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Ferry Folly: Washington’s $714 Million Hybrid-Electric Contract Sends Jobs to Florida · Plausibly Live - The Dave Bowman Show Podcast

• 0:10
  This is plausibly Live, the official podcast of The Dave
• 0:14
  Bowman Show. It was literally the first day
• 0:21
  that I. Came to Washington state, it was
• 0:23
  1978, the summer, early summer of 1978, maybe Midsummer, I
• 0:28
  don't know. It's hard to.
• 0:30
  Hard to pin that date down but it was definitely 1978.
• 0:34
  We were in the the 15 passenger maxi van.
• 0:37
  My dad. Was driving we.
• 0:38
  Were on one of those family. Vacations.
• 0:40
  Air Quote. Air Quote.
• 0:42
  Where he was. Combining what we were doing
• 0:44
  with a conference that he was going to and it just happened to
• 0:47
  be in the Pacific Northwest and. So we wanted to go to Seattle
• 0:52
  because. We'd never been to Seattle.
• 0:54
  And literally the second we. Pulled into Seattle.
• 0:58
  There was a sign that. Said ferries.
• 1:00
  Pointed to the left and then a sign underneath that that.
• 1:03
  Said USS Missouri. Take the Bremerton.
• 1:06
  Ferry so if. You knew me back then.
• 1:10
  You would understand that this was going to happen no matter
• 1:15
  what. And so parents, parents didn't
• 1:17
  even argue with it. We spent a grand total of about
• 1:19
  10 minutes in Seattle. We got on the Bremerton ferry
• 1:22
  and we sailed across to Bremerton.
• 1:24
  It was. A great trip.
• 1:24
  Because back in those days. We were from out of state and
• 1:28
  they made us feel like we were. Great, they gave us a tour of
• 1:32
  the whole. Thing we got.
• 1:32
  To go up in the. The bridge of the ferry it.
• 1:35
  Was exciting. It was fun.
• 1:37
  It's it's. Exactly an hour trip from
• 1:39
  Seattle to Bremerton on that ferry and it was stuck in my
• 1:42
  head forever when I came back up.
• 1:45
  About two years later to work. Riding the ferries was something
• 1:49
  that I regularly. Did we'd?
• 1:50
  Go to Seattle. All the time and.
• 1:52
  It was. Easy.
• 1:53
  It was fun. It was inexpensive when I came.
• 1:57
  Back a couple years after that. Stationed here.
• 2:01
  I used to. Regularly ride the ferries.
• 2:02
  I was on the. Ferry when?
• 2:03
  Pete. Rose.
• 2:05
  Broke his broke the hit record. Was listening on the radio on
• 2:08
  the. Ferry it's.
• 2:10
  Something that I just enjoy doing is this is something about
• 2:12
  being on the water. That I love.
• 2:15
  Even today my wife and I tried to make a a point of taking a
• 2:20
  ferry trip every time we go on our.
• 2:22
  Anniversary trip every. Every year we try to make sure
• 2:25
  that we take. A ferry.
• 2:27
  Either going or coming. This year we we did it twice.
• 2:31
  It's just something that it's hard to.
• 2:33
  Explain if you've never done it. The Pacific.
• 2:35
  Northwest, the Puget Sound. It's beauty.
• 2:37
  It's it's wildlife. And.
• 2:43
  That ride is just. It's just.
• 2:44
  Relaxing. We've had nights where we didn't
• 2:46
  have anything else to. Do we just go down and ride the
• 2:48
  Bremerton ferry to Seattle? Get a.
• 2:51
  Round trip ticket come back. It's two hours.
• 2:54
  Maybe get some popcorn in the galley or something and just
• 2:57
  hang out. It used to be affordable.
• 2:59
  It's not anymore. The.
• 3:01
  The cost now it's, it's almost cheaper to drive around.
• 3:07
  I mean it, it is, I mean it, it, you know.
• 3:10
  In those days I used to get about. 20 miles to gallon now I.
• 3:13
  Get 30 plus. And so.
