Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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Donald Trump’s address in Warsaw on July 6 was his best as President. His prepared remarks carried the right tone and hit the mark. It was a message the Polish people were waiting to hear from America. He called on the U.S. and its Western allies to confront common threats, declaring "Our values will prevail, our people will thrive and our civilization will triumph." The President added (paraphrasing): We write symphonies, pursue innovation, seek to explore and discover new frontiers, reward brilliance, strive for excellence, empower women a...
Does anyone really know Ronald Reagan? In his new book "The Working Class Republican," a bracingly revisionist account of the 40th president, Henry Olsen answers "no." One of the most astute political analysts at work today and a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Olsen argues that Reagan's politics bear the distinctive stamp of his origins as a New Deal Democrat. Olsen's interpretation of what he calls "Reagan's New Deal conservatism" is open to dispute. But he undoubtedly is correct that contemporary conservative politicians do... Full story
Perkins House volunteers The 45th Ice Cream Social at the Perkins House in Colfax has taken place. Many people had the opportunity to view and appreciate the grand old house, as well as eat ice cream and be entertained, thanks to the efforts of volunteers and helpers who turned out to make the day work. But maintaining and improving the House is a year-round effort. Here is why more people should consider joining in, perhaps for more than just a day. In 1972, when the House was in such poor shape that it was at risk of being condemned and torn... Full story
Donald Trump almost got it right. Where his predecessor from a couple of generations ago, President Harry Truman, famously said, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen," President Trump's version would be, "If you can't stand the heat, get out the Twitter." He's been at it again, celebrating the July 4th break with a tweeting fireworks show. Some of them blow up in his face, like his attack on Mika Brzezinski for her face-lift that never was. Then he topped that with a 10-year-old video from World Wrestling Entertainment, the epit... Full story
YYYY GREAT GREAT GREAT music on First Thursday. Both acts (The Hankers and Eric E.) YYYY New outdoor railing for hospital therapy department. Thank you, Hank! #!*! No Concrete River Festival this year. Very sad for Colfax community. Send your pet peeves and okeydokes to Whitman County Gazette P.O Box 770, Colfax, WA 99111 or drop them off at the Gazette office...
According to recent reports, political leaders have received an increasing number of threats. Some are even death threats. In an Associated Press report, members of Congress have received more disturbing communications so far this year than in all of last year. Some Congressional leaders are so unsettled by the wave of ugly and threatening communications, not to mention the shooting at the Republican baseball practice field, that they are seeking to use campaign funds for security systems at their homes. People in public life have always been... Full story
I have been asked about my political affiliation on several occasions. The question is usually if I am a Republican or a Democrat. When I respond that I am a conservative, I either get funny looks or blank stares. Those who offer funny looks generally say, “OK, but are you a conservative Republican or a conservative Democrat?” When I respond that I am neither, “I am simply a conservative”, they look alarmed and back away as if I am some sort of terrorist. Those with blank stares seldom say anything, but their spouses ask what a conservative is....
In the last half century, Americans yearned for energy independence. We were tired of being held captive by foreign governments--some of which continue to be hostile toward the United States and our way of life. Thankfully, things have changed in the last few years. The American Petroleum Institute (API) put it best. “Over the past decade alone, America has undergone a major energy revolution, rapidly shifting from an era of energy scarcity to an era of energy abundance”. API believes advances in hydraulic fracturing—or “frac...
Donald Trump, the erstwhile Democrat, independent and member of the Reform Party, finally has a fixed partisan identity. The president may be besieged, unpopular and prone to lashing out self-destructively, but all of this cements his bond to his party rather than erodes it. Commentators who ask wishfully and plaintively, "When will Republicans dump Trump and save themselves?" are missing the point: Trump's weakness makes him more Republican than ever before. It was possible to imagine Trump, with a head of steam after his upset victory in...
There is a silver lining here: It enlightens anyone who believes that all those who comprise the judicial branch of our federal government, particularly the nine justices of the Supreme Court, exist on some pedestal. The myth is that their jurisprudence is somehow removed from the self-promoting deceptions of the riffraff who scurry through the sewers of the executive and legislative branches. It is not -- at least, not all of it. Even the nine at the top of the heap are not elevated above those lowlifes. Their robes are no shield from petty...
What percentage of Americans approve or disapprove of the Republican effort to repeal and replace Obamacare? Whatever the number is, it's wrong. Because who truly knows what exactly the Republicans' reasons are to be against it? They have yet to make a detailed case, so they push for the legislation and what they've earned so far is the title of worst public relations in the history of lawmaking. Repeal and replace is a cause Ted Cruz has never been more sure of than anything in his life. So what are his reasons why? Anyone actually...
Amazing bike ride As part of the Slippery Gulch Celebration, there was a bike ride that left Tekoa and traversed the John Wayne Trail east to the Idaho border. Thanks to a collaboration between the members of the Tekoa Trail and Trestle Association, the Friends of the John Wayne Trail and local farmers, the trail is being expanded past the Washington border to hopefully connect with the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes in Plummer. Our group ride was led by John Heaton, one of those farmers who has land next to the trail. What an amazing experience...
