Inslee out-of-state half the time since campaign, with taxpayers paying the bill

With poll numbers that don’t appear to be rising beyond the bottom of the pack anytime soon, and continually rising security costs paid for by Washington taxpayers, the Inslee campaign feels a bit like parents paying their kid’s college tuition for something they know won’t result in a job.

According to a report from The Seattle Times, Inslee has spent more than half of the time travelling out of state ever since he began his Quixotic campaign for president five months ago, with 90 out of 153 days on the road.

“Here’s another horse almost dead, considering how much money he’s wasted — your money, by the way — on security as he moves all around the country in what is absolutely a pipe dream that he would ever become president,” said KIRO Radio’s John Curley.

Sen. Fortunato issues letter asking Inslee to reimburse state for campaign security

Running for president is no cheap task, especially since it involves jetting around the country with a large security detail standing around you. Washington State Patrol is planning to double that detail at a cost of $4 million over two years, assigning six additional troopers, a sergeant, and a lieutenant. This comes in addition to the eight troopers and one sergeant already assigned.

The security being added is part of the Executive Protection Unit (EPU), which functions like a state version of the Secret Service, with troopers in plainclothes.

While Inslee managed to gather the requisite 65,000 donors to qualify for the opening round of Democratic debates, he’s still well short of the required 130,000 needed to move on to the next round in September. Unlike the first two debates, Inslee will need to gather a set amount of donors, and hit 2 percent support in four qualifying national or early-state polls released after the first debates back in June, through two weeks prior to the third debates on Sept. 12 and 13.

Inslee polling behind ‘someone else’ but raises $2.25 million

That’s one area Gov. Inslee’s campaign has long struggled to gain traction, having yet to clear even 1 percent in recent polling.

“Do you think legislators at some point should bring up something? I know that in some states if you’re going to run for office even as serving as a governor I think you might have to actually pay for the stuff out of your own campaign dollars,” Curley said.

“If he would have to pay for security and pay for all of these awful carbon spewing airplanes that he takes all over the place, he would not be in this running. We are the ones that are allowing this facade to continue.”

Listen to the Tom and Curley Show weekday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

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