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Opinion
The following is presented as part of The Columbian’s Opinion content, which offers a point of view in order to provoke thought and debate of civic issues. Opinions represent the viewpoint of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the consensus opinion of The Columbian’s editorial board, which operates independently of the news department.
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In Our View: Cheers & Jeers: Research is fly; driving concern

The Columbian
Published: February 3, 2025, 6:03am

Cheers: To Drosophila melanogaster. It seems unlikely that we would cheer fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster is the scientific name), but some interesting work is being done with the pests at Washington State University Vancouver. Seth Rudman, an assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences, raises more than 5 million fruit flies each year to study evolutionary processes.

“We want to understand that process of adaptation,” he told The Columbian, “not just at the level of the traits of the organism, but actually by looking at the genome itself. That really helps us to understand the mechanisms behind evolutionary change.” A grant from the National Institutes of Health contributed to the research, which can provide insight to human health. Considering that fruit flies have an average lifespan of 40 days, we hope Rudman works quickly.

Jeers: To driving in Washington. According to a study by WalletHub, Washington is the second-worst state for drivers. The low status is largely the result of the high price of vehicle ownership and maintenance, including gas and insurance costs. But our state also fared poorly in infrastructure and safety.

In other studies, Washington routinely ranks below average in quality of roads and other driving-related aspects. The good news: At least our state isn’t as bad for drivers as Hawaii.

Cheers … and Jeers: To Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. The congresswoman conducted a town hall this week at Three Creeks Community Library in Salmon Creek. By her count, Perez has held 12 such events since taking office in 2023, providing direct access for constituents at a time when too many elected officials avoid the public. That is worthy of cheers.

The setting, however, was inadequate for the level of interest. A small meeting room accommodated 84 people, including a handful of media and staff members. Other attendees were in an outdoor auxiliary space, straining to hear the questions and answers, while many were turned away when capacity was reached. Perez acknowledged the shortcomings and apologized for them, but the hope is that her staff will be better prepared for the next public forum.

Jeers: To hospital finances. According to the Washington State Hospital Association, hospitals in the state collectively lost $398 million in the first nine months of 2024. Experts say the situation comes mostly from increasing labor costs and inadequate Medicaid reimbursements.

The situation reflects growing concerns about health care throughout the country. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 700 hospitals were in danger of closing in 2024, with a majority of those in rural areas. As one expert told The (Spokane) Spokesman Review, “With all these cost pressures, you’ve got the perfect storm.”

Cheers: To Jeff Grisso. The 40-year-old Battle Ground man was celebrated recently for walking 24,901 miles over 6½ years – equal to the circumference of the Earth. “If you live in the city of Battle Ground, you’ve probably seen Jeff walking around and not known who he was,” Battle Ground Mayor Troy McCoy said.

What started as an effort to improve his health soon turned into an avocation for Grisso. It also turned into a community service project, as he signed up for the city’s Adopt-a-Street program. “I was noticing that there’s a lot of trash around,” he said. “So, I thought, you know, no one’s picking it up, so I may as well do it.” What comes next? “Maybe I’ll work on lap No. 2,” Grisso said.

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