Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 1875 - 1899 of 3750
An open letter to Rep. Joseph Schmick Normally, a state representative would be celebrating the news; WA Parks just allocated 6 million dollars to make improvements right here in our own district. But I read in this paper last week that you’re going to try to stop that money from going through; you think it’s a mistake. You’re going to do your gosh darn level best to make sure Tekoa, Rosalia, Malden, Lind, Pine City, Ewan, Ritzville and all the other small towns you represent along the John Wayne Trail don’t get a chance to benefit from th... Full story
President Barack Obama won't explicitly say that Donald Trump is on the wrong side of history, but surely he believes it. The president basically thinks anyone who gets in his way is transgressing the larger forces of history with a capital "H." In 2008, he declared John McCain "on the wrong side of history right now" (the "right now" was a generous touch -- allowing for the possibility that McCain might get right with History at some future date). Obama has returned to this phrase and argument obsessively. It is deeply embedded in his, and the...
Wow, what a surprise the Electoral College was! Who knew that a candidate could win the race for the presidency even though he didn't get a majority of the actual national vote, like Donald Trump did? Somehow, that possibility evaded all the advisers buzzing around Hillary Clinton, who constantly and smugly assured everyone that they were the modern experts with the superior grasp of data, so worry not about Trump defeating Clinton. They are the same ones who are now bitterly complaining about the unfairness of the Electoral College. Never... Full story
It has been 75 years since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. With the signal, “Tora, Tora, Tora,” Japanese warplanes swooped down on the sleepy naval port. After the two waves of attackers finished their work, the U.S. Pacific fleet was devastated. Twenty ships were damaged or sunk. Hundreds of military planes were destroyed or damaged on the ground. More than 2,000 Americans were killed. That fateful attack galvanized the country. Up until December 7, the country resisted getting involved with the conflicts around the...
In Washington, an abundance of low cost, reliable hydropower spurs economic growth. It is a key reason why energy intensive industries locate here. Today, our nation has a profusion of carbon-based energy. Unlike a decade ago when we relied upon imported natural gas and crude oil, fracking technology put us on the path to be the world’s largest producer of processed petroleum. While fracked gas and oil are a boom to America’s economy, they are a big problem for traditional oil rich nations like Saudi Arabia and Russia. The Wall Street Jou...
A few years ago, I was in the process of buying a new car, and the salesman in one dealership began telling me how poorly Fords were made. I listened for a few minutes and replied that poorly made Fords didn’t make me feel any better about his brand. Negative advertising didn’t work for me, and I don’t think it does for most people. Negative political campaigns, however, seem to be a different kettle of fish. The 1964 “Daisy Girl” ad, wherein the Johnson campaign alluded that Goldwater was a threat to start World War III, is credited with tipp... Full story
Rail meetings Residents of Colfax, Albion and all of Whitman County have two opportunities for their opinion to be heard concerning the future of the idle rail line between Colfax and Pullman. Pullman Civic Trust and Washington State Department of Transportation are hosting a workshop in Colfax, Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m. in the new Center, next to the Whitman County Library. A second workshop will be held, Thursday, Dec. 8, at 5:30 p.m. in the Albion Community Center. These workshops follow three sessions held earlier in Pullman. Bob...
The first thing to know about Donald Trump's alleged proposal for a Muslim registry is that it isn't a Muslim registry. This has been lost in a freak-out that has some brave souls already promising acts of civil disobedience to disrupt and overwhelm the prospective registry. The source of the fracas is a comment from Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Trump immigration advisor and (excellent) candidate for Homeland Secretary director, to Reuters. Kobach noted that the administration might reinstate a Bush-era program tracking visitors to...
It's one of our country's most-endearing qualities. It's also one of our most-frustrating ones: We always look for the bright spot. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, all you American Pollyannas, but sometimes there is no silver lining. It's all cloud. A case in point is the election of Donald Trump. Many of you are running true to form, determined to be optimistic. It may have looked like a smile on President Barack Obama's face as he welcomed his successor to the White House, but perhaps he was really gritting his teeth when he...
News media have been savaged recently. Particular vitriol has been leveled by President-elect Donald Trump. He has accused journalists of being liars, scum and low lifes, among other unflattering things. He has attacked reporters personally and has tried to discredit entire media companies, not to mention particular stories. His continued attacks have generated intense reactions from his followers and, in fact, many others. The credibility of many news outlets has been so routinely questioned that the damage to reputations may be long lasting....
We in America not only have a right to protest, we have a long standing tradition. The Boston Tea Party was essentially a protest against British tax laws. Admittedly, it got a bit out of hand, went beyond “peaceful”, and destroyed some valuable property, (the tea). This early protest had a goal. The objective of the protesters was to convince the British crown to change their tax policy toward the American Colonies. Although the protesters became icons of freedom, they didn’t actually achieve their goal. The British crown retaliated with...
For some, Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends and give thanks for the blessings we enjoy. For others, it’s a time to volunteer at soup kitchens to help the less fortunate. For still others, it’s simply a chance to eat a huge meal and watch football. This year is different. Americans are healing after a historic, tumultuous presidential election. Therefore, it is easy to get sidetracked on what is wrong with our country. In reality, most Americans have no idea how fortunate we are. With the exception of military fam...