• 3:14
  It's actually. Cheaper to drive around than it
• 3:16
  is to drive on the ferry. And depending on the time of
• 3:21
  day, it can take less time. To drive around.
• 3:26
  Than to. Take the ferry.
• 3:27
  Or or vice versa the the traffic has.
• 3:29
  Gotten really bad. Around here so.
• 3:33
  It it's changed. And the pandemic did not do the
• 3:38
  ferry system any problems. The Washington State ferry
• 3:40
  system, for those of you who don't know, is the second
• 3:42
  largest ferry system in the world, second only to British
• 3:45
  Columbia. Where they have.
• 3:46
  Victoria Island and so they got, you know, a hundred 200 miles of
• 3:52
  of coastline that they have to cover.
• 3:54
  It is. The second largest in the number
• 3:57
  of. Ships.
• 3:59
  Transportation passengers. All that kind of stuff, and it's
• 4:03
  certainly the largest in the United States and it has a long
• 4:07
  reputation. For being very.
• 4:09
  Safe and very effective. And there are.
• 4:12
  Parts of. Washington state that you can't
• 4:14
  get to. Except by ferry.
• 4:16
  The San Juan Islands, in particular, the pandemic when it
• 4:20
  hit. Caused a lot of problems.
• 4:23
  Particularly in the. Ferry system because.
• 4:26
  Our. Then Governor Jay.
• 4:28
  Ensley made it clear that Allstate employees.
• 4:32
  Had to have. The jab there was no there were
• 4:34
  no exceptions and. Many of the.
• 4:36
  Ferry employees. Either didn't get the jab or
• 4:40
  didn't. Want to participate?
• 4:41
  Whatever. And so they.
• 4:43
  Decided not to and the ferries. Lost a lot of staff a.
• 4:47
  Lot of. People got.
• 4:47
  Sick things. There.
• 4:50
  Was no need for the various in some cases because people
• 4:53
  weren't commuting anymore. Because they didn't have jobs,
• 4:55
  because they've been declared, you know, non, non essential and
• 5:00
  everything kind of fell. Apart.
• 5:01
  In this system that is of. Course Taxpayer.
• 5:04
  Funded so in attempt then. To rebuild the.
• 5:10
  System and re you know as everything got restarted.
• 5:13
  Up again. Key questions were being asked
• 5:15
  about well. How do we how do we restore the
• 5:19
  ferry? System to its previous glory and
• 5:21
  its. Previous usage levels because.
• 5:26
  Seems like people have found out that a they don't need it B it's
• 5:29
  quicker to drive. Around anymore and C.
• 5:32
  Because of the cutbacks, it definitely.
• 5:35
  Is quicker to drive around. Now and.
• 5:38
  We I live. Kind of in North Central Kitsap
• 5:43
  County near Hwy. 3 if you're looking at A at a map near the
• 5:46
  Bangor base. Just north of where I live,
• 5:49
  there's a. Sign on the freeway.
• 5:51
  That tells you how long the wait.
• 5:52
  Is at the. Kingston Ferry.
• 5:53
  To go to to Edmonds. Across that way.
• 5:55
  And it. Regularly says 2 hour wait.
• 5:58
  Well. Who in God's name is going?
• 5:59
  To do that. You're going to turn around and.
• 6:00
  Drive the other. Because it takes.
• 6:03
  About. Two hours to.
• 6:04
  Drive from here. To, to, to.
• 6:06
  Edmonds anyway, if you're going the long way and it's not.
• 6:08
  Rush hour. So why would you wait on the?
• 6:10
  Ferry and pay. Just as much for.
• 6:13
  For the ferry. Ticket as it's going to cost you
• 6:14
  to drive. Around anyway.
• 6:16
  Because they. Had to cut so many of these
• 6:18
  things. It became very inefficient, very
• 6:19
  ineffective and panicked. Now if.
• 6:24
  That were not enough. You'd go well.
• 6:27
  OK, what the hell? The ferry.
• 6:31
  System has gotten. Old.
• 6:34
  Many of the ferries were commissioned.
• 6:36
  Back in the 60s, some of them are worn out.
• 6:40
  They're having. Breakdown problems in.
