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It is time to change the way things are done in our nation’s capital---the “Other Washington!” The year-end Christmas dash to pass a $1.7 trillion spending monstrosity is the straw breaking the camel’s back. It is a 4,000-page document which lawmakers freely admit they did not read. To put the problem into perspective that one bill contains 17 times more money than the entire two-year state budget for Washington. It’s an unfathomable sum of money and its vast scope has not gone unnoticed outside the D.C. beltway. It is fue...
The Washington State Auditor has completed a performance audit of the Employment Security Department and has found the agency still has not corrected its systemic performance and fraud problems uncovered during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the complete failure of the agency to handle pandemic unemployment claims, which culminated in the resignation of Commissioner Suzi LeVine in 2021, state lawmakers passed several key pieces of legislation to require the agency to reform many of its internal processes and increase...
Looking ahead to 2023 one of the most significant shifts America needs is to return to an “All of the Above” strategy which expands our energy options rather than further restricting them. That strategy was incorporated in the 2005 Energy Policy Act signed into law by President George W. Bush. It was inclusive and focused on incremental improvements coupled with innovation. However, in the last couple of years, our political leaders have hastily and unwisely narrowed fuel opt...
As the dawn of a new year approaches, it is important to pause and take stock of ourselves, and of the many mercies and comforts we enjoy. After all, “Gratitude,” Cicero said, “is not the greatest of the virtues, it is the parent of them all.” Of course, much has been lost in our society, and even more has been changed by the passage of these last few years. But not all that undergoes a sea-change in the wake of a storm is unsalvageable; in fact, some of the most preciou...
A strong mind and body are crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I learned that while recently completing basic training for the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, Okla. I was never a stranger to the gym. In fact, I spent every morning working out at FIT gym in downtown Colfax prior to leaving for the military. As a regular there, I always focused on strength training and cardio. Afterward, I would get my morning cappuccino and find myself at my desk in the bullpen at The Whitman...
Throughout history, there have been two political parties — one for the people, and one for the aristocracy. At times, the party for the people has been snuffed out. This is one of those times. The “Democrat/RINO” party and “Republican/Trump” party are both for the billionaire class. If in doubt, one needs only to look at government spending, which consists of an enormous transfer of wealth from the working people to the billionaires. If further proof is required, government’s violations of the Bill of Rights illuminate...
The Holiday Season is an especially difficult time for anyone grieving lost loved ones. Evergreen wreaths placed on veterans’ graves across America help to ease that pain. More than 2.5 million red-ribboned wreaths were placed by thousands of volunteers, including many family members, on December 17. Those wreaths are made from clippings of balsam firs dedicated to deceased veterans. Each tree growing in Maine has the “dog tags” identifying the fallen service member. The t...
As a youngster, I looked forward to Christmas. I loved the food, the traditions and especially the presents — what kid doesn’t? In high school and college, the luster subsided. As a wrestler, Christmas was a time for fasting so I didn’t have to move up a weight class. I dreaded running extra bleachers, doing additional up-downs and all the “fat man” jokes from teammates. Christmas would become just one of those “OK” holidays for me after college. As a journalist, I...
The $5.4 billion expansion of the Panama Canal is paying off for East Coast and Gulf of Mexico seaports. It is putting pressure on the Pacific Ocean-based terminals to be more competitive. The enlarged waterway opened in June 2016 allowing much larger container ships to transit between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Ships carrying up to 14,800 containers can now bypass Washington and other West Coast docks and deliver containers directly to cities from Houston to New York. The older canal accommodates ships with 5,000...
Former state senator and current state Director of Commerce Lisa Brown rightly describes the difficulties a small business startup faces in Washington. Brown says the state Department of Commerce is helping small business owners navigate the complicated array of regulations and mandates that the very same government agency had previously imposed. But Brown completely glosses over the underlying problem small businesses face when they first start; that is, over complex government regulations. Instead of pouring money into...
A 2017 article in the Cheney Free Press (Cheney Changes Plowing Ordinance, 2017-02-16) suggested that enhancements to future snow removal would prioritize safe pedestrian travel. My experience as a pedestrian during the winter in Cheney is quite the opposite. City plows frequently barricade sidewalks, often undoing citizen removal efforts and preventing safe access. These same sidewalks are used by our neighbors and children to reach schools, work, and bus stops. The most recent storm has Cheney Middle School students...
I’ll soon be hopping into the pickup for the long drive from Olympia back home to Ritzville. These past few days were spent in our state capital for Senate Assembly Days, which has included several committee, caucus and individual meetings. Things got busy even before I reached Olympia. On my way west last Tuesday, I stopped in Ellensburg to meet with the new president of Central Washington University, Jim Wohlpart, over a cup of coffee. We had a good chat about a number of topics, including Central’s capital-budget nee...
