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I’ve spent my career fighting for vulnerable patients, especially people of color. So I was ecstatic to hear about a new initiative from dozens of biotech companies. These firms pledged to enroll more people of color in “clinical trials” — years-long tests that show whether experimental drugs are safe and effective. Boosting diversity will tangibly improve the health of minority Americans. White Americans are drastically overrepresented in clinical trials. Non-Hispanic whites account for 60% of the U.S. population, but rou...
We are fast approaching the halfway point of the 2021 legislative session. There have been some challenges conducting business as usual for the Legislature during this unusual time in our lives. The governor’s decision to close off a large portion of the Capitol grounds to the public is concerning, as are his ever-changing metrics and policies when it comes to reopening our state. I’m very pleased that all parts of our state have been able to move to Phase 2 of the latest reop...
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact in America. This devastation, in my opinion, is a direct result of a lack of resources. As good folks have been losing jobs and small businesses while waiting for a stimulus check that feels like it’s never coming, security has never felt more fragile. The thing is, pandemics have no borders. Meaning, if we as one of the wealthiest countries in the world are struggling, others in impoverished countries are barely surviving. We mustn't forget about them. While our people n...
People are manipulated through fear. Fear of Saddam Hussein. Fear of terrorism. Fear of climate change. Fear of the corona virus. The politicians and the media, with the help of academia and other recipients of money from the government, fan the flames of fear. People react to this fear by doing what the so-called “experts” tell them to do: Destroy Iraq, bombing them into the Stone Age and killing hundreds of thousands of people. Hang humanity on a “Cross of Iron” by spending trillions of dollars on the militar...
The meltdown at the state Department of Employment Security ought to teach us a lesson. It’s easy for government to create problems, not so easy for the Legislature to come back in and clean up the mess. We ought to keep this in mind as the Legislature debates some of the big, bold ideas our liberal colleagues are bringing to the table this year — for an income tax, big increases in gas prices, greater government control of industry, and many, many more. Many of these policies are so big and so sweeping we can be sure they wo...
Why would any company spend $5.5 million for a 30-second Super Bowl ad which leaves viewers perplexed as some glitzy and abstract commercials did? After production costs are tacked on, you’d think advertisers would want their messages clearly understood especially in difficult times. Some prominent advertisers, such as Coca Cola, Budweiser and Pepsi, traditional large buyers, skipped Super Bowl LV; however, Weather Tech did not. After game, the list of best and worst ads was r...
Why are Roger Harnack’s opinion pieces labeled as news articles instead of being in the editorial section (“Gov. Inslee keeps Eastern Washington locked down,” Cheney Free Press online, Jan. 21, 2021). Terms like “so called” and “teased” are clearly point-of-view and call into the reader’s mind questions about whether journalistic rules and ethics of writing are used in the stories. How can we trust that facts are being reported with such clearly slanted yellow journalism? Joan Mamanakis – Cheney...
For a young man, Conner Mertens has had quite an impactful life. Most people know Conner as the brave, vocal activist who made headlines by being the first openly LGBTQ college-football player as a freshman kicker at Willamette University in Oregon. But I came to know the Tri-Cities native when he showed up at my door with an idea for saving the lives of students at risk of suicide, bullying and various other forms of school violence. That idea — a tip line and mobile app to allow students to confidentially report p...
The culture, heritage and history of Eastern Washington — indeed all of Washington and Oregon history — is under fire again in Olympia. I’m talking about an effort this year in the House to erase Marcus Whitman’s significance from the halls of the Capitol building in Olympia and the national statuary in Washington, D.C. Pushed by lawmakers, who obviously lack a full understanding of Whitman’s significance, House Bill 1372 seeks to replace the bronze Marcus Whitman statues w...
It’s that time of year again. The envelope arrived this week and it’s time to approve spending on the public education system. This year I am voting no. Looking at the numbers as reported by State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Cheney School District is spending $12,604 per year per student. A lot of money. However, when I divide the annual school budget of $88.7 million (Cheney Free Press, 7/02/20) , by the 5,103 students in the district, per student cost is around $17,300. Why does the state say we pay only $12...
My husband and I, both having gone to school in Medical Lake, could provide countless examples as to how the school levies helped support us directly over the years through academics and athletics. The unconditional support Medical Lake School District has shown our son through his early speech challenges, is unbelievable. My son has been able to attend school at Hallett Elementary since he was three years old and receives one-on-one therapy, which improved his speaking tremendously. Because of these early childhood...
I just received my ballot for the upcoming levy for the Cheney School District so I am urging everyone to vote yes for this levy. Last year we paid $1.42 per $1,000 in assessed property value for one of the levies and paid 45 cents per $1,000 on the other on our property for total of $1.87. This year’s levies are asking for $1.65 and 10 cents respectively for a total payment of $1.75 per $1,000. We will save 12 per every $1,000 of assessed evaluation. We should all appreciate the school district being aware of everyone’s eco...