• 6:42
  Fact. A couple.
• 6:43
  Years ago. On the night.
• 6:45
  Of the submarine ball, which for some obscure reason.
• 6:48
  We have in Seattle. I don't know why.
• 6:50
  It's a submarine anniversary. Ball.
• 6:52
  I've been arguing. For 8.
• 6:54
  Years now that there's more. Submariners on this.
• 6:56
  Side than that side, why are we? Having it over.
• 6:58
  There. Well, it turns out, because
• 7:00
  that's the only place they got. A big ballroom.
• 7:02
  Which is not a good reason in my mind, but.
• 7:05
  That means people have. To get there.
• 7:07
  OK. So last year they all.
• 7:11
  Took the same ferry there's like.
• 7:13
  I don't know 3-4 hundred people on this ferry going over to.
• 7:16
  Seattle to get to the hotel. Which is within walking distance
• 7:19
  of the dock. And of course.
• 7:21
  The ferry lost. Power ran aground.
• 7:23
  And nobody made it to the. To the submarine.
• 7:26
  Ball. Well, nobody from.
• 7:27
  Over here did, except for those that drove around.
• 7:29
  Because you know. Why wouldn't you?
• 7:33
  So the ferry. System is at.
• 7:34
  This point. Where it needs.
• 7:35
  To be replaced. That's not unusual and.
• 7:39
  I have no issue with that I'm. Sorry, I just.
• 7:41
  Don't. I'm I'm a sailor, I understand.
• 7:43
  These things submarines have. To be replaced.
• 7:45
  Ships have to be replaced and. It happens mate, you reach a
• 7:47
  point where the ship has run out of its life before 2023 here in.
• 7:53
  Washington State. We had a law that said the.
• 7:59
  Only place that Washington. State can buy.
• 8:01
  Ferries is from in state shipbuilders.
• 8:06
  In other words, it has to be. Here now, it hasn't always.
• 8:09
  Been that way. Some of the.
• 8:10
  Ferries we have. Were built in San Diego.
• 8:13
  Other places like that, but those are really old, so for
• 8:17
  probably the. Last I think.
• 8:18
  It's been 20. 5. Years.
• 8:21
  Since since we've. Purchased a ferry.
• 8:23
  That wasn't built in Washington. State we have shipbuilding here.
• 8:27
  For God's sakes, we built aircraft carriers here.
• 8:30
  Back during the Second World War.
• 8:32
  Not the big ones, but. We did build.
• 8:33
  Some we built cruisers, we built stuff like that.
• 8:36
  So you know. We have a shipbuilding.
• 8:40
  Philosophy here the the idea. Here was, you know, keep jobs.
• 8:45
  Local keep things here keep. Things, you know, growing.
• 8:49
  Around here, but of course it runs into.
• 8:51
  Problems. It essentially turns.
• 8:54
  Things into a monopoly, a government controlled monopoly.
• 8:58
  So Puget. Sound shipbuilders, of course,
• 9:01
  know that. They have to build them here by.
• 9:03
  Law. So what happens to their prices?
• 9:06
  Since there's no competition, costs are rising anyway.
• 9:11
  Those costs. Started to go up.
• 9:14
  In 2023. State of Washington passed a
• 9:17
  bill. Not that you care, but it's HB
• 9:19
  18. 46 that. Opened.
• 9:23
  Out of state. Bidding.
• 9:25
  For the fairs so. When we put these out, the.
• 9:29
  Bid. Out of out of state places can
• 9:30
  do it now, we said to ourselves. Well.
• 9:32
  We still want to. Have in state.
• 9:35
  Companies. So we gave a 13% in state
• 9:39
  credit, whatever the hell. That means to to encourage in
• 9:45
  state. People to do.
• 9:45
  That. And in this same law, because at
• 9:49
  the same time we passed another. Law called the.
• 9:52
  Washington state Climate Change act, in which Washington.
• 9:55
  State has decided that Washington state is going to.
• 9:58
  Solve global. Warming around?
• 10:00
  The world. Which is why.
• 10:01
  Our gas prices are now the. Highest in the freaking country.
