Rantz: Seattle tries to ban natural gas for the entire state

Democrats love to claim they’re champions of democracy — until democracy doesn’t work in their favor. That is especially the case with Democrats in Washington as these self-appointed freedom fighters filed a lawsuit over the voter-approved initiative to stop the left-wing ban on natural gas.

With the support of the Washington Democratic Party, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, King County Executive Dow Constantine and a number of environmentalist groups are suing to overturn the will of the people who voted to keep natural gas.

In supporting Initiative 2066, which prevents Democrats in the state legislature from banning natural gas, voters made their voices loud and clear: stop the overreach and let people decide what’s best for their homes and businesses. But Democrats, in their infinite arrogance, have decided that voters are too dumb to know what’s good for them.

It’s a slap in the face to every Washingtonian who still believes in the power of voter-led initiatives. If the will of the people can be so easily ignored by Democratic elites, then what’s the point of participating in democracy?

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While calling themselves defenders of democracy, Washington Democrats are trying to undo the will of the people

Democrats talk a big game about fighting for the little guy, about the importance of community voices, and about their so-called love for democracy. But when voters reject their extremist green energy fantasies, those principles go out the window faster than a Seattle city council member dodging accountability.

This lawsuit is the pinnacle of arrogance. After spending tens of millions of dollars to confuse voters into rejecting the other three initiatives on the ballot in November, Democrats now turn around and claim the one initiative voters approved is invalid. They’re claiming the measure conflicts with state law and poses a threat to climate goals. Translation: You voters are too stupid to understand what’s good for you, so we’re going to take it from here.

The hypocrisy is astounding. These are the same Democrats who constantly cry about threats to democracy — whether it’s Donald Trump contesting an election result or Republicans passing election integrity measures. But when it’s the Left ignoring the will of the people? It’s just business as usual; they’re just doing what’s right in restoring power to Seattle, which is supposed to dictate statewide decisions.

And of course, the media is complicit, barely framing the story as it should be: Democrats are trying to cancel democracy because they didn’t get their way.

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Where’s the media in properly framing the natural gas lawsuit?

Where’s the outrage from the so-called guardians of the truth in our media? Instead of honest reporting, they parrot talking points, reprint press releases or uncritically position Democrats’ quotes as if there’s no controversy.

The Seattle Times quotes Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell as saying, “It’s not every day you start publicizing a lawsuit but when we think our planet, our air and our water and how we are trying to save this planet is affected, we will come together and we will fight.” This is, of course, a bad faith claim but it’s printed without opposition. The Times couldn’t find any politician or talking head to criticize that framing? Instead, Harrell is presented as some benevolent leader simply looking out for the environment.

Spare me. These aren’t climate heroes; Harrell, Constantine and other Washington Democrats power-hungry bureaucrats obsessed with control.

Fight against natural gas is not about the environment

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about saving the environment. It’s about dictating how people live their lives.

Natural gas is affordable, reliable and necessary for tens of thousands of Washington families and businesses. We just experienced a bomb cyclone windstorm where citizens relied on natural gas for survival. The Democrats’ war on natural gas is driven by their fetish for performative climate activism. They want to virtue signal to their progressive base, no matter how many people they hurt in the process.

Look no further than Seattle’s housing crisis to see the real impact of their policies. Skyrocketing utility costs, overregulation and government overreach have made it nearly impossible for families to afford living in the city. And now Democrats want to force a natural gas ban that will make heating homes and running businesses even more expensive (though that’s assuming the state has an electric infrastructure to handle the demand, which is unlikely).

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Natural gas lawsuit is a threat to democracy

This natural gas lawsuit is not only an affront to democracy but a dangerous precedent.

If politicians can sue their way out of any initiative they don’t like, what’s the point of even having ballot measures? The initiative process was designed to give people a direct voice in their government — a way to hold power-hungry politicians accountable. But Democrats have turned it into a game, where they stack the deck, change the rules, and cry foul when they lose.

Washingtonians should be outraged. Whether you supported Initiative 2066 or not, this lawsuit is an attack on your right to have a say in how your community is run. And it’s not just about natural gas. It’s about the broader assault on accountability and transparency from those in power. If Harrell and Constantine get away with this, what’s next? Overturning elections they don’t like? Dismantling other voter-led measures that threaten their agenda?

It’s time to hold Democrats accountable for their contempt for democracy. They don’t get to pick and choose when the voters matter. If they’re going to scream about saving democracy ad nauseum, they should be prepared to respect it when the voters disagree with them. Otherwise, they’re nothing more than tyrants masquerading as public servants.

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