreading the virus. As soon as Inslee shutdown Washington, every citizen of Spokane started migrating to Coeur d Alene for shopping and dining not to mention flooding the beaches, lakes and rivers with their rude asses. Polluting freely in the rivers and certainly not social distancing. Same with all the jackasses from California that flooded the state! GTFO! Go back to your communist ran states that you voted for.

    1. Might need to make them go back! How you ask. Hit them where it hurts, in the wallet. When they pay with a credit card, ask them for their zip-code. If it comes up as an out of state zip-code, then the price doubles automatically.

    2. Shut down the state border of washington. Obviously they are communist enough to pull a north korea let them, let them sucede the nation. We as a free nation do not need them and there ideas.

    3. Hear! Hear! Keep your virus (it first appeared in Washington), your litter, your graffiti and your failing politics in your own state! If they re-elected you, Washington deserves you.

    4. Many of us did not vote for the communist governor we have, our election for the governor was rigged and we got stuck with the asshole again. Since there are so many liberals in the state offices, none of them will look into the fraud we had for our election. My husband and I like living on the coast in Washington and we have to cross over to Oregon to do a lot of our shopping and these flippin governors, Inslee and Brown have their heads up their asses and are using the mask crap and lockdowns for political reasons. We need these governors impeached!!!

      1. Go after him and prove it like Pres Trump is doing. He’s providing te example. Follow it, your in charge not that big mouthed liberal fly bait. Stand up n take your state back!

    5. Good job Janice! And , for the other , hell no we don’t need to be anything like these communist states!

      1. Love, love , love our Lt. Governor. Refreshing common sense is rare these days. Hope she runs for Governor.

  2. Thank God we have a Lt Governor who gets it!
    Individual freedom.
    Individual responsibility.
    That’s what Idaho is about. One of the last refuges of freedom in America – no wonder people are moving here in droves. Their sick to death of the tyrannical state governments elsewhere. Washington state used to be a GREAT place to live – not so any more. The tyrants have ruined it, as they have ruined Oregon and California. We won’t let it happen here in Idaho. #FightBack

    1. We need to get Lt Governor to replace Little as Governor. I don’t think he has a back bone when Biden and Harris come making demands on Idaho for refugee placement and withhold funds unless he has a mask mandate.

      1. Agreed!! I’m not impressed at all and this panhandle liberal bull crap can take a bike aswell. Pack their asses up n ship them to Seattle aswell! These folks are so far from truth they are suppose to be health care experts and yet they haven’t a clue, or don’t want to know truth. Those damn masks are a bigger problem than covid ever was!

  3. A HUGE Thankyou to our Idaho Lt. Governor. I cannot wait for her to run against the failure that is Brad Little!
    Thankyou for keeping our morale from death!

  4. As a Healthcare Executive in WA State I had lunch with Inslee before he first ran for office. He is unimpressive and clearly will side with whatever is best for him.

    Having said that….. Inslee seems to be searching for a reason as to why his radical and oppressive policies have not worked any better than States without a mask mandate.
    WHO KNOWS WHY?
    That is the great contradiction.

    Inslee as the WA State Governor should be smart enough and have the insight to know that picking on neighbors is not going to potty train his dog.

    1. Inslee can piss off…I won’t go to Washington at any cost!!!! And he needs to realize that 3/4 of Washington residents hate him and thinks he is a idiot

  5. Wonder why he didn’t bad mouth Little, rather Janice was his target. Not a good guy. We support Janice, everyday of the week!

  6. I agree with our Lieutenant governor 100%. Thankful for her leadership and valuing our freedoms. Are freedoms are given by God, not government.

  7. Personally, I hope our Lieutenant Governor seeks the Governorship at the next election. She has it correct. No one has the right to tell the citizens of this state or this country that they can’t make a living for themselves and their families!

  8. “I have consistently opposed mask mandates, and I would encourage Mr. Inslee—in addition to other Governors—to follow the example of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who not only refuses to impose a mask mandate on his state but who is also preventing local governments from enforcing mask mandates through fines and penalties.”

    So, about the Mayor of Boise and her attacking the business community….

  9. Gov. Ins,We has a lot of nerve saying the things he has said about our State. All of his people are coming over here shopping, dining, and when it was warm camping and boating. A lot of the. Are rude and have no respect for our land. His rules are ridiculous and people need to protest him and not come over here and destroy what we have here. The mask do not work, it is all a control issue, if it worked the number wouldn’t be rising and are they the correct numbers, I am sick of these people they think they have the power to tell us how to live. Doesn’t work over here,

    1. I agree with your statement, but let tell you we have friends that live in Nampa, ID. They both work for the state and had to be tested, the husband tested positive and has no symptoms what so ever. The wife who has a cold tested negative. Now tell me WTF is with these phoney tests?? We over here in WA. state have the same problem, the tests are tainted and people will test positive or they have the antibodies and will test positive….this will be a never ending thing unless some drastic is done!!

  10. I am all for Janice mcgeachens response. We should be allowed to decide for ourselves how we handle the virus. The virus needs to run its course, there is no cure for a virus. Our bodies were created with an immune system and by masking up we are weakening the very system that God instilled in us to fight off illnesses.

    1. Thank you, Jessie, I’m saving your comment. It’s exactly how I’ve felt from the beginning. I believe the masks are hurting us physically, societally and emotionally. I also believe that the pseudo-scientific “studies” published by CNN and others have enamored people with the mask idea, and that masks will be forever here to stay unless we resist. There will always be more viruses and, thanks to the internet, they will all be global pandemics from now on. Sad state of affairs.

