Thread by @MariyaFrost

🧵1/ BLOG on WSDOT refusing emergency snowplow help.

I spoke with two commissioners who offered additional thoughts. The most shocking came from Commissioner Cory Wright.

2/ Commissioner Wright noted he was told by a WSDOT employee that “county administration could sign a blanket declaration [that employees were vaccinated] to bypass the mandate & get these vehicles going.” He declined: “We weren’t going to sign anything that wasn’t truthful.”

3/ It seems the WSDOT employee the Commissioner spoke to recognized that the agency needed help and that the mandate as it applied to maintenance crew had more to do with appearances than public safety. The impact of the mandate made no sense for the situation.

4/ Commissioner Laura Osiadacz told me, “We realize the state of Washington is not going to be pleased with us making this announcement, but government does need to be transparent, and if there are limitations, people need to know why."

5/ WSDOT's response grasped at several explanations. They said that the county’s help wasn’t an “option” due to the mandate, but also suggested the county didn’t have the proper equipment needed to clear snow. WSDOT “secured a private contractor to clear the roadway...Jan. 12."

6/ Here's the link to the full blog: washingtonpolicy.org/publications/d…