Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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It ain’t over until the fat lady sings, Yogi Berra reminded us. Yes, Joe Manchin dealt us a setback on climate change, child tax credit extension, reducing prescription drug costs, etc. etc. etc. But if we don’t throw in the towel and leave the field prematurely, we can still win this, just not this year. We need to add some new hitters to Team Democracy in 2022 so we can afford to let Manchin and Sinema stay in the dugout if they don’t want to play ball. To accomplish this, we must get the voting and election protection bills passed immed...
In the Dec. 30 edition, the engagement announcement misspelled the name of Lindsay Webber. We regret the error and any inconvenience it may have caused....
As we approach the season of giving, it has become clear that the progressive movement has transformed the Democratic Party into the “Party of Scrooge.” At the national level, Democratic policies like runaway deficit spending, out-of-control theft and crime, a broken transportation system, open national borders, racist education policies, and “climate justice” tax policies have created the highest inflation rate in 39 years, empty store shelves, and declining IQ scores for our youngest childre...
Increasing river flows to wash young salmon to sea works; however, once water goes down stream, it is gone. What if we could recycle it in key parts of the Columbia River system allowing us to increase electricity generation as well? The Columbia River and its tributaries offer enormous potential for innovation. Power planners are looking for new ways to increase electricity output while providing sufficient water for migrating salmon and steelhead. The good news is we are looking at...
Washington motorists have choices when it comes to fueling their vehicles, thanks to the free market – but the benefits of competition, beginning with cost and quality, aren't consistently available throughout our state's energy sector. Reliable and affordable home energy continues to be a challenge for Washington, including locally. During the last summer's heatwave, for example, thousands of customers in the Spokane area were victims of blackouts that were intentional – outages that were del...
Tis the season when we take stock of our lives and wonder if we are better off. It prompts memories of “Christmases Past” and wonderment about “Christmases Future.” In some ways our lives are much better now; however, in other ways we’re in worse shape. Today, we have coronavirus vaccines, which work and are widely available. The Kaiser Family Foundation found the virus is deadly for all age groups in our country. Since June, Kaiser estimated vaccinations prevented 163,000 deaths. The vaccines...
With Christmas coming up, I’ve been out shopping for gifts for family members. During these busy times, I’m sure all of you have noticed (like I have) that many items in stores – especially groceries – have increased quite a bit in recent months due to inflation. Now, you’d think Gov. Jay Inslee would be well aware of the financial hardship that this historic inflation — we’re talking the worst inflation since the early 1970s — is causing families and individuals statewide. Judging by the...
Last weekend while shopping in a Colfax thrift store with my friend, I realized that I had left my wallet at home. I found a booklet on gardens for one dollar and asked my friend for a dollar. Although she did have her wallet with her, she had no cash, so back went the booklet to its bin. As I began to head towards the exit, a masked stranger held out his hand and said Merry Christmas. In his hand was a dollar bill. He was insistent that I take it and buy the booklet. What a generous and...
There. I said it. Not happy holidays, but Merry Christmas. It’s Christmas time here and around the world. Throughout our region, families are shopping for festive meals and gifts, decorating, and anxiously awaiting the moment they see “long-lost” family and friends. It’s a time where children and adults express wishes, not just for gifts from Santa Claus, but also for happiness and prosperity for friends, family, and sometimes even mankind. And while Christmas is a decidedly Christian holiday...
In “All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten,” Robert Fulghum stated he learned, “clean up your own mess.” The fossil fuel industry has not learned this lesson. A price on carbon emissions would go a long way toward encouraging this industry to ‘clean up their own mess’ by developing innovative technologies. The U.S. House just passed its version of the Build Back Better Act that contains historic levels of climate investment. Although the bill contains no provision to price carbon, this option is still being considered for the Sen...
“During the AIDS crisis, can you imagine if gay men and intravenous drug users, who were the vast majority of the people with AIDS, had they been pariahs the way the non-vaccinated are? But it would have been inconceivable. And it should have been inconceivable; they should not have been made pariahs. But this (banning those not vaccinated from bars, restaurants, salons, etc.) is kosher, this is OK.” The reason I raised the comparison of gay men and IV drug users as pariahs to the cur...
In a U.S. Chamber of Commerce poll released in early December, the findings spell trouble for America’s employers – both private and public. It found that more than 60% of the respondents are in no hurry to return to work and over a third of the unemployed are not actively going after a job or looking at all. The problem is growing worse. A large number of respondents feel they can get by for at least another six months before they have to find employment. The survey discovered that one...
The 2022 legislative session is just over a month away. The 60-day session will once again be a mostly remote session with online committee hearings. However, unlike last session, legislators will be allowed in their offices in Olympia only if they provide proof of vaccination status or submit to regular COVID testing. This is not how I nor many of my legislative colleagues envisioned the session playing out. However, the Democrat majority is making the rules at this time. We'll see if they allo...
While Mr. Hochschartner’s letter and intentions were well-meaning, it highlights the growing disconnect many people have with their food and its source. Trying to grow food in labs instead of utilizing the ultimate source of energy — the sun — is not healthier for our bodies or plant. The less processing of food, the better. If you want evidence and research, check out the Weston A. Price Foundation. Is not manufactured meat the ultimate in processed food? The more something is processed, the l...
To “Build Back America” people must return to work! In a U.S. Chamber of Commerce poll released in early December, the findings spell trouble for America’s employers whether they are in the private or public sectors. It found that more than 60% of the respondents are in no hurry to return to work and over a third of the unemployed are not actively going after a job or looking at all. The problem is growing worse. A large number of respondents feel they can get by for at least another six month...
As I reflect on what has been a tumultuous time in our world, it occurs to me that still we have much to me thankful for. Today, I give thanks for the City of Palouse for the way we come together to support each other – providing a sense of belonging for residents and visitors alike. I give thanks for our city staff, who dedicates so much of themselves to the upkeep and betterment of our city. I give thanks for our businesses that provide jobs and create a fun and vibrant atmosphere in our community. I give thanks for our schools that p...
I was looking forward to (Nov. 18) Gazette to read about our big wind storm and how it affected our county. No word. Local news – no word. All I saw were sports. They are important but there are other interests. Surely people – businesses, police, politicians, dogs, cats, horses – someone is doing something! My grandfather, C.V. Averill owned and operated papers many years ago. The Brownsville Times and the Halsey Review in Oregon. The day the paper came out he would say, “Now everybody knows what’s going on.” I am 94 years old so you know th...
The most famous words of Franklin Roosevelt, America's longest-serving president, were, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." One wonders if any world leader would or could say that today. We live in the Age of Fear. All of my life, I thought love and hate were the two most powerful human emotions. But owing to recent events, I have changed my mind. I now understand that for most people, fear is the strongest emotion. In fact, I've come to realize that it is possible to get people to...
Under the guise of water conservation, the state Department of Ecology is once again moving to take water rights from farmers, ranchers and other private holders. Last month, the agency announced plans to fund creation of local “water banks,” in addition to the state “water bank” already in existence. The agency says the program helps municipalities buy water rights from private owners. It has set $14 million aside for the program. The goal, agency spokesman Jimmy Norris said, is to “preser...
Television news broadcasts rarely deviate from a low standard of journalism that provides the who, what, where, and how, but rarely the why. What is left out is the significance of our news events. Reporters sometimes pass along what “experts” say on the subject, but the experts are safeguarding institutional secrets and priorities at every turn, so the picture is incomplete. What we see day in and day out is the surface and the sensational, the “breaking news” blood and guts. What seems to be paramount is the attractiveness and stylishness of...
