Cheers: Lawmakers who are grappling with Washington’s school funding conundrum made an appearance Wednesday in Vancouver to launch a listening tour. Hearing from citizens, as well as local superintendents, teachers and parents, they ingested ideas for how the Legislature can meet the demands laid out in the state Supreme Court’s 2012 ruling in McCleary v. Washington.
There are no easy solutions to the situation, as lawmakers have demonstrated in earning a contempt citation from the court for not adequately developing a plan to fund basic education. But with seven stops planned on the listening tour, legislators are wise to take the pulse of the public. We’ll consider this a step in the right direction, but now lawmakers must show fortitude and leadership in dealing with school funding.
Jeers: Problems with the state’s mental health system continue to come to light, demonstrating how Washington is failing its most vulnerable citizens. Western State Hospital in Lakewood, near Tacoma, now faces the loss of federal Medicaid and Medicare payments after failing to protect a patient who was tied down and sedated when attacked by another patient. The attack resulted in a nasal fracture, facial lacerations and facial trauma.
At stake are annual payments of $4.7 million from Medicaid and $11.2 million from Medicare, piling on to problems already facing the hospital. In April, a federal judge issued an injunction over the state’s failure to provide timely competency services to mentally ill patients charged with crimes. As a whole, Washington must quickly improve its methods for dealing with those citizens most in need of help.
Cheers: Efforts by the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce mark another small step toward turning Vancouver Lake into the kind of community treasure it could be. The group is working on a project to clean up Buckmire Slough near the lake, removing two large berms to improve water flow and habitat in the area.
Vancouver Lake, which has a surface area of about 2,300 acres, long has been problematic. Annual algae blooms often cause the lake to be closed for public use, and poor water flow near the shallow lake has led to additional ecological difficulties. But with diligence from groups such as the estuary study taskforce, the region might become a benefit for local residents.
Jeers: State officials apparently are not aware of the urgency required in protecting the public from the dangers presented by oil trains moving throughout the state. A recent media report suggests that rules governing the disclosure of oil train information to cities, counties, and first responders might not take effect until the summer of 2017.
The Legislature this year passed House Bill 1449, and part of the law requires refineries to provide a seven-day notice of expected oil train deliveries. The state Department of Ecology is working to devise rules for notification under the law, but the process is moving slowly. The importance of the issue demands that it be given more immediate attention.
Cheers: Kudos go to citizens in Vancouver’s Arnada neighborhood, who saw a problem and banded together to do something about it. Some 15 to 20 local residents use land provided by the Vancouver Housing Authority to grow vegetables during the summer, but their bounty was being subjected to theft earlier this summer.
With help from the Neighbors on Watch group, residents established patrols to keep an eye on the area, and the visible presence seems to have helped. Thanks to citizens working together, people in the Arnada area have a healthy harvest as the growing season nears its end.