To the Medical Lake Community: Many peers and I value the activities the levy affects, for many reasons it should be supported. My personal experience as a student has been shaped by many resources and activities such as Chromebooks, the robotics team, STEM activities and mental health services. One of the biggest resources are Chromebooks. Chromebooks have become a really big part of our learning system and especially due to recent circumstances they have become even more so. They provide diversification of our resources aca...
It is that time again, where we as citizens get a chance to vote on an upcoming levy to support the Medical Lake School District. This levy was last approved in 2018, so it is not a new one that will increase our costs, but a vote to sustain the existing funding levels. This levy is essential for our schools to continue to provide excellence in education in our community. It funds many key educational activities from technology to extracurricular. My family has three students in the district: eighth-grade, fourth-grade and...
As much as we would love to see an end to impaired driving and with it, the need to keep sponsoring DUI legislation, we unfortunately know there is still much work to be done. Last week the Senate Law and Justice Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 5054, a measure I introduced with the support of Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, to strengthen the state’s felony-DUI law and reduce the number of people who become victims of impaired drivers. Washington law now makes the fourth DUI conviction a felony, but courts may c...
I am writing in support of the Feb. 9, 2021 Replacement Levy for the Cheney School District. This levy is vital to our community in the continuation of services, programs and facility improvements to provide high quality education and services for our youth. Now, more than ever, our kids need our support. This past year has been especially difficult for so many in a multitude of ways and our youth has been impacted greatly. As a proud parent of Cheney graduates and as a retired educator or 37 years, (the last 17 years spent...
Dear Cheney School District voters, My children are grown and are no longer in school but all went through Cheney Public Schools. And I no longer work for the school district but did so for 23 years. Those are the very reasons I am asking you to vote for the upcoming replacement levy. The current students and staff need your vote. This past year has been a huge disruption as well as a huge challenge both for students and staff. One thing that is needed at this time that the replacement levy will provide is consistency;...
I am a retired Cheney Middle School teacher who worked for the Cheney School District for 30 years and in education for a total of 38 years. I have been involved with our local school district for the last five years with various bonds and levies. I have come to trust this leadership and administration, who have demonstrated a consistent pattern of genuine concern and an awareness of the importance of asking for support of taxpayer dollars. It is important to note that the two propositions in front of voters are replacement...
The replacement Educational Programs and Operation Levy that Cheney School District is asking for a $1,700,000 increase over the old levy. The district and its supporters tout that students “currently enjoy... special programs such as visual and performing arts, extra-curricular sports and clubs...” (letter to editor Jan. 14). Currently? School activities have been shut down since last March. We are fast approaching a year. What happened to the money that was to support last years’ activities? What was the amount banke...
When my husband, Rich, retired from the Air Force 28 years ago, we intentionally moved back to Cheney because we wanted our two daughters to attend Cheney public schools. I think other people move into our district for similar reasons. I am proud of all the schools, students, graduates, teachers, staff and administration. By supporting the levy we are investing in the future of our schools and our commitment to the students in our district. Investing in our schools is investing in our kids. Our kids need our support in these...
There’s an old story about Elizabeth Willing Powel, the wife of the Philadelphia mayor, asking Benjamin Franklin, as he left the Constitutional Convention, “Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?” To which Ben Franklin supposedly answered: “A republic, if you can keep it.” This legislative session, which started on Jan. 11, will require you as a citizen to work harder than ever to keep our representative democracy…well…representative. Access to democracy is a major topic at the start of this year’s gathering of l...
Roger Harnack’s Jan. 7, 2021 Cheney Free Press article, “Pushing back against bureaucratic harassment,” is troubling. Within the article, the governor and state workers are accused of “illegally” and “unconstitutionally” “extorting,” “blackmailing,” “harassing,” “threatening” and “violating the rights of” business owners. In fact, our duly elected (and re-elected) governor has taken legal, medically and scientifically defensible measures to protect the health and lives of Washington citizens. Our legislature, electe...
Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ sudden rush to judgement of President Trump, after enabling him the last four years, rings hollow, given her self-identification as evangelical Christian. Following her reversal, Biblical scripture like Matthew 7:1-5 commands her apology to country and constituents for previously not standing up to Trump — in Biblical parlance, she should repent. Evangelical Christians, by definition, are supposed to bring the good news and love of Christ by witness, so as to gain followers of Christ. Instead, stu...
The proposed Medical Lake School District Educational and Operations Levy Is a replacement for the levy approved by the Medical Lake School District voters in 2018. The levy would provide approximately $1.5 million per year. If passed, that $1.5 million per year will be matched by an additional $1.5 million per year from the state and would take effect in 2022. This rate of $1.50 per $1,000 assessed property value is the lowest amount needed to be eligible for the state matching funds. MLSD uses these funds to pay for COVID...
With COVID-19 vaccines being widely dispensed, will an end to this pandemic halt “work from home?” Will workers return to downtown offices at pre-pandemic levels? Not likely! However, it is not an either/or question, said Stanford Professor Nicholas Bloom, who is co-director of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s productivity, innovation and entrepreneurship program. “Working from home will be very much a part of our post-COVID economy,” he added, “so, the sooner poli...
