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To the editor, I read an article in this newspaper on July 6 regarding an update about the library. That article stated that the petitions regarding defunding the library were a response to the lack of action to remove "sexually explicit books from the section for minors." It then went on to state that "At last count, the library contains 167 books that contain graphic sex involving minors, books written for minors about gender and sex education, or books about sexuality for early readers." I...
To the editor, Dayton Library system and Columbia County citizens, I am a native of Dayton, Wash.; the Class of 1975; Columbia County property owner since 2000; raised on the family farm in Columbia County; and a retired first grade teacher of 34 years who specialized in Language Arts and Child Development. I love Dayton, my hometown, the education I received and the farm I grew up on. You could say I am a farm girl through and through. My Sixth Grade Teacher, Mrs. Juanita Harting inspired me to...
To the editor, Shame on You. For those in our community who have spread lies and misinformation about our library director should be ashamed of themselves. If there was even a thread of evidence to your lies, you had every right to report them to law enforcement. I believe your vitriol is more of a threat to your children, grandchildren, and our beloved community. And to those who have signed the petition to close our cherished library, ask yourself how this will help the children of Columbia...
To the editor, As I have mentioned before, don't let "their" opinion be yours. Take time to visit the library, talk to Todd, the director, and see how much the library has to offer. In a recent conversation with a friend, they mentioned the library having pornography, but in the same conversation, admitted to not having been to the library or talked to Todd. In my opinion, moving a book is not about keeping our children safe, but more about control. Keeping our children safe is a whole lot more...
A. F. Branco...
This session saw some bipartisan successes as lawmakers and citizens were in Olympia together for the first time in nearly three years. That in-person interaction is always key for working relationships and good workable solutions to our state's problems. The transportation budget and capital budget were both very bipartisan. Republicans were allowed to give input and Democrat budget writers worked to fund projects important to legislators on both sides of the aisle. Sen. Schoesler was the lead...
A. F. Branco...
To the editor, Last year I read an article about some people going to rebuild the Starbuck arena and they obtained a grant in the amount of $98,000 to get this project going. I saw where they were hoping to have a rodeo last September, 2022. I have not noticed any work being done over at the rodeo grounds. I was looking forward to the planned rodeo. Can anyone give an update on this matter? Doris Matheny Starbuck, Wash....
By Rep. Joe Schmick When our state's budget surplus reached approximately $15 billion last year, many of us felt it was time to give some of that back to taxpayers in the form of meaningful property tax relief. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Instead, Democrat budget writers continued a decade-long trend of spending just about every dime given to them. They even changed some rules to take money that should have gone into the state's rainy-day fund, just so they could spend it on new programs...
As you read this, House Bill 1498, approved unanimously by both the House and Senate, is on its way to the governor. This is the bill I authored that would ensure our local fire departments are reimbursed by the state when they deploy aircraft for an initial attack on a fire. It seems like common sense to get on top of a brush, grass, or timber fire when it's small, before it blows up into a catastrophic wildfire. Small fire departments, such as in Asotin County where Noel Hardin is the fire...
To the editor, I walked into the library, saw Todd and said: "I think you are great, even if others don't agree." My first recollection of a library was at Jefferson grade school in Richland, when the librarian told me I could not check out that many books, but don't worry, I will keep these extra books under the counter for you when you are ready for them. I could not get enough. The library, school and the whole city was owned by the federal government, because we had built the Atomic Bomb. A...
OLYMPIA–With the April 23 conclusion of this year's legislative session just days away, it sadly appears the Legislature will not pass a bill to implement the exemption for farm fuel and certain other types of fuel from the costly fee created by the state's 'cap-and-trade' program that went into effect this January. Ever since the Climate Commitment Act was passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature two years ago, I predicted fuel prices would rise sharply in Washington once the c...
A. F. Branco...
To the editor, Regarding efforts to defund the library, I question if the real reason is that "they" think the library has more reserves than needed, therefore, no more tax money should go to fund it? If that is the reason, then, in my opinion, the library board and the public should request a meeting with County Treasurer Carla Rowe. Have a conversation about expense versus income. Perhaps the portion of the property tax the library receives might be lowered, reducing reserves. I don't know, bu...
House and Senate budget writers released their 2023-25 state operating budget proposals recently. It was a reminder that taxpayers have been very kind to the state's coffers as revenue forecasts over the past few years have continued to increase. As a result of taxpayer largess and the majority party's proclivity to spend every dime available, state spending has more than doubled over the past 10 years. Has our population doubled? No. According to the Washington State Office of Financial...
A. F. Branco...
To the editor, The Dayton Memorial Library has been a hot topic of conversation for months now. These conversations are important. Expressing our concerns is a part of civic discourse as long as we do so respectfully. My concern is access to information. Did you know that there are over 29,000 items available through our library district? (For perspective, the controversy has been over 11 books.) What a resource for our community! Our librarians are also an excellent resource for library...
OLYMPIA–Washington held its first carbon allowance auction on March 7 under the new cap-and-invest law passed in 2021. Results from the first auction were announced on March 14, in which industry participants and speculators bid on a limited number of "allowances" offered by the state. California implemented the nation's first multi-sector cap-and-trade program in 2015, which covers virtually its entire economy. Washington's Climate Commitment Act sets more aggressive goals than California. T...
To the editor, As many Columbia County residents know by now, there is a petition circulating that proposes to put dissolution of the Columbia County Rural Library District on the ballot. Dissolution of the district would result in the permanent shuttering of the library. All the books would be sent to the State Library to be redistributed or destroyed. All the computers and other equipment would be surpluses, along with the furnishings. The building itself would be returned to the city and...
OLYMPIA–In my 30 years as a state legislator, there have been times when I have correctly predicted that something Olympia did would turn out badly for Washingtonians. The "cap-and-tax" program recently created by the Democrat majorities in the Legislature certainly looks like it should be added to this dubious list. Earlier this month, the state Department of Ecology announced the results from the state's first carbon-allowance auction, which was created by the Climate Commitment Act passed b...
By Loyal and Charlotte Baker We have an old Kenmore washing machine. We think we’ll keep it. It replaced a Maytag. You know, the one with the lonely repairman, his life ebbing away as he awaits a call that (supposedly) never comes. The Maytag machine would be working to this day, except the circuit board went spitzen-sparken and out the door it went. Instead of $30 for a belt or $100 for a motor, it was a $500 circuit board that broke. Newer washing machines from the current generation of California-ized machines are designed to use less w...
A. F. Branco...
OLYMPIA–As Washington state seeks to find a financial solution to fund road construction projects, address backlogs in transportation maintenance and preservation needs, and fix crumbling infrastructure like bridges, one idea that has gained traction (pun intended) is the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax. The VMT is a fee charged to drivers based on the number of vehicle miles traveled, regardless of fuel efficiency. Typically, a user-based approach is a more fair and equitable way of levying f...
