Peter Callaghan
Syndicated Columnist
Peter Callaghan is a columnist at the Tacoma News Tribune in Washington.
Recent Stories
Callaghan: Budget harmony elusive amid cacophony of rhetoric
Everyone knows that if Gov. Jay Inslee really wanted the state Legislature to finish its work quickly — especially passing a two-year budget that boosts funding for public education — he should have brought them back into special session immediately.
Callaghan: Fixing levy system tougher than finding $1B for schools
Here's something to contemplate during the Legislature's version of spring break: the difficult job of finding $1 billion-plus in additional state money for public schools might be the easy part of meeting the state Supreme Court's mandate in the McCleary decision.
Callaghan: Hybrid light-rail routes proposed in Tacoma fall short
A white tent marked something of a milestone for the long process of expanding the reach of Sound Transit's Link light-rail line in Tacoma. Inside the tent next to the Tacoma Dome station earlier this month, the latest of a series of open houses was hosted by the regional transit agency to let folks comment on plans to grow the line that has been running for 10 years.
Callaghan: Inslee fails to make grade on measuring schools' success
In his first three months in office, Gov. Jay Inslee hasn't been especially active in the legislative process. Compared to his predecessor, Chris Gregoire, who was perhaps a bit hyperactive, Inslee has been more hands off. Other than his recent assertive condemnation of a Senate budget proposal, his engagement has been limited.
Callaghan: Like it or not, Seattle a big driver of state's economy
When he was the director of the Washington State Association of Counties, Gary Lowe was one of my go-to guys for perspective on how things worked in the state Legislature … and why. Lowe was just cynical enough to be realistic about the failings of the process and just idealistic enough to keep trying.
Callaghan: Boeing has long used its clout to ground bills in Legislature
It's No. 51 on the "Jacobsen and Metcalf Laws of Parliamentary Democracy."
Callaghan: 'Anti-politician' Gardner leaves an admirable legacy
Elected officials, especially one as prominent as a governor, tend to accumulate enemies. Booth Gardner, who died Friday night, is the exception to the rule. When he left office after two terms as Washington's 19th governor, his approval-to-disapproval ratio was two-to-one -- robust enough that he probably could have won a third term if he wanted. He didn't, which is also rare for a politician (and explains a bit about why he remained popular).
Callaghan: Loyalty to Obama fails to earn Gregoire a cabinet post
Former Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire may still get asked to serve in President Obama's administration. But if the call doesn't come, she has no one to blame but herself.
Callaghan: Court's ruling on taxes should have surprised no one
The biggest surprise about last week's state Supreme Court ruling on the two-thirds tax-hike initiative is how surprised so many people were -- or pretended to be -- about the outcome. The only real mystery about the ruling was whether the court would finally find a way to endorse what most lawyers and legal scholars already knew -- that the state constitution reserves to itself the number of legislative votes needed to raise taxes.
Callaghan: Lawmakers again try to pull curtain on sunshine laws
How do you know when a politician is getting ready to restrict public access to government records? When they say how much they support public access to public records. That was the pattern during a recent hearing in Olympia on a bill to give local governments the right to drag their constituents into court to keep them from getting otherwise public records.
