Tonight, beware of the misdirection play

As the Seahawks face the 49ers tonight at Lumen Field, Seattle’s defense will be ready to recognize fake handoffs, double-reverses, and flea-flickers. At the same time, Climate Commitment Act architect Reuven Carlyle will be ready to defend against “misdirection” claims about gas prices as he debates I-2117 proponent Brian Heywood.

Heywood will claim that the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) is responsible for gas prices in Washington state being higher than the national average – neglecting to note that our state’s prices at the pump have been higher than the national average for all 21 years of US EIA record-keeping. (Why are prices lower in other states? Read this explainer from The Seattle Times.)

Keeping our eye on the ball, comparing gas prices today versus gas prices two years ago (pre-CCA), we can clearly see that prices are $1.33/gallon lower now than they were two years ago pre-CCA, and the gap versus the national average is also much lower at $0.71/gallon today versus $1.26/gallon two years ago: a whopping $0.55/gallon difference. 

Whether you tune into the game or the debate, don’t be fooled by cleverly designed plays or Pinocchio-sized ploys. To keep Washington atop the clean economy standings, we need to follow the facts.

Go Seahawks! Go CCA!