Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Eastern Adams County's Only Independent Voice Since 1887
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 310
Dear Friends, Legislators have to be careful about referring to elections in their official communications, like this commentary – but now that the general-election voting is over for this year I’ll make a few observations, starting with a big “thank you” to our nation’s veterans as the holiday to honor their service is at hand. By protecting our country they have protected our rights and freedoms, including the right to vote. -Initiative 976 – The hard-working taxpayers don’t get many opportunities to reduce their tax bil...
We in Rural America are blessed with the values native to strong, mostly agricultural communities—great respect for the land, community safety and health, good education, spiritual beliefs, and the faith in each other that a helping hand will be there when needed. Living and participating in such a community gives a sense of pride and well-being. Those same concepts define rural healthcare. As a Public Hospital District and Critical Access Hospital, we exist to serve our community. Those we care for are more than just our p...
We’ve just finished up our latest election cycle in Washington State. In the City of Ritzville’s mayor’s race, I received approximately 78% of the vote, returning me for a second term. I’m very humbled by your continued faith in me as a public servant. There are unfinished projects and future plans and I realize some will take priority over others. I suspect I could serve you for decades and there would always be something we couldn’t complete. My intent during the last four years was to make our city attractive to residents...
The U.S. wind industry is booming—expanding from 1.5 gigawatts of cumulative installed capacity in 1998 to 96.4 gigawatts of installed capacity in 2018. At the same time, the cost of these projects continues to go down. According to the newly-released 2018 Wind Market Technologies Report from the U.S. Department of Energy, the average cost of constructing a wind energy project in 1983 was $4,478 per kilowatt hour. In 2018, the cost dropped to just $1,468 per kilowatt hour. This stunning $3,010 decrease per kilowatt hour is i...
When I talk to farmers in Central Washington and across the country, having access to a stable and legal workforce is often their number one concern. Each year, it becomes harder to hire domestic workers, and farm owners have become increasingly dependent on the H-2A agricultural guestworker program to grow and harvest their goods for market. This has amounted to a critical labor shortage for our agriculture industry – one of the most important sectors of our nation’s economy. Since I was elected to Congress, making ref...
To taxpayers, it’s just plain common sense. Elected officials, public employees and supporting boards and agencies cannot use taxpayer resources to campaign for or against a candidate or office or to endorse or oppose any ballot measure. To make sure elected officials and government workers understand that, Revised Code of Washington 42.17A.555 specifically says: “No elective official nor any employee of his or her office nor any person appointed to or employed by any pub...
The days are getting shorter and you can almost feel the snow in the air. It’s easy to see the change in the season as we greet our patrons who are already bundled up in their winter gear! For those who prefer to stay indoors, toes curled up under your favorite blanket reading a book, our shelves are stocked with the newest releases and I have upcoming bestsellers pre-ordered through January. A few of the current bestsellers we have available are “The Guardians” by John Grisham, Stephen King’s “The Institute” and “Olive, Aga...
Our state’s economy and way of life hinges on low cost and reliable electricity. Since Grand Coulee and Bonneville dams were completed in the early 1940s, Washington has enjoyed both. We are accustomed to flipping a switch and our lights illuminate. Our state’s electricity supply is abundant and our transmission system is dependable. Washington is heavily reliant on hydroelectric generators----many of which are located in powerhouses on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Only dur...
All of Central Washington’s constituents are special, and I am proud to represent each of them in our nation’s capital. One constituent I am most proud of is General James N. Mattis, decorated four-star general and former U.S. Secretary of Defense. He exemplifies the American principles of hard work, patriotism, and integrity. He can communicate and resonate with everyone – from heads of state and Members of Congress to local business leaders and young students. His military and civilian service serves as an example for a...
Amid the myriad of topics and candidates on this year’s general election ballot, voters in our state already have a 20-year tradition when it comes to two measures. Statewide, voters have twice overwhelmingly told lawmakers to hold the car tab fees at $30. And statewide, voters 21 years ago overwhelmingly told lawmakers to stop injecting race, gender, etc. into government hiring and college admissions processes. So, I’m at a loss as to why government employees and elected off...
The Washington State Transportation Commission, which has led the effort to study, test and report back to the Legislature on the feasibility of a road-usage charge, agrees the money drivers would pay should be protected for highway spending only. If implemented, a road-use charge – also called a mileage-based user fee, per-mile charge, vehicle miles traveled tax, and mileage tax – would require drivers to pay a tax on every mile they drive, rather than on every gallon of gas they purchase. The commission met recently to ass...
Imagine tuning into the Sunday morning talk shows and wondering if the politicians and commentators could possibly find something positive to say about one another or the state of affairs in America. Unfortunately, there is a better chance of snowball lasting in a sauna. But suddenly on October 20 there was a surprise: “BREAKING NEWS” moving across the bottom of the screen about an apple developed in Washington State. Television pundits ignored it; however, the internet was...
