Editorials
In our view: Feeling Free to Call 911
Passing the alcohol-amnesty bill was a good choice by the Legislature
Washington recently became the 13th state to enact an alcohol-amnesty bill that allows minors to call 911 for medical emergencies without being charged or prosecuted for minor-in-possession.A few legislators expressed concern about this measure because, as state Rep. Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick was quoted in a Seattle Times story: "Minor consumption of alcohol is illegal. Now we're going to excuse it and give them a license to do this? I'm not understanding why we would do that."
In Our View: Prepare for the Pain
Nonprofit organizations see little hope as legislators wrestle with budget woes
On one level, it was a slick bit of pandering. And yet it was pragmatic.Gov. Jay Inslee came to Vancouver this week for a meeting with leaders of local nonprofit organizations, and in the process he highlighted a pro-active approach tempered by the bad news that is the reality of modern budget scenarios.
In Our View: Port Pursues Missing Link
Forward-thinking commissioners right to seek deal to buy crucial property
For one aspect of the local economy, this could be considered the missing link.While the Port of Vancouver has been aggressively pursuing development in recent years, a key part of its long-range plans has been inaccessible. A large parcel of land that is not owned by the port sits nestled between two port-owned properties — Terminal 5 and Columbia Gateway.
In Our View: Grass-Roots Triumph
The Wellness Project earns prestigious national award
The best solutions, the ones that actually can make an impact on lives, can easily go unnoticed.
In Our View: Tightening The River Spout
Corps intensifies planning for repairing Columbia River jetties
As humankind has learned over the course of several millennia, it is folly to attempt to control Mother Nature. But it is possible for people to work with nature for their benefit.Take, for example, an unfolding plan to shore up three jetties at the mouth of the Columbia River. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers currently is taking the first steps in a $257 million project that will keep the mighty river manageable for decades to come.
In Our View: Cheers & Jeers
Hockinson saves music program;planning a carport takes a team
Cheers: To Hockinson school administrators and board members for retaining music classes for primary school students. The children in kindergarten through second grade have been receiving instruction from a dedicated music teacher. But a pending retirement, coupled with a need to save money due to declining enrollment, led to the suggestion the classes be dropped.Parents didn't like the idea, and quickly formed a group called Save the Music in Hockinson. The parents are also concerned about a cutback in choir programs. Administrators say that they aren't finished with next year's budget, but it looks like they'll keep both the primary program and some vocal music offerings. It's a tougher environment for school district budgeting these days, particularly when a district faces declining enrollment, so it's good to see Hockinson doing what it can to keep the services aimed directly at broad groups of children.
In Our View: Benton hire is an Insult
Local environment entrusted to man with virtually no qualifications for the job
Clark County Commissioners David Madore and Tom Mielke could have easily proved that hiring state Sen. Don Benton as the county's director of environmental services was not blatant cronyism: Run him through the standard hiring procedure. Showcase Benton's supposed attributes for all to see. Allow him to rise above other contenders for the job.Instead, Madore and Mielke took the low road. They insulted their constituents by rushing to hire a political pal who lacks even the basic qualifications for one of the most important jobs in the county.
In Our View: Another Step for WSUV
Student housing plan keeps university moving forward rapidly
Leaders and professors at Washington State University Vancouver have consistently kept the institution performing rather precociously, growing and maturing more rapidly than what is typically seen at other universities.
In Our View: Medical Relief in an SUV
Vancouver Fire Department encouraged by early results of pilot program
Kudos to the leaders and rank-and-file heroes of the Vancouver Fire Department for thinking outside the box and implementing a pilot program that dispatches SUVs — in place of fire engines — to lower-priority emergency medical calls. The program has been in effect only one month, and Vancouver Fire Chief Joe Molina wrote in a recent report that the department still needs to "analyze the larger data set from the three-month trial period" before drawing conclusions.But early statistics are encouraging. As Stephanie Rice reported in a Tuesday Columbian story, the two SUVs are hitting response-time goals 94 percent of the time, an improvement over the previous 78 percent.
In Our View: Keep an Eye on the Governor
Legislators resume battle in two weeks, and they're 'light years apart'
Two weeks of blame-storming began Monday. A more productive launch would've been the Legislature's special session, but Gov. Jay Inslee declared that will start on May 13. Supposedly, this leaves lawmakers a couple of weeks to relax and get ready to return to Olympia and work together to solve their constituents' problems.
Sowell: Today's politicians specialize in art of the impossible
Someone called politics "the art of the possible." But, in the era of the modern welfare state, politics is largely the art of the impossible.
In Our View: The Issue That Won't Go Away
Reasonable gun-control measures will be presented again
Although the Washington Legislature will continue with a special session, one fact already is known about this year's efforts: 2013 will be remembered as the year our lawmakers did nothing in response to gun violence.
In Our View: Clock's Ticking in Olympia
Both parties face considerable risk by refusing to compromise
Regarding the chances of the Legislature completing its work before the deadline and avoiding a special session, Gov. Jay Inslee said last week: "I think we'd have to draw to an inside straight to get this done by Sunday night."
In our view: Cheers & Jeers
Camas manages its forest;Yacolt would rather fight than fix
Cheers: To the city of Camas for effectively managing timberlands it owns in two watersheds adjacent to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Boulder Creek and Jones Creek are seasonal contributors to the city's drinking water supply, but the city hasn't actively managed the forest that surrounds the creeks. Letting nature take its course is often a good thing, but in this case there are a number of concerns, not the least of which is fire danger. By sensibly managing the stands, the city can secure its source of water well into the future. Some of that management will include selective logging, which will provide a small source of income to the city -- a consultant estimates the net value of the timber at $8.9 million over 50 years.Jeers: To ruffled feathers and high dudgeon in Yacolt. The state's 2011 audit of the town's books found several financial problems, including billing and receipting, community event documentation, bank account reconciliations and payroll accounting. Though there are no rational excuses, these things sometimes happen in small towns, which can rarely afford full-time accountants. But rather than take the knowledge and improve, Yacolt wants to fight. The town council plans to file a notice of intent to sue the state on the grounds the audit was defamatory and contained more than 80 false statements. The town council would be wiser to spend the money the lawsuit will cost on other priorities.
In Our View: Primary Made Even Better
Statewide races will be decided — not so strangely — on election day
Too often overlooked in our frequent praise of Washington's top two primary is an exception that on closer examination is revealed as a glaring flaw that should be fixed. Thankfully, with strong bipartisan support of legislators, that reform is just the governor's signature away from reality.
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