Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Sorted by date Results 2145 - 2169 of 3750
Recently, journalists have been in the news as much as they have been reporting it. The media is once again being roundly attacked. This is nothing new, but the fervor increased when Republican candidates for president objected to the tone and nature of the questions asked by moderators during the CNBC Republican presidential debate. Then, CNN and others investigated some of the personal claims made by presidential candidate Ben Carson. There has been no confirmation of the facts from Carson’s camp or from his friends and relatives. In fact, Ca...
To listen to liberal politicians such as President Obama and Hillary Clinton, political donations by conservative billionaires Charles and David Koch epitomize what’s wrong with America’s political system. But Obama and Clinton are silent when liberal billionaires George Soros and Tom Steyer do the same. Casting politics aside, the Koch brothers embody the ideals of our free market system, which has made America the economic power it is today. Charles Koch’s book, Good Profit, details his philosophy that consumer choice in the marke...
Solution Reading Mr. Allert’s letter in your newspaper over the weekend, “State neglects rail-to-trail”, was a very educational experience for me. I learned about vocabulary. For example, I learned that he has a completely different definition for the word “compromise” than I do. According to Mr. Allert, the midnight closing of 135 miles of state public park/trail land, without any public announcement or input from trail users was the “the definition of true compromise”. Usually a compromise involves input from at least two parties. I be...
It was inevitable that Bernie Sanders would be accused of sexism sooner or later. His day came at the signature Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Iowa. Hillary Clinton hit the Vermont senator for saying in the first Democratic debate that "all the shouting in the world" wouldn't keep guns out of the wrong hands. According to Clinton, Sanders had directed a notoriously sexist insult at her -- although not one of the 15 million people watching at the time had noticed it. "I haven't been shouting," Clinton intoned, "but sometimes when a woman speaks...
After Joe Biden announced that he wouldn't be joining the Democratic fray, I was asked on TV if it meant that Hillary Clinton was "unstoppable" in her march to the party nomination. Overlooking the fact that Bernie Sanders is quite an obstacle, the reality is that there are all kinds of ways that Hillary could fall flat on her face and not get up. First of all, it's way too early to draw any conclusions about anything, certainly about inevitability. The first Iowa caucuses are more than three months away, the nominating convention nine months...
Colfax has hosted some different, fun events recently. First, ghost hunters from around the nation converged on the town for two weeks. They came to “investigate” paranormal activities at the old hospital. A good scare is hard to beat. Most of those who took the tour of the hospital had a good, if not unusual, time. Those who reported being spooked seemed to have had the most fun. Second, the PAC-12 Cross Country Meet was held at the Colfax Golf and Country Club. Runners from PAC-12 schools ran a circuit around the golf course. Two races wer...
Maybe there is finally something Democrats and Republicans can agree on – fixing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). From the day it was signed into law in 2010, Republicans have tried unsuccessfully to repeal Obamacare, saying it is unworkable and unaffordable. Until this year, Democrats have held the line for the President. But not now. After the President leaves office, change will come. The first is repeal of the so-called Cadillac Tax, the 40 percent excise tax on generous health care plans, which is scheduled to begin in 2018. According to t...
A different Trail view In the early 1900’s when the land was acquired for what was to become the Milwaukee Railroad, the right-of-way was either deeded with the condition it would return to the landowner if it ever ceased being a railroad or it was sold for a small amount of money under the threat of eminent domain. When the Milwaukee Railroad went bankrupt, the State took ownership of the abandoned right-of-way in 1981, and also after the Washington State Supreme Court later reversed lower court rulings that had granted ownership rights to a...
Scandinavia is the American left's Shangri-La. It is the land of social democracy and of all good things. It is the answer to any objection that new welfare benefits can't be adopted here: But look how well they work in Sweden. Bernie Sanders reverted to this article of faith when challenged over his socialism at the recent Democratic debate. He invited America to sit at the knee of Scandinavia. "I think we should look to countries like Denmark, like Sweden and Norway," he said, "and learn from what they have accomplished for their working...
Leave it to the Secret Service to demonstrate conclusively that secret information isn't secret. The elite force also has been proving of late that it isn't all that elite, what with fence-jumpers and drunk agents crashing into security barriers at the White House, to say nothing of operatives hooking up with hookers when they're on the road protecting POTUS. When Congress had the temerity to investigate the embarrassments, a huge number of people in this Keystone Kop force decided that it was time to take vindictive action. They focused their...
When Joe Biden announced last week he will not be running for president, he effectively told us all that in 24 years, America has gone from a place in which an unknown governor could announce a run for president in October of the previous year, and win, to a place where a seven-year vice president (and 30-year congressman) “can't win” in the same period of time. In October 1991, Bill Clinton was a barely-known governor of Arkansas. In October 2015, every voter knows and has an opinion of Joe Biden. So why would he need so much more time tha...
U.S. companies are starting to feel the pinch from Congress killing the Export-Import Bank in June. Congress’ move is increasingly putting U.S. manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage. Not only are we losing orders to foreign competitors, but some domestic manufacturers are shifting jobs to countries where those banks exist. General Electric announced plans to move 350 jobs from its Waukesha, Wis., gas engine plant to a factory in Canada, which has its own export-import bank. The company, which supplies jet engines to Boeing, says that f...
