Cheers: To Earth Day. Today is the day designated to celebrate Earth and promote environmental awareness. That means there are plenty of opportunities for volunteers to assist in worthy restoration projects throughout Clark Count, or simply vow to make some changes that are both Earth-friendly and economical .
Earth Day was first recognized in 1970, and it has steadily grown in prominence since then. The day seems especially important this year in the wake of the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back environmental protections and ignore science in formulating policy. While many people are not concerned about the administration’s approach to the environment — Trump, after all, won the election — there still is room for agreement on one item: This is the only Earth we have and it’s the only one we’re going to get, so we might as well show it some love.
Jeers: To large energy projects. Speaking of environmental policy, an adviser to President Trump said this week that the administration would provide permits for a large liquefied natural gas export facility in Coos Bay, Ore. The facility has twice been denied a permit, and the decision for that rests not with the White House but with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, an independent agency.
The declaration by Gary Cohn of the White House National Economic Council points out the administration’s willingness to buy into a project regardless of its environmental impact. Equally important, it points out that the administration has little awareness of the limits on its powers and little understanding of the laws governing this country.
Cheers: To protecting school children. A bill co-sponsored by state Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, that would allow students to apply sunscreen in school was passed this week by the Senate. The bill would reclassify sun protection, which currently is considered a drug and, therefore, cannot be applied by school personnel.
The idea that sunscreen would be considered a drug is well-meaning but poorly thought-out. In a society that often is overly protective and overly litigious, it led schools to err on the side of caution at the expense of common sense. Kudos to Rivers for promoting the bill, which passed both chambers of the Legislature with nary a dissenting vote.
Jeers: To unfinished business. This comes as no surprise, but Gov. Inslee has called the Legislature back to work next week for a special session. Lawmakers, who long had been aware of their scheduled departure date, apparently are still far from agreement upon a solution to the state’s school-funding issues.
The problem is that there is nothing special about special sessions; lawmakers in recent years have made a habit of failing to complete their work during the regular session. Special sessions incur additional expenses for taxpayers and also create problems for schools and agencies that are waiting to finalize their budgets for next year. Citizens deserve better from the Legislature.
Cheers: To Ilani Casino Resort. The massive casino built by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe near La Center is scheduled to open Monday. The facility includes restaurants, shopping, live entertainment and a 100,000-square-foot gaming area. For better or worse, it brings a slice of Las Vegas to Clark County.
Undoubtedly, a project of this size will create some problems — both expected and unforeseen. With 4.5 million visitors expected annually, we hope that state, county and tribal leaders are quick to recognize and react to those problems — but enough about the Interstate 5 Bridge. Mostly, we hope that drawing visitors to the county will be a boon for the local economy.
