Opinion

Letter: Improve medical patient transport

Improve medical patient transport

In Our View: Together Again

County, CREDC restore relationship; now flex the power of that teamwork

Clark County commissioners (specifically David Madore and Tom Mielke) and directors of the Columbia River Economic Development Council have decided to patch up a relationship that should not have been severed in the first place. This is good news for everyone in the county because, as we editorialized on March 8, "both the economic development experts and the county leaders are instrumental in the crucial campaign to create jobs in our community."

Will: Visions of Watergate

"He has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents, endeavored to … cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax audits or other income tax investigations to be initiated or conducted in a discriminatory manner."-- Article 2, Section 1, Articles of Impeachment

Controversy over coal exports stirs up debate

Arguments for, against terminals are presented

John Laird: Geezers, grouches, gay marriage and going in circles

Notes, quotes and anecdotes while wondering how Don Benton plans to pay for and build a bistate third bridge without the other state's permission:

Letter: High price to pay for success

High price to pay for success

Letter: Madore, Mielke lack integrity

Madore, Mielke lack integrity

Letter: Is Laird anti-Mother's Day?

Is Laird anti-Mother's Day?

Letter: Respect and ethics missing

Respect and ethics missing

Letter: Advocate rights for grandparents

Advocate rights for grandparents

In Our View: Cheers & Jeers

Think now to prevent oil spills later; don't shortchange Hanford cleanup

Cheers: To early consideration of the consequences of a possible environmental accident on the Columbia River. Recently two firms -- Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies -- proposed to build and operate an oil shipping terminal on the river at the Port of Vancouver. Crude oil would be shipped by train from North Dakota to Vancouver, then loaded onto barges or ships to be sent to refineries. The proposal will have to be carefully vetted. But already the first meeting has been held on how to handle an oil spill emergency. The emergency response equipment could include an on-site trailer stocked with equipment to help distressed wildlife. As the proposal works its way through the planning process, including important details like this will help build confidence in the terminal and its operators.Jeers: To shortchanging treatment of polluted groundwater on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The environmental group Columbia Riverkeeper is warning that the ongoing federal budget reductions have caused the Department of Energy to cut half of the money necessary to reach cleanup milestones. The dimension of the pollution is immense: more than 1 million gallons of nuclear waste have leaked from underground storage tanks, contaminating more than 80 square miles of groundwater that flows toward the Columbia River.

Milbank: Recusal no excuse for undermining of Constitution

As the nation's top law enforcement official, Eric Holder is privy to all kinds of sensitive information. But he seems to be proud of how little he knows. Why didn't his Justice Department inform The Associated Press, as the law requires, before pawing through reporters' phone records? "I do not know," the attorney general told the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, "why that was or was not done. I simply don't have a factual basis to answer that question."