Let's examine Ralph Nichols' continuing government phobia through the tale of an average guy sitting down to pay bills. I'll call him, Joe.
Joe flips on KVI Radio or 770 "THE TRUTH" as he settles down at the kitchen table.
He's got a high stack of bills to pay but not as much in the checking account as he once had.
He just got a new lower-paying job.
One of the basic tenets of government since the early 20th century, both nationally and locally, has been to protect. Protect consumers, employees, employers, and many more stratifications. Sometimes protection was warranted; and other times government regulators made mountains out of molehills.
Back when there was only one way to make a phone call, and really only one company, AT&T, to do it for you, the federal government stepped in to ensure that that company did not take advantage of its monopoly position.
Once San Francisco was a city filled with vibrant people enjoying its beauty and its relatively good weather. Visitors came from far and wide, enjoyed the City by the Bay, shivered in summer when winds from the Pacific Ocean blew in and basked in the warmth of a January in the sun.
Youth from around the nation, and particularly the western part of the country, flooded into San Francisco to go to school, meet potential mates and often they settled down in the City to enjoy its cosmopolitan lifestyle.
No more.
Once San Francisco was a city filled with vibrant people enjoying its beauty and its relatively good weather. Visitors came from far and wide, enjoyed the City by the Bay, shivered in summer when winds from the Pacific Ocean blew in and basked in the warmth of a January in the sun.
Youth from around the nation, and particularly the western part of the country, flooded into San Francisco to go to school, meet potential mates and often they settled down in the City to enjoy its cosmopolitan lifestyle.
No more.
It is good to be green
Sometimes the most dangerous course of action is doing nothing.
If we do nothing, then global climate changes already making their mark on our weather, glaciers and air quality will harm our environment in irrevocable and dire ways.
Washington is especially vulnerable to climate change because of our dependence on snow pack for summer stream flows and because any rise in sea levels would threaten our many coastal communities.
If greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, temperatures will rise by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenh
Sometimes the most dangerous course of action is doing nothing.
If we do nothing, then global climate changes already making their mark on our weather, glaciers and air quality will harm our environment in irrevocable and dire ways.
Washington is especially vulnerable to climate change because of our dependence on snow pack for summer stream flows and because any rise in sea levels would threaten our many coastal communities.
If greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, temperatures will rise by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, acc
Tax cut plan is proposed
By Paul Guppy
Tax collections continue to soar. In the 30 days from mid-December to mid-January, the state gathered over $1.1 billion from its citizens, representing an increase of $53 million more in tax money compared to revenue estimates. At the current rate, the people of Washington are paying about 9 percent more in tax money to Olympia compared to the same period last year.
At the same time, Governor Christine Gregoire's proposed budget includes no general tax relief for citizens.
The announcement that workers' compensation and unemployment insurance rates will be lower next year is good news for Washington employers, workers and their families.
Governor Chris Gregoire announced the Washington Department of Labor and Industries will reduce rates by an average of 2 percent and will suspend the portion of workers' compensation premiums that both the employer and worker pay.
This year posed some unexpected challenges. After being chosen for the two-year position of council president, I immediately faced hiring an outside investigator to review our department's management-employee relations. That the council president, among other duties, is essentially the director of the city's Legislative Department is not well-known. Several employees felt that they had been discriminated against. I took their concerns seriously.
I have been a dedicated supporter of the viaduct ever since it opened some 50 years ago. An "unseen hand" placed $20 in my pocket as the viaduct saved me 30 minutes on that trip (with my truck earning $40 an hour in 1954 dollars). At the same time, I was treated to one of the world's most beautiful panoramic views of a natural deep-water seaport. It was a happy experience that I have aways remembered and commend to all the citizens of Seattle.