Caregiving As a member of the Washington State Council on Aging, I write this letter because November is National Family Caregivers Month. The theme for 2016 is “Take Care to Give Care.” We in Whitman County work hard to take good care of our families. Caregiving can be rewarding but also physically and emotionally demanding. The stress of dealing with caregiving responsibilities leads to a higher risk of health issues among the Nation’s 90 million family caregivers. A significant objective of our care network should be to assist family careg...
Pity the anti-Trump protesters thronging the streets of American cities. Apparently, no one ever told them that they live in a geographically, economically and ideologically varied nation, and that about half of its inhabitants might support a Republican candidate for president. They mistook the country for the campus of Oberlin College. The news that it actually isn't arrived with the force of a thunderclap on Nov. 8. The shock of Donald Trump's election has occasioned tears, rending of garments and days of protests showcasing the rank...
For those millions of Americans who awakened to discover that their Donald Trump nightmare was not just a bad dream, the question is, What to do now? Do they accept the platitude about national unity from a stunned Hillary Clinton that "We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead"? Should we become amnesiacs and simply forget all the hateful rhetoric that defined his campaign, the personal vindictiveness that he simply couldn't keep under control? Or instead, should we remember another cliche, which is certainly relevant: "Words matter,"...
For the longest time, since President Abraham Lincoln, in fact, Thanksgiving was celebrated on the last Thursday of November. In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed that Thanksgiving needed to be changed. During his terms in office, two Novembers had five Thursdays. This, according to retailers and business people, left little time for Christmas shopping. Roosevelt proclaimed that Thanksgiving should be permanently changed to the second to last Thursday of the month. He rescinded the new date two years later because of the uproar his... Full story
As the election approached, my anxiety level was as high as it has ever been. I wondered where our country was going and if it would withstand a presidency of either candidate. As I watched the results pour in on CBS news, I was somehow comforted that my anxiety was due to lack of confidence in the American people. The first thing that struck me was the utter confusion of the CBS commentators. “How could we have gotten it so wrong?” I have thought for some time now that the three long running network news programs should be registered as left w...
Economic assets Once again, the value of the Snake River system is going to be reviewed, but this time with a twist. In May, Judge Simon, in his ruling related to the Snake River Biological Opinion, has now brought the entire river system, including the dams on the Columbia, into the discussion. This is new territory. The public is being given the opportunity, until January 17, 2017, to weigh in on the diverse value of the entire river system. As the dialogue continues with regard to the damage done to salmon numbers, it should be noted that th...
There are two ways of looking at this: Donald Trump's astonishing victory was a devastating repudiation of the status quo, an angry demand for change in a system that average Americans fervently believe is "rigged" in favor of the wealthy and corrupt establishment. But Trump's strength came primarily from the resentment of white American men, less-educated ones. So, the other way of looking at the startling result is that it was an acceptance of bigotry, misogyny, religious intolerance and the leadership of a cruel man who has conducted his...
In the course of about six hours, what was supposed to be a Republican existential crisis turned into a Republican wave. What was supposed to be a victory of the coalition of the ascendant became a dispiriting rout of the coalition that didn't show up. What was supposed to be the crowning political achievement of Barack Obama's presidency set the predicate for the unraveling of his legacy. Since before he was elected president, Obama put down as a marker the transformational example of Ronald Reagan. That entailed moving the political center...
“Not my president” has been chanted across America. Thousands have protested the election of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States. Outbursts of concern and fear accompanying his election have been widespread. Most of the protests have been peaceful, but some arrests have been made and some violence has occurred. A week after the election, the protests continue. President Obama and others have called for calm, saying that Trump must be given a chance. The need for restraint is evident. The protests could grow in violence. Ind...
When Branch Rickey decided to challenge baseball’s color line in 1947, he had no idea that Jackie Robinson would become a national hero. That was not his intention. He simply wanted the Brooklyn Dodgers to be the best possible baseball team and realized that many of the best players in the country were black. Most other teams quickly followed suit and black players were soon recognized for their playing ability rather than the color of their skin. Four black players earned their positions on the 1949 all-star team and within 10 years the p...
Save our dams Having lived In Whitman County most of my life, near Lacrosse, 17 miles from the Snake River, I have watched the transition of The Snake River System, from a free flowing river to one that has brought irrigation, fishing, transportation, hydropower, recreation and jobs to the Port of Whitman County and the Lewiston-Clarkston area. Consider this water corridor to the Pacific Ocean as just a Highway I-5 that carries commerce to the West side corridor. Taking out the Snake River Dams would be like taking out the bridges on I-5... Full story
Before Democrats burn James Comey in effigy, they should think about how the FBI director came to have an outsized influence in the election in the first place. It's not something Comey sought or welcomed. A law-enforcement official who prizes his reputation, he didn't relish becoming an object of hate for half the country or more. No, the only reason that Comey figures in the election at all is that Democrats knowingly nominated someone under FBI investigation. Once upon a time – namely any presidential election prior to this one – this eno...
The presidential election is over. Donald Trump has been declared the winner against Hillary Clinton. Early counts show a 50/50 voter split with Clinton gaining an infinitesimal lead in the popular vote. These unofficial numbers (early Wednesday morning) will change, but Trump has taken the electoral college count and will be the next president of the United States. Half the country is celebrating. The other half is not. Yet, we can hope that the vitriol and ugliness of the campaigns are over. Now, it is time for the country to assimilate the... Full story