  11. Many Washitonians like me didn’t vote for Inslee and think he’s as dumb as a box if rocks. We protest, we defy the mask mandate, we endure the ridicule from the sheeple who voted for him and we look to Idaho with envy and longing. We keep fighting for our state but it truly feels like Washington is a lost cause. And many of us who are packing it in and moving to Idaho want to leave the failed policies of Inslee and Washington state behind.

  12. Keep Idaho free! Where we live, there is some freedom. You’re free to wear a mask if you want, but you’re absolutely not forced by anyone or any store. Let’s keep it this way.

    Inslee can keep his comments to himself. His plan is clearly not working in his state.

  13. LMFAO!!! Reading these comments, I LOVE IT!!! I LOVE our Lt. Governor!!!
    Inslee and little are corrupt criminals, traitors to their oath!
    They don’t talk of boosting the immune system, or HCQ??? How many people could have been saved or helped with such things??? They are complicit, and need to be dealt with as such!
    Masks had no effect on big smoke particles, yet the criminals persist!
    Our tax money and police have been weaponized against us, or people would have risen up by now!

    I feel sorry for the people of Washington, a beautiful State, invaded by cali ANTIFAs. I agree, Inslee stole his election. And because of the emergency powers given after St.Helens, he has total control.

    The people who flee are usually the problem. They criticize and want to control other people with government, and create the need for gov. control. Stay and fight! Don’t leave till someone else fixes it!
    “Go Back to cali, ANTIFA!!! Idaho Lives Matter!!!”

    But, having said that, most of the people fighting around me are transplants. WHERE ARE THE IDAHOANS??? Taking it for granted???

  14. Y’all over there in Washington need to really go after your election process and find the voter fraud and kick his ass out. He’s an idiot and y’all are way too complacent. And this panhandle health Crap is just as ridiculous and little needs to step up and shut them down!!! It’s widely known the truth is these fools wearing masks are just as likely to get covid as those of us who refuse to wear or even own one. It’s a MICRO BIOLOGICAL Virus, I guess that’s too much for them highly educated liberals to understand? Yet this 10 grade educated Veteran understood it right off the bat! Here’s the truth libs, if you can breathe air or pour water they it? Covid will pass thru 3 times easer….. it’s like covid is water and you try to catch it with a spaghetti strainer…. can ya understand that now? MICRO means extremely small. ‍♂️ Much smaller than normal biological things like Air n Water. We tell them mask wearers around here ya, you still have the same chance as we who refuse to wear them things of getting covid, but we don’t have to worry about getting the sicknesses y’all will by wearing them!! And it’s already coming around! It’s not covid, it’s the mask sicknesses those tests for covid are bull crap too. Stand up and and just like with drugs, just say NO! I will not comply. Stand for your Rights! And gov Little, grow a pair and stand up like fla’s Governor and be a respectful Conservative like we though you’d be and Quit shaming us!!! Damit be a man!!!

  15. Lockdowns do not stop the spread of the coronavirus but they do kill small businesses.
    This is not my quote, but from the editor of Technology.news: The pandemic has facilitated the largest transfer of wealth in world history as the middle class is gutted and global corporations fill the vacuum. Capitalism is on its deathbed, under a do-not-resuscitate order from the likes of the World Economic Forum.
    Power-mad governors like Inslee are DESTROYING our free-market system. Are they doing it on purpose?
    https://dailyreckoning.com/here-comes-the-new-recession/

  16. I strongly support Lt. Gov McGeachin and her understanding of citizens Constitutional rights even in light of a health challenge.
    It has not been born out factually, that strict mask wearing and business closures and lockdowns translate to better health outcomes.
    We are supposedly “free people” and can make our own choices as we consider individual risks.
    Gov. Inslee is a self-appointed dictator.

  17. Inslee and anyone like him can suck our panhandle. That goes for Little too, since he wants to be the passive-aggressive little dictator he is.

  18. Good job Janice! And , for the other , hell no we don’t need to be anything like these communist states!

  19. Great leadership is overall vision and inspiration, not force threatening individuals to compliance over
    vaccine mandates. It is about respecting the rights of individuals and they have doctors to decide
    what is best for their liberties, justice for all to remain the foundation of all policy decisions. Amen!
    God bless and keep the people safe.

    Take in consideration what DeSantis in Florida is doing for his people. Working together and finding
    solutions and common goals is “true” leadership, not followers.

  20. I was born in Washington State
    the suburbs are a lot different
    there’s a church on every corner and many republicans
    I feel there is voter fraud in Washington State and now I want out of here
    I never voted for a Democrat in my life and I never would
    I can’t stand this governor Jack a inslee the king of libs
    hes a dictator he doesn’t care what anybody else’s opinion is
    I’ve never seen it this bad
    but I don’t feel like I’d be welcome in Idaho yet this is my country and I have a right to go where I choose that’s America who would get mad if a total patriot that loves freedom wants to leave because the left is coming to the suburbs and my notary job over 200 houses in a little over a yr the new houses are filled with blue card holders I mean massive all new houses
    I despise insleez and his divisive dictatorship
    Yes I Hate him!
    I Never voted for this garbage all mail in ballots weird huh!
    So where do we go to leave and feel welcome I guess not Idaho
    Don’t assume we’re all libs here and I hate seattle nut cases they are all crazy left!

  21. How can we vote out this idiot inslee when we can never win that’s why I feel there is voter fraud and it has been
    Investigated but why haven’t these clowns been arrested the devil has taking over Western WA especially
    Sucks!

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