Sheriff Slams Democrat Governor In Viral Post, Says He Won’t Enforce Lockdown: ‘I Can No Longer Stay Silent’
By Amanda Prestigiacomo
Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney said Tuesday that he will not enforce Democrat Governor Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order, which the sheriff slammed as inconsistent and in violation of Washingtonians’ civil liberties.
Addressing Snohomish County residents, of which there are over 820,000, in a lengthy Facebook post, Fortney ripped Gov. Inslee’s plan, or lack thereof, for reopening the economy.
“I just watched the governor’s speech to Washingtonian’s regarding our approach to getting Washington back in business, and I am left to wonder if he even has a plan?” questioned the sheriff. “To be quite honest, I wasn’t even sure what he was trying to say half of the time. He has no plan. He has no details. This simply is not good enough in times when we have taken such drastic measures as the suspension of constitutional rights.”
Fortney went on to note that the China-originated novel coronavirus “is very real and sadly, it has taken 97 lives in Snohomish County.”
“This is a very serious issue and the appropriate precautions need to be taken to protect our most vulnerable populations. However, our communities have already shown and continue to show they understand the severity of the situation and are doing all they can already to keep themselves, their families, and neighbors safe and healthy,” he continued, adding it’s “clear” that “the ‘models’ have not been entirely accurate,” and Washingtonians need a new path forward that’s consistent with current data.
The sheriff then lit into Gov. Inslee for his inconsistent policies regarding “essential” and “nonessential” workers in the state, questioning if the Democrat was “picking winners and losers.”
“Are pot shops really essential or did he allow them to stay in business because of the government taxes received from them?” he asked. “That seems like a reasonable question. If pot shops are essential, then why aren’t gun shops essential?”
“Our Governor has told us that private building/construction must stop as it is not essential, but government construction is okay to continue,” Fortney outlined. “So let me get this right, according to the Governor, if you are employed or contracted by the government to build government things, you can still make a living for your family in spite of any health risk. If you are a construction worker in the private sector, you cannot make a living and support your family because the health risk is too high. This contradiction is not okay, and in my opinion, is bordering on unethical.”