Practical experience Richard Lathim should be chosen to represent us as the 9th District State Representative. The election ballot arrived in my letter box on Monday, so for those voters who have not sent in their ballots before Thursday, October 22nd, when this letter is published, perhaps my observations might be of use to those who are undecided. I attended the forum held in the Whitman County Library where the two candidates for that position spoke and answered questions. If you missed it and would like to watch the video, it can be found...
At least they aren't brawling the way they do in the South Korean parliament -- at least not yet. House Republicans have over the past month seen their speaker, John Boehner, announce his imminent resignation under pressure and his heir apparent, Kevin McCarthy, suddenly give up on trying to succeed him -- all while the party enjoys a comfortable majority and faces no external threat from Democrats. The Republican nervous breakdown is entirely self-inflicted. Understanding the House caucus is less Politics 101 than scorpions in a bottle. The...
Well, the United States can take a short breath of relief. The members of Congress have taken a break and gone home. We're safe for a little while. And, yes, that's a cheap shot at the House of Representatives, specifically at those who run the House. But they make it so easy. The latest embarrassment for them is that nobody wants to be the leader, nobody who has half a brain, anyway. John Boehner, whose critics even acknowledge does have at least half a brain, finally used it and said he was outta there, that the sniping from a group of...
The ballots for the November 3 election may be different than what you expect. In fact, some voters might be confused. First, the contested race between Martin Marler and Sandra Brabb for Whitman Hospital and Medical Center hospital district was not on those ballots for voters in the hospital district. A special ballot should be received shortly. The idea is that voters are to complete the first ballot on all issues and then do the second ballot which will contain only the hospital race. The elections office requests that these two ballots be...
Clear choice A clear choice: return Michael Echanove to the Palouse Washington mayor’s office with your vote. Ballots will be mailed Oct. 16 and must be postmarked by November 3, 2015. I had the pleasure of working with Michael as a member of the Palouse City Council 1994 though 1995. I left City Council after two terms, 1988-1995, confident of Michael’s leadership skills, cordiality and proactive stance on matters pertaining to the City of Palouse. During Michael Echanove’s first three terms as Mayor, I was happy to endorse his reele...
Hillary Clinton has a new gun agenda that is the same as the old gun agenda. We all are appalled and heartsick over the country's mass shootings, which aren't any less shocking for their routine occurrence. But that doesn't mean we know how to stop them. The Pavlovian Democratic reaction is to offer a raft of familiar gun-control proposals, whether or not they have any bearing on mass shootings. Hillary's ideas are a testament to the essential sterility of the gun debate, no matter how much heat it generates. There is no way around the fact...
Here's a shocker for you: There is strong evidence that many of those running for president are dishonest. What's even more startling is that nobody seems to be the slightest bit surprised, and in some cases, supporters don't seem to care. Let's take Carly Fiorina, for instance: She's been climbing in the GOP polls in spite of her blatant misrepresentation of videos and what they show about Planned Parenthood's handling of aborted fetuses. In fact, her devotees seem to celebrate her dishonesty. With nearly every reputable fact-checker finding...
The ballots for the November 3 election will be mailed tomorrow, Friday. There will be a lot to consider when it arrives. The ballot contains state measures, advisory votes, local levy issues and candidates for a plethora of positions. Three of the races are most prominent. Everyone in the county will be able to vote for their choice of Ninth Legislative District Representative. Representative Mary Dye is facing off with Richard Lathim. The successful candidate will finish the unexpired term of Susan Fagan who resigned under a cloud of controve...
Later this month, most facilities in Yellowstone National Park will close for the winter. The year’s visitor total is likely to top last year’s 3.5 million people. It may even beat the all-time total of 3.64 million set in 2010. The good news is more people are experiencing the wonders of the nation’s oldest national park established in 1872. The bad news is there is more traffic congestion and trash. To accommodate the crowds, Yellowstone has made a concerted effort to rebuild its roads and construct new facilities. That’s no easy task. T...
Endorses Roberts It is not too soon to think about the election for Mayor of Colfax. Jeremiah Roberts wants to be the person to lead the City. He knows about budgets and how important they are to the stability of Colfax. He plans to have the Council well informed about any and all issues that will come before them so they can make good decisions. Jeremiah values the employees since he knows they are the heart and soul of the City and will always listen to their input. He also knows how important the water, sewer and streets are to the citizens...
Carly Fiorina is a no-nonsense former business executive who is showing she can play -- and throw elbows -- with the big boys in the Republican presidential nomination battle. Feminists have noticed, but their admiration is tinged with dread -- and it should be. An eloquent, fearless critic of abortion, the latest outsider to climb into the Republican race is a clear and present danger to what feminists hold most dear. Even if she had said nothing else at the CNN debate, Fiorina would have stood out for her gut-punch of a statement about the...
Those who are so snobbish they pretend they don't know anything about country music probably wonder why every time someone prominent walks away from his high position, we say, "He's done a Johnny Paycheck." We riffraff are aware that Johnny Paycheck was a Grand Ole Opry star whose most famous song was "Take This Job and Shove It." That's roughly what Speaker John Boehner is humming as he prepares to walk away from the soap-opera House of Representatives and the hard-right extremist members in his Republican House majority. They have...
Schools were once considered some of the safest places in the country. That has changed. The recent killings at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., are the most recent evidence that schools are easy targets. This attack by a young man is the continuation of frightening attacks on innocents. Obviously, the wave of gun violence in the nation is not over. Many demand stricter control of guns to avoid more mass murders. Others want gun ownership rights protected at all costs, interpreting the Second Amendment to give relatively unfettered g...
