Cheers: Congratulations are in order for Skyview High School graduates Ryan Fink and Ty Frackiewicz, who are working to grow their small business into a large business. Portland-based OnTheGo Platforms, which develops software for smart glasses, recently was acquired by Atheer, a Mountain View, Calif., company that focuses on the same field of innovation.
OnTheGo Platforms owns three patents and has another six patents pending, carving out a niche in the burgeoning field and attracting attention from investors. It serves as a solid example of big ideas and creative thinking leading to big results.
Jeers: Legislators should take note of the impact from tax breaks for large corporations. As The Seattle Times reported recently, Boeing was able to avoid paying $19.5 million in sales tax to the state last year, thanks to a series of breaks that have been approved over the years by lawmakers.
This is a small portion of the estimated $8.7 billion in tax breaks for Boeing that were pushed through by the Legislature in 2013, in exchange for a commitment to build the 777X in Everett. And it is noteworthy that a law passed earlier that year is what made the sales-tax information available. For too long, lawmakers in Washington and elsewhere have provided tax breaks for companies while demanding little accountability for the effect of those concessions. Shortly after the 2013 deal, Boeing started moving thousands of jobs out of state. In considering future tax breaks for Boeing or others, lawmakers must be more cautious about looking out for the good of the citizenry.
Cheers: There is no shortage of heartwarming local events that spread holiday cheer at this time of year, and one of the most noteworthy is the celebration at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. At least, that’s what Will Shafroth, president and CEO of the National Park Foundation thinks.
In putting together a list for USA Today, Shafroth included the Fort Vancouver celebration as one of the 10 best at National Park Service sites. Among the others: The National Christmas Tree Lighting on the White House grounds. On Dec. 12, re-enactors at Fort Vancouver will offer the sights and sounds of an 1840s Christmas for visitors. The minimalist celebration will provide a solemn reminder of the meaning of the holiday.
Jeers: With the start of the 2016 legislative session just weeks away, we renew calls for state Auditor Troy Kelley to resign. Kelley was indicted this year on federal charges of money laundering, possession of stolen money, and more than a dozen other offenses. He has declined requests to resign, but has not been working since May.
Kelley is innocent until proven guilty, but the charges have prevented him from doing his job — a job that, coincidentally, involves rooting out waste and fraud in government agencies. If Kelley continues with his refusal to resign, the Legislature should undertake impeachment proceedings when it convenes in January. That would simply add to a sordid chapter in Washington politics.
Cheers: Clark County is fortunate to have two old-time theaters that harken back to the golden age of moviegoing. Both the Kiggins Theatre in downtown Vancouver and the Liberty Theatre in downtown Camas have undergone improvements in recent years and provide alternatives to modern movie megaplexes.
Small, historic theaters can have difficulty competing these days. But by carving out a niche with hard-to-find movies or live performance events, the local theaters are preserving a part of Clark County’s past.
