L&I funds raided for protection order vacations

UPDATE:
L&I is paying for a dozen new full time inspectors to fine businesses which call bullshit on the extended DV vacation program. Contrary to my original post- L&I is not paying wages during leave; that money is already available through our state's unemployment office.

The obvious flaws of this bill and the new mouths at the government trough are still as egregious as originally posted.

The Wa Farm Bureau confirmed my suspicions on the funding for the Griego Bill, HB 2606. They are raiding L&I funds enforce work leave to recipients of protection orders. As in turns out, our own Rep Brendan Williams of the 22nd district is a co sponsor of the bill. (side note- Brendan, is this perhaps why you’ve stopped responding in regards to the public records issue with the courts?)

In case you are wondering about the magnitude this new entitlement….one of Washington State’s own money chains counted 26,586 people in 2007 who could tap this program.

It’s not that Republicans were asleep at the wheel here. There was a failed attempt led by Rep Cary Condotta to prevent this highway robbery of workers via HB 3387.

In case your interested- one of the full time lobbyists who helped pushed this through is funded by money funneling through United Way. More on that over at The Daily World. Remember that this is where the United Way sends your cash the next time they come knocking for you to donate at work. Oh- there was also a bunch of VAWA money in the lobbying train too.


Background on protection orders You can get a protection order by simply “asking.” That’s why there are so many- and that’s why they are worthless for protecting real victims. Just ask the Griego girl who had one. There is no qualifying criteria to get one, other than telling a judge you feel scared- oh- and you must be female (sorry dudes). There are literally no consequences to making a totally bogus accusation either. In fact gaming the protection order racket is a very common and usually successful tactic in child custody battles and a big area in need of fixing when it comes to family law reform. Getting a protection order immediately gives a woman the upper hand in a divorce battle and usually full temporary custody of the kids, not to mention mandatory financial support that can be upwards of $2,000 a month plus living expenses. The “accused” will have to spend $10k getting a bogus order removed, which only happens after countless “paid evaluations” by organizations in bed with the domestic violence lobby and who have a steady stream of cash flow to and from the courts.

Give due credit to the devil, the family leave bill is quite a bullet in the family law machine’s arsenal.


The cost. So employers, the next time that nail gun misfires and your employees have a hand or foot that looks like Jesus H Christ- there may not be any of that money the state takes from you each week because a lot of angry ex’s decided to take a vengeance vacation on your dime. If you happen to be one of the poor schmucks caught up in this racket- just remember - you could have helped my peeps lobby against this corruption before it applied to you!