Adele Ferguson

ITEM—Mitt Romney comes under attack by the media for saying at a private meeting of his supporters and secretly recorded that he doesn’t expect the vote of Americans who depend on government handouts and have been persuaded by the Obama campaign that they are victims. He must reach out instead, he said, to the undecideds.

COMMENT—Over 20 nations around the world were in turmoil as Islamic fanatics burned U.S. and Israeli flags and attacked those countries’ overseas institutions and citizens yet the media concentrated instead in its news coverage on sticking it to Romney in their desperation to ensure the president’s reelection. I just hope there is someone in the media who will honestly tell the story for future students of political history how an industry historically dedicated to telling the facts and leaving bias and opinion to the editorial pages sank into the gutter.

ITEM—The persistent problem of rogue Afghan soldiers and police turning their guns on U.S. and allied troops is “a very serious threat” to the war effort, said the U.S. military’s top officer. The Afghan government needs to take the problem as seriously as we do, said Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, since we are leaving security responsibility in Afghan hands when we pull our troops out in two years. Fifty U.S. soldiers have been killed by “insiders” believed to be Taliban and Al Qaida infiltrators.

COMMENT—I was among other commentators who stressed the danger of sending troops into Afghanistan 10 years ago because we could not be certain which side the locals we dealt with were on. Now we’re finding out from men we outfitted in uniforms and weapons and trained. It’s time to come home. We gain nothing by staying since the enemy already knows our predicted departure date and is just waiting us out for a full scale return to power.

ITEM—Negotiators for Gov. Chris Gregoire and the union that represents state governments’ largest group of employees have struck a tentative deal that reverses the 3 percent wage cuts of the past two years.

If ratified in a vote Sept. 28 and starting July 1 next year, it may also allow 1 percent pay increases in 2014 if state revenue rebounds faster than expected.

Health benefit talks are ongoing and if not settled by Oct. 1, there will be no increase in the share of insurance premiums, currently 15 percent.

COMMENT—I don’t believe it works that way in private industry where similar wage cuts were made, but then few private employers compare to our governor who promised on election that labor “will always have a voice in every decision I make.” It’s payback time what with her pending retirement.

We are second in the nation in the number of employed workers who are union members with 19 percent.

Only New York tops us with 24.1 percent

ITEM—The notion that older drivers are more likely to get in motor vehicle crashes is not borne out by the statistics, says AAA’s traffic safety advocacy and research division. On average, drivers in their mid to late 80s have lower crash rates per mile driven than those in their early 20s. And none of those groups drive as bad as teenagers, the nation’s riskiest drivers. However, nationwide, older drivers get into more fatal accidents than younger drivers. Baby boomers are expected to double the number of older drivers on the road, to 57 million, by 2030.

COMMENT—I’ve long thought that driver licensing should start at age 18 rather than 16 because just as those under 18 can’t buy a car, they aren’t responsible for what they do with it. Fat chance it’ll ever happen, considering how we spoil our teenagers.

(Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69. Hansville, Wa., 98340.)