• 10:05
  We decided we were. Going to.
• 10:06
  Do this and as part of this, the the new ferry law said.
• 10:10
  That the new. Ferries have to be electric.
• 10:15
  Not making this. Up folks, that's.
• 10:17
  What we decided, well, that's what our Legislature decided.
• 10:21
  Which means that. That's what Seattle.
• 10:23
  Tacoma and Olympia. Decide Washington state, you
• 10:25
  know did, but there you go of. Course this has caused all.
• 10:29
  Kinds of mandates. Climate change mandates.
• 10:34
  Hidden gas taxes, and of course, all that's.
• 10:37
  You know, regressive. None of that is progressive.
• 10:39
  It's it's hitting. People that can't.
• 10:41
  Afford it the. Hardest.
• 10:43
  Because it's causing. Prices.
• 10:44
  To go up. Including, by the way.
• 10:46
  Diesel fuel Which? Currently powers most of.
• 10:49
  Our ferries so. That means they have to rise the
• 10:52
  raise the prices on the ferry trips.
• 10:56
  With me here so far. In 2024 we decided we need to
• 11:01
  have three new ferries. That's what we can afford right
• 11:03
  now, so we're going to build 3 new ferry.
• 11:04
  So they put this out the bed. They got 2 bids, 2.
• 11:10
  The one we got. From Washington State.
• 11:12
  Place called Nichols. Brothers, which is.
• 11:13
  Out here in Whidbey Island, great.
• 11:15
  Shipbuilders all that was 30% over what the state expert the.
• 11:23
  State. Department of Transportation
• 11:25
  said the new. Ferry should cost 30% over that.
• 11:32
  Additionally, it was. 80 million.
• 11:33
  Dollars higher than what the second bidder bid.
• 11:37
  To build the first ferry. They bid $215 million.
• 11:41
  Which was 6% below the estimate that that we had.
• 11:45
  For what this is going to cost, so the the second bid comes in
• 11:47
  lower than the estimate and. Lower than the.
• 11:50
  Local bid. Even with the 13% credit?
• 11:54
  The problem? Is that the?
• 11:55
  Second bid came from a. Place called.
• 11:57
  Eastern Shipbuilding, which I believe.
• 12:00
  Is in Pensacola. Florida, is that right?
• 12:04
  It's in Florida. It's on the Panhandle of Florida
• 12:06
  somewhere. So eastern Florida.
• 12:11
  Shipbuilding Bids 2. 115 million.
• 12:14
  Dollars six. Percent.
• 12:16
  Below the estimate and they get underbid.
• 12:18
  The local people. $80 million. Higher 30%.
• 12:21
  Overestimate, which tells me. That Nichols brothers was just.
• 12:25
  Playing the game. That's what it tells me.
• 12:27
  We're just. Submitting a bid.
• 12:28
  Because we we don't really want to do the work, but.
• 12:30
  We want to. Look like we're pretending like
• 12:31
  we want to play along. So we're going to do this well.
• 12:37
  What that means? Is that?
• 12:42
  The Washington State people, maybe they're playing along,
• 12:45
  maybe that. Maybe they maybe that is their
• 12:47
  competitive. Bit.
• 12:49
  Which means that we've priced our own.
• 12:51
  People out of. This whole.
• 12:52
  Thing it means that we. Have passed a law.
• 12:54
  That makes our own companies. Uncompetitive in doing this?
• 13:00
  That's insane. The the bids.
• 13:05
  However. You know 1 ferry.
• 13:07
  But we need. 3. So for the first time in 20.
• 13:12
  Five years. We put out this bid, we get
• 13:15
  this. Eastern Shipbuilding comes back
• 13:18
  and the total contract is $714 million.
• 13:21
  To build 3 ferries, that's a lot.
• 13:26
  Of money $714 million. Is a lot of.
• 13:31
  Taxpayer money and. Because of the way that we.
• 13:37
  Have set up our. Laws.
• 13:39
  The Local. Shipbuilding companies can't
• 13:41
  compete with that and. So all three ferries.