In June, Gov. Jay Inslee dictated that there would be a permanent COVID-19 vaccine mandate in our fair land that extended beyond the reach of his emergency powers. When the Legislature convenes in the new year, our other elected representatives need to try and swim the moat to take that unfair requirement away. I was told it might be possible with a budget proviso. For now, rules have been written — effective Nov. 4 — and a COVID-19 vaccine is now required for taxpayer-funded employment in state executive and small cabinet ag...
Cheney Free Press Dec. 9, 1932 Lucas Walsh The G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) was a men’s organization composed of veterans of the Union Army who fought in the American Civil War. Like many cities across the United States during the first part of the twentieth century, Cheney was home to several veterans of that conflict. One such resident, Thomas E. Ross, was the last living veteran of the Civil War, and last member of the GAR fraternity. Members of the America Legion acted as pall-bearers for Ross’s casket as it was...
The good news is, despite higher prices, inflation and safety concerns, more Christmas shoppers are browsing on-line but making in-store purchases. The National Retail Federation (NRF) reported this year an estimated 166.3 million people visited stores from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday----an 8 million increase from last year. It is the highest estimate since NRF began tracking this data in 2017. The good news extends to on-line sales. E-commerce retail revenues this...
CHENEY – What defines community? The character of a town is surely a collection of things, some of which have to do with entertainment, food, and residents. But I would say that community is a state of being; it is the relationship between all the people in the area and the overall atmosphere of how they engage with each other. So, as you read about your local police department’s chaplain in our community section, or view the Dow Excavation company’s Christmas decorations on t...
It has been said that fortune favors the bold, or that the world rewards results, and this might be true, however pedestrian it may sound. In my view, this is an example of a truism; a statement or proposition that is self evidently true yet does nothing to enrich the conversation. My brother in-law once said “When you hear advice, always consider carefully the character of the person who gives it before you act.” So, I call you to examine the nature of the people from whom you may have heard the opening sentiment. Have the...
More than ever, our country is suffering due to moral relativism – the idea that truth itself is relative. This leads to situations where, confronted with the same reality, people can’t agree on what the facts are, let alone the moral judgments that come about as a result of those facts. Nowhere is this more true than the debate over abortion. You would think that as a society that has become obsessed with the latest science, there would be interest in hammering down a firm set of agreed upon definitions, but instead we see...
It seems like every time you open a webpage, turn on the TV or listen to the radio, you’re bombarded with negativity. We’re on the verge of nuclear war. The recession is upon us. Inflation is high. Every storm is “historic.” Race-based politics are invading every inch of our educational system and lives. And if that’s not enough, the 2024 election season has already begun. It’s enough to get you down, and keep you there. But cheer up. You have plenty to be thankful for this Th...
Forest health, climate change, and a plan that got almost no input before being announced is at the heart of the “carbon project” announced by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources last week. The project, developed by Finite Carbon, proposes to set aside 10,000 acres of forest in Western Washington, once set aside for marbled murrelet habitat and then cleared for logging, for carbon offsets that can be purchased by large companies in trade for their greenhouse gas emissions. The act of setting aside 10,000 acr...
“Never has our future been more unpredictable, never have we depended so much on political forces that cannot be trusted to follow the rules of common sense and self-interest – forces that look like sheer insanity, if judged by the standards of other centuries.” The above quote is taken from a book first published in 1951, by Hannah Arendt, regarded by some today as an influential political theorist. The excerpt appears in the opening of The Origins of Totalitarianism, written in the wake of World War II. After having lived...
Give President Joe Biden some credit for mid-term election Democratic successes when most everyone, including the media, predicted otherwise. Instead of focusing on himself, he quietly avoided states where he’s unpopular and helped Democrats win Pennsylvania where he grew up and is still popular. He presented us with our country’s greatest challenge: to save our democracy from autocratic ambitions of the MAGA faction that dominates the Republican party. He inherited a mess and time spent cleaning it up detracted from tim...
It it not enough for a mode of disseminating information to be free from governmental oversight, or to be nearly completely unfettered by law; it must be inspired, if not wholly instructed by and reliant upon individuals of some intellectual and moral integrity. This integrity, such as I will describe it, is answerable to an authority not contaminated by private interest and the unchecked motivation toward capital gain. Albert Pike, writer and scholar, once wrote that “When public misfortunes shall be turned to private p...
Lowering our flags to half-staff is a solemn act that recognizes our fallen heroes, whether they be men and women in our armed forces or police officers killed in the line of duty. It is a vivid reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by those who serve us. Unfortunately, after those flags return to the top of the pole and time passes, we tend to forget that the suffering for the friends and families continues. The loneliness, financial stress, and emotional strain lives on....
By Don Brunell Contributor Demand for Electric Vehicles (EV) is soaring---accelerated by climate change concerns. EVs reduce tailpipe emissions from cars, trucks and buses which are responsible for 30 percent of our greenhouse gas pollutants. The switch to EVs is worldwide and growing. The Simply Insurance website projects by 2040, 58 percent of global vehicle sales will be electric. In 2021, China’s EV sales jumped to 3.3 million. Chinese government officials told a...