Washington’s 4th Congressional District is home to two sovereign tribes, the Yakama Nation in the south and the Colville Tribes in the north. I am proud to represent these strong Native communities in Congress, but there is a crisis affecting not only the Yakama and the Colville but tribes across the nation: missing and murdered indigenous women. Indigenous women throughout the country face a murder rate ten times higher than the national average, and I have seen firsthand how these injustices affect local communities. T...
As a farmer, former state Director of Agriculture, and now a Congressman representing one of the most flourishing agricultural regions in America, I fully understand how important it is that we reinvest in the water infrastructure our farms and communities were built upon – much of which is over a century old at this point. I have made it a priority to address these important issues for Central Washington and for rural communities across the West. Last week, I was joined by local farmers, irrigators, and elected officials a...
Taxpayers are getting ripped off, everybody knows it, and politicians refuse to fix it. That’s why 352,000 voters signed petitions to get Initiative 976 on the ballot. Taxing a $10,000 vehicle like it’s $25,000 is fraud. I-976 repeals the dishonest vehicle valuation schedule that politicians are currently using to artificially inflate our vehicle taxes. If a private company was price gouging its’ customers like this, the government would shut it down. But here, because it’s the government taking more than they should with a...
As the Youth Services Librarian it’s always hard to narrow down what to write about when it’s my turn for the Library Corner article, because we do so much with the kids in our community every month! One of my main projects recently has been recruiting tweens and teens for our Youth Advisory Council (YAC) to volunteer around the library and help plan activities. Our first YAC-run activity was yesterday with member Kelianne Swartz planning a Halloween party for our monthly Tween Zone. Next month, YAC member Henry McRae will be...
Too often, elected officials overlook the cumulative costs of regulations, taxes and fees on taxpayers; however, it comes back to bite them hard when people move, or take matters into their own hands by initiative. Consider what is happening in high-tax and cost-of-living states, such as California, New York and Connecticut. Florida recorded the highest level of net domestic migration in 2018 and added 1.2 million people from other states since 2010. “Many Florida t...
There has been a lot of buzz around the Snake River dams. In the decades-old argument, anti-dam advocates consistently point out that if the people of the Northwest love salmon, the dams have got to go. The communities I represent have grave concerns over the removal of the Snake River dams, which provide reliable and affordable energy that is vital to our region. These communities are also concerned about salmon survival, which is why I am proud to support our dams while also supporting research to improve fish passage. In...
Down here in the East Adams Library District research room we’ve been on a bit of a streak recently, winning grants left and right. We’re happy to toot our own horn because it means adding to our historical record by collecting oral histories, researching Adams County women and their work to secure the vote, and digitizing private family records for the public good. We recently completed an oral history project that will soon be up on our Adams County Community Archive online collection through the Washington Rural Her...
Assuming that reducing greenhouse gases are an ongoing challenge, we need government policies and the “political will” to turn our nation’s entreprehenuers and researchers lose to take risks and innovate. We must establish reasonable laws and regulations that also protect our environment and our citizens’ health and safety while providing jobs and affordable products—no easy task. Science Daily has published some promising research relating to carbon dioxide. Here are three...
In light of the proposal that just never seems to go away: introducing grizzly bears in the North Cascades, I invite all constituents of the 4th Congressional District to join me in expressing your opinion about how this will affect you and your family. Grizzly bears in the wild are not the cuddly creatures we see portrayed in movies or television. They are apex predators, weighing up to 850 pounds and standing up to 8 feet tall. To get an idea of the impact these powerful bears have on populated communities, all you have to...
Dear Friends, It’s hard to believe summer is finally leaving us. I recently finished planting wheat for next year and have been busy catching up on farm chores. Besides tying up loose ends on the farm, fall’s arrival also means football. Like so many of you, I’m pleased that the Cougs are off to a good start. While EWU has lost a couple of games early on, I’m optimistic the Eagles will have another successful season. Eastern Washington Legislative Tour last week It isn’t often when legislators from the west side of the state...
Many years ago, a reporter asked George Weyerhaeuser, then CEO of Weyerhaeuser Co., why his company spent so much time and money informing its workers, public officials and people about its business of growing trees and converting those trees into lumber and paper products. His answer was simple. “People need to know what we do and why what we do is important to them.” He believed if people and elected officials understood Weyerhaeuser, they would make thoughtful dec...
With over 300 different commodities, Washington state has one of the most diverse agriculture industries in the country, and we are recognized around the world as a top producer of specialty crops. From apples and tree fruit to hops and wine grapes, Washington has cultivated a unique community of growers and producers who are leading the country in agriculture research and innovation. Promoting specialty crop research should be a no brainer. The Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) supports critical research being done...
Across the country, we have seen communities and patients struggle to access and afford healthcare. In rural areas, this struggle is intensified by longer distances and the remote nature of our communities. Living in rural America, we recognize emergency services aren’t always just a phone call away. Many of us travel many miles between our homes and the medical facilities that provide primary and long-term care – not to mention specialized treatments, which are often provided across the mountains in Seattle. For exa...