• 13:44
  Were awarded then to Eastern Shipbuilding this year.
• 13:47
  This this. Past week and they're going to
• 13:50
  build all three of our new ferries for us in.
• 13:52
  Florida for seven. $114 million. First time in 25 years we've
• 14:00
  done this. And of course this has set off
• 14:03
  all. Kinds of grumbling around here.
• 14:05
  Local lawmakers. Quote UN quote are not.
• 14:09
  Happy about this. Having been.
• 14:10
  Outsourced to Florida without ever.
• 14:14
  Thinking to themselves. Well, it was our stupid laws
• 14:18
  that caused. This to happen?
• 14:19
  It was our mistake. It's our fault that this has.
• 14:22
  Happened local. Newspapers have.
• 14:26
  Blasted lawmakers for. Passing this idiotic.
• 14:29
  Law that did this. And.
• 14:32
  They have said. You need to.
• 14:34
  Revise. That 13% credit, you need to
• 14:36
  make that higher. As if that will solve the
• 14:39
  problem this. Climate Change Act.
• 14:43
  Which led to these electric. Ferries being necessitated,
• 14:47
  being necessitated and being. Bid out has.
• 14:50
  Caused that harm there and it's going to cost us more money than
• 14:54
  it should. Have cost us.
• 14:56
  To build them locally. If we didn't have this stupid
• 14:59
  crap. And so here we go.
• 15:03
  Now these three. Ferries are going to be.
• 15:04
  Built in Washington or in. Florida.
• 15:08
  And there you go. The problem, of course, is.
• 15:11
  The 714 million. Dollars like most.
• 15:14
  Things in government is complete bunk.
• 15:17
  That 700. And $14 million.
• 15:19
  Is just for. Its construction.
• 15:25
  They're estimating the first ferry will be 4. $105 million.
• 15:28
  That's not unusual for the. 1st. Ship in a in a series to be the
• 15:32
  most expensive because. You got a tool up, you got to
• 15:35
  get all the. Pieces in place, you got to.
• 15:36
  Get all that kind of stuff the. 2nd and 3rd.
• 15:39
  Ferry should be. You know, roughly 4550 million
• 15:42
  dollars. Less should be, but the problem
• 15:47
  is that because of these idiotic.
• 15:50
  Policies. In this, the climate change act
• 15:53
  and having to. Build these as electric ferries.
• 15:56
  We having to do that there number one, you.
• 16:00
  Know as well as I do. These things are going to run
• 16:02
  into cost. Overruns, I mean.
• 16:05
  For God's sakes. They practically build that in.
• 16:09
  They're supposed to. Carry 160.
• 16:11
  Vehicles each. Now look.
• 16:16
  That's a good. Target.
• 16:17
  Number, but we don't need 16. Ferries with 100.
• 16:21
  And 60 capacity. Some of these.
• 16:23
  Routes. Don't need them that big.
• 16:26
  They need half. That.
• 16:28
  Some of them need them this big. The Bremerton and Bainbridge
• 16:31
  Island and and the Kingston fires clearly need that.
• 16:34
  But. There you go.
• 16:37
  Of course the the argument is well, but we're.
• 16:40
  Going to have a 90% emission reduction from our.
• 16:42
  Current ferry fleet. When we get.
• 16:44
  These ferries. Somewhere around the year 2040.
• 16:49
  Maybe the question. Is was this conversion even
• 16:55
  necessary? Do we really?
• 16:57
  Even need electric. Ferries it increased.
• 17:01
  The cost of of. You know stuff.
• 17:03
  That's going. On right now.
• 17:05
  It's not going to. Look.
• 17:08
  I'm just going to say, at Washington State, we're not
• 17:11
  going to. Quote UN quote Solve global
• 17:14
  warming. If it even.
• 17:15
  Really needs to. Be solved, and I'm not convinced
• 17:17
  that it does. Sorry.
• 17:18
  But even if we do this, it isn't going to help.
• 17:21
  We're not the problem. The problem is.
• 17:24
  India and China. All of this is just a symbolic
• 17:28
  gesture. And symbolic gestures.
