Columns

Tax increases will hurt retailers

Recently, Gov. Jay Inslee proposed several tax increases to the Legislature in a time that state revenues are increasing.

That's a combination of factors that will hurt consumers and retailers.

Just last month, Inslee's chief economist, Steve Lerch, described Washington state consumer confidence as fragile. Recent payroll tax increases and rising gasoline prices do nothing to encourage companies to hire or consumers to spend, which would help the economy recover faster.

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• by By Jan Teague Guest columnist
• May 14, 2013

Hit reset on Columbia River Crossing project

Citizens expect government to be fiscally responsible.

Regarding the Columbia River Crossing, legislators are being asked to allocate $450 million toward a $3.5 billion mega-project. The CRC has spent $170 million so far on a $50 million "maximum" contract to design a replacement bridge. We've not purchased the first steel I-beam or poured any concrete footing.

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• by By Liz Pike Guest columnist
• May 7, 2013

State budgets are in disarray

When an errant SUV crashes through your picture window, you may not notice that your barbecue tipped over and caught your house on fire. So it is with the U.S. economy these days.

All the focus on our national debt, sequester cuts and federal tax increases is obscuring a smoldering problem in the states. Declining tax revenues, budget deficits and underfunded pensions have legislatures scrambling for revenue. Many states are taxing and borrowing more ...

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• by By Don C. Brunell Guest Columnist
• April 30, 2013

Citizens should ‘take a stand’

In our scheme of government, we elect representatives to take a stand on issues that affect their constituents. Among those representatives, leaders take a stand. Politicians don’t.

Leaders study the issues and decide what policy best supports the interests of their constituents as a whole. Politicians take a position based on what is best for the advancement of their own interests.

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• by By Dave Shoemaker, Guest columnist
• April 2, 2013

Science of climate change made simple

My greenhouse is covered with a thin plastic film. A few molecules of plastic are all it takes to make it 30 Fahrenheit degrees warmer inside than out. When coal, gasoline, and natural gas are burned, they produce carbon dioxide which traps heat just like the plastic film of my greenhouse.

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• by By Don Steinke Guest columnist
• March 26, 2013

Many employers can’t afford paid family medical leave

When people who want more government regulations argue in favor of a new mandate on employers, they usually say, “Well, one more rule won’t break the bank.” However, seemingly harmless regulations have a cumulative effect that eventually cripple employers and prevent entrepreneurs from creating the jobs needed to fix our weak economy.

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• by By Erin Shannon Guest columnist
• March 19, 2013

Lawmakers are currently considering important legislation

Imagine a child with a life-threatening food allergy. Now imagine that child having a severe reaction while at school.

If that student is fortunate enough to have an epinephrine autoinjector on school grounds, he or she may receive a dose to help reverse the reaction and potentially save a life.

But what about students with a food allergy who don't have their injector with them? What about students who haven't been diagnosed with ...

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• by By Kevin Dooms, M.D. Guest columnist
• March 12, 2013

A precious memory of Bob Tidland

I would like to share a special memory of Bob Tidland. This scene can help illustrate his character and community-mindedness. As Camas’ retiring first city administrator, I have had many, many fine days in the past 24 years; the scene I am remembering is among the finest hours.

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• by By Lloyd Halverson Guest columnist
• March 5, 2013

Brunell: People helping people

In November 1982, our state’s unemployment rate peaked at 12.2 percent, the highest since the Great Depression. Interest on a fixed rate home loan was 13.4 percent, and an 11.5 inflation rate burned through our checkbooks. The economy was a mess.

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• by By Don C. Brunell Guest Columnist
• March 5, 2013

‘Did you just say that on Facebook?’

Ever since the evolution of Facebook, I always knew that optimal behavior for myself, my family, and my friends would be necessary.

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• by By Margaret Svilar Guest columnist
• February 7, 2013

Council meetings – when?

The Washougal City Council is considering a major change to the schedule of meetings and workshops. Presently, council meetings (formal public hearings, actions and votes) are held at 6 p.m., on the first and third Monday. Workshops (staff reports, information and discussion, but no votes) are also at 6 p.m., on the second and fourth Mondays. If Monday is a national holiday the meeting is postponed until Tuesday.

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• by Paul Greenlee/Guest columnist
• January 29, 2013

Council will look at short- and long-term utility rate solutions

Utility bills are the big issue in Washougal. They should be.

In 2012, the minimum bimonthly residential charge was $174.60. That base charge went up 20 percent ($37) to $211.13 this year. But the Council could take action on Jan. 22 that might keep the increase to less than $10. If the increase is kept that low, it will be the result of a creative Council, mayor, and staff. This would not have ...

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• by By Brent Boger Guest columnist
• January 15, 2013

Camas needs to prepare to ‘go to war’ with BPA

The BPA draft Environmental Impact Statement for the project they have strategically named the I-5 Corridor Reinforcement Project was published in November 2012. Many people reading this letter to the editor may have only minimal familiarity with the project. I can assure you, those members of our community who are directly along the paths that BPA is considering are quickly becoming more knowledgeable about this project. If you think the current power lines running through ...

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• by By Steve Hogan Guest columnist
• January 15, 2013

Parents, communities can help stop teen drinking tragedies

The recent deaths of three Washington teens—a 14-year-old Bellingham girl, a 17-year-old boy in Shoreline, and an 18-year-old Washington State University student —remind us just how dangerous alcohol is for minors. As parents and co-chairs of the Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking our hearts go out to the families and friends who are suffering these terrible losses.

Before we lose another child, grandchild, student, and friend, let's ask ourselves what we ...

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• by By Sharon Foster and Michael Langer, Guest columnists
• December 18, 2012

Some politicians are gambling with our future

I was living in the San Francisco Bay Area when the 1989 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake broke the Bay Bridge. The hardest hit areas were the bridge, the marina area of San Francisco, and in West Oakland where the double decker Cypress elevated freeway collapsed, killing 42 people. Many people wondered why the hardest hit areas were 40 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake with so little damage closer. It was explained that ...

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• by By Ralph Schmidt, Guest columnist
• November 20, 2012