For four years, we endured malfeasance, misfeasance, nonfeasance and outright criminality by the Trump administration’s appointment of ideologues, political hacks and entirely incompetent people throughout the government.
Thankfully, most of the names emerging from the Biden administration look like qualified, experienced professionals, truly a breath of fresh air. That is, until the naming of Suzi LeVine, who presided over the Employment Security Department’s loss of millions of dollars in state funds, painfully late payments to suffering unemployed people and evasions of scrutiny by the state auditor. LeVine looks more like a Trump appointee, someone hired for purely political connections rather than leadership skills who flouts government oversight.
The only consolation for Washington state residents is that we might now get competent leadership at ESD. With so many skilled professionals at our state’s cutting-edge high-tech companies, Gov. Jay Inslee now has the golden opportunity to attract a world-class individual from the private sector who can run the department for the benefit of beneficiaries and taxpayers.
John Wright, Kenmore
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