• 17:31
  While. I'm.
• 17:32
  OK with symbolic gestures to a. Degree 700.
• 17:36
  And 14,000,000. Dollar.
• 17:38
  Taxpayer funded. Symbolic.
• 17:40
  Gestures that I got an issue with.
• 17:43
  Oh, and by the way, the. $714 million.
• 17:46
  Is just to build the ferry then. We got to.
• 17:50
  Move it up. Here.
• 17:51
  Then we got to. Outfit it, then we got to train
• 17:53
  the crews on it, then we got to. Man, the damn things.
• 17:56
  Oh, and by the. Way we have.
• 17:59
  Precisely. Zero infrastructure.
• 18:03
  To actually charge. The damn things.
• 18:09
  Let me say that again. We.
• 18:10
  Have. No infrastructure to.
• 18:13
  Actually charge. The damn thing.
• 18:16
  Meaning that. We still have to build all that.
• 18:21
  Which means that. All that construction work they
• 18:24
  did 2-3 years ago. On Coleman Dock in Seattle.
• 18:27
  And at Eagle Harbor over here on.
• 18:29
  Whidbey Island. Has to be.
• 18:31
  Redone again at taxpayers expense.
• 18:36
  Because. We bought $714 million.
• 18:41
  Worth of boats. That we can't even charge The
• 18:48
  governor is having a fit our current governor.
• 18:50
  Which is no longer Jay Inslee. So, Bob?
• 18:54
  Ferguson such a. Bob is is aggressively.
• 18:58
  Pushing to improve. Ferry.
• 18:59
  Service because ferry service is 1.
• 19:01
  Of those things that. It really irritates.
• 19:03
  Us up here, I mean, I, I don't. Even ride the.
• 19:05
  Ferries except for. Fun and.
• 19:08
  It irritates me. It irritates me because.
• 19:11
  When they're not running right. It jams up traffic.
• 19:14
  It puts more. Cars on the road going places.
• 19:15
  I do. Want to go?
• 19:18
  It's a problem. And of course the service levels
• 19:20
  aren't there because they fired all the staff because they.
• 19:22
  Didn't get the. Jab and at the end of the day
• 19:27
  it's making him look bad. He's only been governor for
• 19:30
  what, 7? Months and it's making him eight
• 19:31
  months and it's making him look bad.
• 19:34
  And so he's already he literally, I swear to God,
• 19:36
  couple weeks ago they put one of the ferries that.
• 19:39
  They had decommissioned back into service.
• 19:42
  To try to ease. Some of this and announced that.
• 19:45
  They were working. See what we've accomplished?
• 19:48
  We've gotten more ferries back into service.
• 19:50
  You took it out because you said it was polluting.
• 19:53
  And and now. You're.
• 19:55
  You're not. Oh, and by the way, the 2026.
• 19:58
  World Cup is going to be. Partly up here.
• 20:00
  So they need. These.
• 20:01
  Ferries. So they've decided that the.
• 20:03
  Conversion of some of the other. Ferries that they were going.
• 20:05
  To keep. To hybrid electric.
• 20:08
  We can't do that yet because we're going to need those
• 20:10
  ferries in service and we still. Don't have the?
• 20:12
  Charging infrastructure. It's it makes.
• 20:17
  You ask the. Question.
• 20:18
  Which is more? Important service reliability or
• 20:21
  your green. Conversion.
• 20:22
  Because you're overreaching for ideological goals.
• 20:27
  Versus practical needs and in the process you're driving.
• 20:30
  Prices higher. And you're screwing up people's.
• 20:33
  Lives as if they really cared. We need 16 new.
• 20:39
  Ferries by 2040 and I don't know if we can do that.
• 20:45
  I, I I. Just have no.
• 20:46
  Idea and oh. By the way.
• 20:49
  If all of this. Is about economic growth.
• 20:51
  And we're outsourcing. Ship construction to Florida.
• 20:55
  How do our own shipbuilders? Regain their footing with this
• 20:58
  mandate. How?
