Opinion
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 259
Letters to the Editor
Congresswoman can try to influence Speaker Johnson Among Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers’s negative legacies she leaves, her most impactful may be on immigration. However, she still has time to improve that. Donald Trump... — Updated 3/13/2024
Tree farms reduce greenhouse gases
As climate change concerns grow, researchers are turning to family tree farmers for assistance. They have been helping for a century, but their efforts go unrecognized. The... — Updated 3/13/2024
Keep public records open to the public
Public records must remain open and accessible A special report urges the mobilization of civic leaders, organizations, businesses and all residents to work together to save the state’s Public Records Act. The report is available... — Updated 2/29/2024
Dam compact words matter
Let’s take a few words that should be on the minds of all Eastern Washingtonians concerned over efforts to breach Snake River dams — agreement, restoration and sovereign, to... — Updated 2/29/2024
House Bill 2114, rent control, appears to have died in the Washington State Senate
House Bill 2114, otherwise known as rent control, that passed the Washington State House of Representatives February 13 on a party line vote, appears to have died in the Senate and... — Updated 2/29/2024
Let Washingtonians be heard
It is with a mix of encouragement and disappointment that the Senate majority leader says four of the six citizen initiatives to the Legislature “might” have public hearings scheduled before the end of the 2024 session. But... — Updated 2/29/2024
Cleansing sewage essential to water
In Washington, this year we hope to again escape the historic droughts plaguing other parts of the world. The Columbia River water system flowed at normal levels in recent years... — Updated 2/22/2024
Facing the facts about the damage caused by one-party control
It was my honor this year to deliver the opposing party's response to the "state of the state" address from the governor. In his final such speech to the Senate and House of... — Updated 2/14/2024
State needs more law officers
There was a time many years ago when our state was generally safe and did not have a serious crime problem. Unfortunately, as the saying goes, that was then and this is now. Washington is among the nation’s leaders in several... — Updated 2/14/2024
California too costly for our economy
Several days ago, the Wall Street Journal issued a report about California’s “soaring electricity rates.” Average residential rates for investor-owned utility customers have surged by 72% to 127% over the past 10 years.... — Updated 2/14/2024
Charting a Sustainable Energy Future
As Washington stands at a pivotal moment in shaping its energy future, it becomes increasingly clear that adopting sensible, forward-thinking solutions is crucial for a reliable,... — Updated 2/14/2024
Take 'Gotcha!' out of records requests
When state voters adopted the state's Public Records Act in 1972, they wanted to make sure state, county and city governments operate openly and are transparent to the people. They... — Updated 2/14/2024
Recycling EV batteries a huge effort
Each year Americans throw away more than three billion batteries constituting 180,000 tons of hazardous material. The situation is likely to get worse as the world shifts to lithium... — Updated 2/8/2024
State parks failing at Palouse Falls, Lyons
Two years ago, Washington State Parks bureaucrats in Tumwater hatched a plan to address so-called "overcrowding" at Palouse Falls. The plan was to close and relocate the campground... — Updated 1/31/2024
Watch your language on climate change
As climate disruption becomes more evident, more people are empowered to advocate for climate mitigation. This advocacy is positive, but climate advocates must choose their words carefully for their message to be most effective.... — Updated 1/31/2024
Expose dam plan to reality
The $33 billion secret Snake River Dam plan that President Biden and friends cooked up in the White House basement needs to be exposed to the light of day and thoroughly aired by... — Updated 1/17/2024
Military money is Golden Egg
Aesop’s fable warns against killing the goose laying golden eggs. The tale’s origins date to 600 B.C. and tells of the greedy farmer who foolishly killed the prized goose to... — Updated 1/12/2024
Legislative priorities this year
Monday featured opening-day ceremonies in the Senate and House chambers, followed by a joint legislative session in the House chamber on Tuesday for Gov. (Jay) Inslee’s final... — Updated 1/12/2024
Breaching dams isn't the answer
Monumental Dam has a concrete fish ladder. Its lock works for barge. Rather than breach the dam – or others on the Lower Snake River – how about using a tunnel-boring machine to notch an on the side an additional zig-zag fish... — Updated 1/12/2024
Reintroduce bill to ban dwarf-tossing
Persons who have dwarfism (also referred to as “little people”) frequently experience employment discrimination. Although they can perform any job task well – often needing only a stool – employers frequently reject them... — Updated 1/12/2024
You should cover Hudson's presidential bid
I am writing to express my concern regarding the lack of attention given to non-partisan candidate Anthony Hudson in your coverage of the presidential race. As a blue-collar man with a message that has resonated with over 60... — Updated 1/3/2024
Natural gas code violates state law
Washington’s State Building Code Council has once again adopted rules designed to eliminate natural gas energy for new residential and commercial construction. The original propos... — Updated 1/3/2024
A policy wish list for Santa, lawmakers
With shopping behind us, it is time o turn to Santa for those final Christmas presents on our wish list. After comparing the options and reviewing the data on which ones will help... — Updated 1/3/2024