Chad Taylor has every right to criticize Gov. Bob Ferguson. He is fair game. But he loses me when he tries to frame that criticism as somehow above partisan politics when he is doing the opposite.
His commentaries, including this one, keep landing in the same place. Democrats are picked apart while Republicans are excused, ignored or handled with kid gloves. This is not what I would define as “nonpartisan.” It’s one-sided.
If Taylor wants to claim this is really about values, ethics, and standards in public office, then he needs to show readers he is willing to apply those standards across party lines, not just when the target has a “D” next to their name.
He should start with Donald Trump.
Trump is a convicted felon, guilty on 34 counts. That alone should matter to anyone claiming to care about ethics, character and the rule of law. But there is more. Trump’s pattern is constant; false statements, erratic behavior, a governing style built on chaos instead of discipline, and an administration loyal to him above the best interests of our country.
In just the past few weeks, Trump has lashed out at the Pope for speaking in the name of peace, amplified imagery depicting himself as Jesus, and issued extreme threats about “destroying civilizations” tied to the Iran war. His behavior shows a pattern of instability, ego and poor judgment.
Let’s talk about the cost of Trump’s actions.
Trump promised lower prices. Instead, his war with Iran has driven oil and gas higher, putting direct pressure on American families at the pump and across the economy. We are all feeling it. At the same time, his approach has strained long-standing alliances and weakened U.S. credibility abroad. Allies are questioning US reliability, and that has consequences that go well beyond his term in office. And in the US, he has become nothing but a great divider, turning neighbor against neighbor.
If Taylor is serious about accountability, he should be addressing Trump’s many failures in this area.
Closer to home, the same selective silence shows up again.
Lewis County taxpayers already paid for Lewis County Commissioner Sean Swope’s Gather Church needle-exchange debacle. The county was warned, moved forward anyway, got sued, lost in court, and ultimately had to pay roughly $600,000 in attorney fees. An avoidable cost that was a direct result of decisions pushed forward despite clear legal advice against it.
Now there is another federal case, Bromm v. Lewis County et al., filed April 15, 2026, naming Swope, among others.
The facts will be sorted out in court, but the pattern is familiar, unnecessary escalation by Swope turning into litigation, and taxpayers left holding the bill.
Again, if this is about standards, then write about Swope’s costly behaviors.
Taylor is not wrong to demand accountability in government.
He is wrong to feign neutrality while only critiquing Democrats.
If he wants readers to take him seriously in his neutrality, then he needs to hold everyone to the same line — Trump, Swope, Ferguson, all of them.
Matt Evans
Centralia