• 20:59
  How? Do they get back into, you know,
• 21:01
  building ships and. Building ferries and that kind
• 21:03
  of stuff. That they need to be doing to
• 21:06
  make money to. Employ, you know.
• 21:07
  Washingtonians who then? Turn around and pay taxes we
• 21:11
  don't. Have an income?
• 21:12
  Tax yet, but we do have some of the highest sales taxes and of
• 21:18
  course we have the. Highest gas.
• 21:19
  Tax in the world, if those people aren't working, they're
• 21:23
  not paying those things. It's a problematic journey,
• 21:29
  sure. It's good for Florida, I guess.
• 21:33
  They get 7. 114. $1,000,000. And they get, you know, the.
• 21:38
  Cost of these ferries, but of course.
• 21:40
  The the argument is, well, you know, we're.
• 21:44
  Washington, We're. We're super libs up.
• 21:47
  Here I'm not but. You.
• 21:49
  Get the idea? But Florida?
• 21:52
  Those people. Those people are Why are we
• 21:56
  giving them work? Why is our?
• 22:01
  Governor sending our tax money. To Florida.
• 22:04
  Huh. What?
• 22:05
  What are we? Doing here with those people,
• 22:07
  those people. No.
• 22:09
  So there's a lot of that are it's bad policy.
• 22:13
  The whole Climate Change Act is. Bad policy.
• 22:15
  It's. Driven prices higher.
• 22:17
  It's a regressive. Burden as I.
• 22:19
  Said which? You know.
• 22:21
  Progressives are supposed to be for.
• 22:23
  Progressive taxes, not regressive taxes.
• 22:25
  But they they look, it's all about symbol symbols.
• 22:29
  It's all it. Is it's not.
• 22:30
  Going to work. It's not.
• 22:31
  Going to. Even if global warming.
• 22:33
  Was a problem. And again, I don't think it is.
• 22:35
  It's not going to solve. Is this a responsible use of our
• 22:39
  tax dollars? I.
• 22:41
  Got nothing against Florida as you know.
• 22:43
  But this whole process which caused our own.
• 22:48
  Shipbuilders. Here to not be able to.
• 22:49
  Afford to compete because they got to pay higher wages.
• 22:51
  They got to pay this, they got to pay that.
• 22:53
  They got to. You know, include.
• 22:54
  CCA stuff. And all the.
• 22:55
  Stuff and so. We end up outsourcing.
• 22:58
  Literally as far away as you can possibly.
• 23:00
  Get from Washington. State, you know.
• 23:04
  What they're? Going to have to do with these.
• 23:05
  Ferraris, right? They're going to have to drag
• 23:06
  them around, tow them all the way around.
• 23:08
  From From. Florida.
• 23:10
  Through the. Panama Canal, which is not.
• 23:11
  Cheap back up here or? They could.
• 23:14
  You know, take them all the way South I.
• 23:15
  Guess but. That's a little dangerous being
• 23:17
  taken on the open deck ferry around the Cape Horn, but.
• 23:21
  At any rate. Is this really a a a responsible
• 23:25
  use of our tax dollars? Is it really responsible?
• 23:27
  For the local. Economy hit that we've taken
• 23:30
  Where's the? Transparency.
• 23:31
  Where's the? Accountability.
• 23:32
  Where is the. Person who stands up.
• 23:34
  And says. You know what?
• 23:36
  We screwed. Up it.
• 23:39
  We're we're so. Damn, just just insistent.
• 23:44
  That we're going to. Save the universe that we're
• 23:46
  going to save the. Planet.
• 23:48
  That we're. Spending.
• 23:49
  Your tax dollars. On it and you don't.
• 23:53
  Need it anyway, we here in the Washington.
• 23:55
  State of Washington. What we need?
• 23:56
  Are fairies that. Freaking work on time.
• 24:00
  With the right. Number of staff and.
• 24:02
  Believe me when I got here in 1978.
• 24:05
  We had that. When I came back.
• 24:08
  In 1980 we had that. When I was stationed here 80. 2
• 24:12
  to 80. Seven, we had that.
• 24:15
  We don't have that today what we have today.
• 24:17
  Can only be called. A ferry folly.