With the left feverishly attempting to squash unwelcome speech on college campuses, with the president of the United States musing about tightening libel laws, with prominent liberals asserting that so-called hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment, free speech in America at least has one reliable friend -- the Supreme Court of the United States. In a firm 8-0 decision, the court slapped down the Patent and Trademark Office for denying federal trademark registration to a band named "The Slants," a derogatory term for...
One can only guess that 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson of Belleville, Illinois, had decided that he needed to be a hero and single-handedly rescue his country from the malevolent forces that had taken control. Instead, history will remember him as a pathetic man whose final act was the work not of a hero, but of a murderous coward. Yes, a coward, as is anyone who turns to a firearm to express his rage. And fear. This is not another discussion about our passionate attachment to guns in this nation. That battle for sanity has been lost, which me...
The shooting at the Republican legislative baseball team practice June 14 shocked the nation. The team was practicing for their fund-raising game against the Democratic legislators the next night. Immediately, Democrats came to the support of the Republicans. The violence made members of both parties realize how important each was to the other. It was called a wakeup call. Despite political differences, these were all colleagues charged with running the country. They had a common purpose. Countless declarations proclaimed that the rife between...
Fair wages It was with sadness that I read the Teamsters wage notice in the Gazette on June 8 and then the article regarding the same from last week. I worked as a registered nurse at the County for 24 ½ years and while I decided to leave for a number of reasons, the poor wage was certainly one of the main issues. County employees have fought for fair wages for decades. This is sadly not a new fight. Years ago, one of my co-workers addressed the commissioners at that time with her concerns regarding fair wages and she was told to go get... Full story
The Trump administration has been exhaustingly eventful, but almost none of the events have involved Congress. The beginning of Donald Trump's presidency has been an extension of the last six years of the Obama administration, when Capitol Hill was largely a sideshow to the main event in the executive branch in general and the Oval Office in particular. Barack Obama and Donald Trump have almost nothing in common, except their modes of governance. Obama was coolly cerebral and deliberative to a fault, whereas Trump is blustery and impulsive....
#!*! Avista sending elderly people letters telling them they used more energy than their neighbors not using electric heat. Send your pet peeves and okeydokes to Whitman County Gazette P.O Box 770, Colfax, WA 99111 or drop them off at the Gazette office... Full story
"If you can't dazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with bulls--t." That's just one of the rules of the Washington Swamp. A case in point is the statement from Marc Kasowitz, the New York attorney who has long represented private citizen Donald Trump in his various shady dealings, and who now has brought his hired gun to the really dark corners of the new Trump presidency. When James Comey, the former FBI director fired last month by Trump, testified about his dealings with the chief executive (who came across as The Godfather),...
Debating whether it was wrong for President Trump to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord negotiations is never ending. Both sides will find ample evidence to claim the accords are good or bad for America; however, the rhetoric can’t obfuscate our ongoing work to reduce greenhouse gases. The focus needs to be on what is being done to reduce emissions globally and how our innovations and technology can be implemented across our planet. For perspective, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported in April that U.S. e...
Federal budget “Robin Hood in Reverse” The federal budget proposal released by President Trump would cut and eliminate a vast array of critical programs that fight hunger, help people meet their basic needs, and lift people out of poverty. Essential services like food assistance, Medicaid, affordable housing, utility assistance, and basic support for people with disabilities are all on the chopping block – all while expanding unprecedented tax cuts for the wealthiest. This “Robin Hood in reverse” budget must be rejected by Congress. Congress...
In the new "Wonder Woman" movie, the heroine is mystified by the ways of humankind -- and she doesn't even read the internet. The fevered commentary about the new hit film raises the question, "Can't an Amazonian superhero wield her Lasso of Truth and bullet-deflecting bracelets while wearing an up-armored version of a figure-skating outfit without inciting more battles in the culture war?" This being contemporary America, the answer is, "Of course not." The critics have swooned, and some of them have literally cried over the movie. This is a b...
I am a huge fan of Michelle Obama, like just about all people with brains in their heads. However, I pretty much disagree with her when she says, "When they go low, we go high." I'm of the "when they go low, go lower" persuasion. If you aren't willing to roll around in the mud with your opponents, you still get slimed. And when it comes to down-and-dirty, the man who holds the highest office in the land scrapes bottom. Having said that, there's such a thing as too low, even when it comes to dissing Donald Trump. Comedian Kathy Griffin managed... Full story
The deadline is looming. The Washington legislature is coming up against a hard deadline to avoid a government shutdown. Now, in its second special session, it has only until June 30 to pass a budget for the new biennium. If the second session does not result in a budget, then the legislators will have to meet for a third special session. The current session ends June 21. Even so, if a budget is not finalized by June 30, the state government may start to shut down. In fact, preparations for a partial shutdown are being made. The sticking point...
Recently, the Wall Street Journal editorialized that Connecticut’s elected officials are getting their “comeuppance” for years of absorbingly high taxes, failing to implement state spending constraints, and treating business as a bottomless well of cash. Just as Washington lawmakers are meeting in special session to balance the budget for the next two years, so are Connecticut legislators. While the differences between Democrats and Republicans over taxes are great in both states, Washington’s tax collections from existing sources are rising,...
