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To the editor, In the past two weeks I have had conversations, seen, and heard comments and have been in discussions regarding the library meeting of February 27. I believe clarity is more important than agreement and that sometimes clarity leads to agreement. One comment "It is too bad that we would lose state money if we banned books" is an unfounded concern. First, there is no state money in our library budget. Second most books are 'banned' every time an order is made to purchase materials....
Too many Puget Sound lawmakers never look beyond their grocery stores to understand the struggle of our farmers to keep those stores supplied. It's why Sen. Mark Schoesler, Rep. Joe Schmick, and I work so hard in Olympia to advocate for our fellow farmers, educate those in power who have no clue about agriculture, and why we fight against policies potentially devastating to agriculture. We understand the importance of our state's agricultural industry, the jobs they provide in Washington, and...
To the editor, I serve on the Board of Trustees for the Columbia County Rural District Library. I would like to speak to the issue of books in the library that some members in the community want removed from the shelves. At our regular meeting a week ago, the board was asked to consider an appeal by Marcene Hendrickson regarding Juno Dawson's book "What's the T". The vote was 4 to 1 to reject the appeal. My reason for rejecting the appeal is because the board is bound by the collections policy....
We all have heard the phrase, "The good, the bad and the ugly." It also applies to the many bills before the Legislature each year. Nearly 1,600 bills (754 from the Senate, 843 from the House) had been introduced, as of Feb. 21, and we're not even halfway through the 105-day session yet. Many of these proposals are good, a fair number are bad and some are just plain ugly. Let me offer examples of each. A "good" measure would be Senate Bill (SB) 5034, introduced by 4th District Sen. Mike Padden...
To the Editor, I am writing in response to the letter last week by Mrs. McKinley. While her positions on the CCC and the Just the Pool Committee are her opinion, I am writing to address her statement that she was "bullied and harassed" by Mrs. Aukerman. I attended that meeting and was in the audience when Mrs. McKinley presented her views. At no time did I witness Mrs. Aukerman attempt to bully or intimidate Mrs. McKinley. I am shocked that Mrs. McKinley would make such a claim with witnesses...
OLYMPIA–Growing up on the farm, I heard grandma's sage advice in just about every situation imaginable. "A trouble shared is a trouble halved." "This isn't my first rodeo." "Many hands make light work." When hearing about Kaiser Permanente's change in how its customers could get their prescriptions refilled, what came to mind was this: "It doesn't cut the mustard." Last summer, the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) and the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) voted to allow Kaiser P...
To the editor, Let's call it what it is. The February 16, 2023, edition of the Dayton Chronicle ran a news article, "Official petition circulating for pool only taxing district". I read this article with great interest as I was extremely involved with the Friends of the Pool in putting forth a proposition on the November 2022 ballot to create a Columbia County Joint Metropolitan Parks and Recreation District (MPD) to facilitate the construction, maintenance and operation of a community swimming...
OLYMPIA–There are some hard-core Western Washington groups that want you to believe that if we breach Snake River dams, it will boost our state's salmon population and we can save the Southern Resident Orcas from extinction. It's the old strategy of if you repeat something long enough, people will finally believe you. Even though dam removal would be devastating to our state's power grid, agriculture, and vital river navigation of wheat and other products. Here's what they won't tell you. P...
To the editor, Dayton deserves great leadership. The City Council members were elected or appointed to handle our tax money and make responsible decisions in the best interest for the City of Dayton. As an elected official, in local government, you are responsible for conducting yourself in council and in public with respect and dignity. To ensure you have a complete understanding of acceptable behavior each of you were required to read, to sign, and to uphold the guidelines within the ethics...
After Washington drivers endured record-high gas and diesel prices for much of last year, fuel prices dropped substantially across the state during the final months of 2022. But you may have noticed they have risen sharply again in recent weeks. The reason for this latest spike is one of Governor Jay Inslee's environmental laws, approved by legislative Democrats two years ago. In early January, I was informed by a friend who works in the fuel distribution industry that wholesale gasoline and...
A. F. Branco...
In our currently partisan legislative landscape, it is momentous to see a bipartisan bill that takes into consideration the concerns of everyone at the table. The newest solution to salmon recovery and riparian habitat-HB 1720-is a mixture of ideas from both sides of the aisle and superior to the “buffer bills” from the last legislative session and the beginning of the current session. The bill sets out a plan for “fully voluntary, regionally focused” riparian habitat plans, acknowl...
To the editor, There are a couple of inaccuracies in the background provided for the January 26 cover story about the library. The lower level of the library has three distinct sections: the Children's section, which occupies the entire south end; the Juniors section in the northeast corner; and the Young Adult (YA) section in the northwest corner. The book What's the T? was initially placed on the New Titles shelf of the Young Adult section, not the Children's section. It is now shelved with...
OLYMPIA–Various surveys conducted around the state over the last year continue to show that public safety is high on the list of concerns for the average Washingtonian. It doesn't matter if it's someone living in downtown Bellevue or someone residing in the 9th Legislative District. People are feeling less safe and less secure in their homes and communities. According to annual statistics compiled by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), the numbers support this f...
A. F. Branco...
OLYMPIA–Rep. Mary Dye has introduced legislation that would create a new Washington State Commission on Boys and Men tasked to address the well-being of boys, male youth and men across the state. "There are many issues that impact men and boys. Yet, there is no unified voice that would tackle these issues at the state level," said Dye, R-Pomeroy. "If adopted, this legislation would create the first of its kind boys and men's commission in the nation right here in Washington state." Under House B...
By Sen. Mark Schoesler, Rep. Joe Schmick and Rep. Mary Dye OLYMPIA–We are back at the state Capitol for the 2023 legislative session, which began Jan. 9 and is set to last 105 days, ending April 23. After being forced to endure a virtual legislative session in 2021 and last year due to restrictions caused by COVID-19, we're encouraged that the Legislature has returned to near-normal in terms of how committee meetings and floor sessions are conducted. In the two previous legislative sessions, cit...
How much do you pay in taxes and which level of government imposes that tax burden? A new bipartisan bill introduced by the chair and ranking member of the Senate Ways & Means Committee would help answer that question by creating a searchable database of state and local taxes. Here is the intent section for SB 5158 - Concerning transparency in state and local taxation: “The intent of the legislature is to make state and local tax revenue as open, transparent, and publicly accessible as is f...
To the Editor I'm Aileen Warren. You know my thoughts and feelings about the proposed slaughter house plan to purchase Port ground and build on Cameron Street. I am completely opposed to this type of facility being built within city limits. I want Michelle's business plan to succeed, but not inside city boundaries. Based on my experience at the December 14 Port meeting, where you looked me in the eye, told me my input didn't matter and you were going ahead with the project, I am going to call a...
It’s kind of nice having most of the family relatively, no pun intended, close during the holidays. We have a few of our sons and daughter who are an airline flight away, but the rest are within driving distance. Watching the national news between Christmas and New Year’s Day, it is apparent that travelers booked on Southwest Airlines had to have been living through a nightmare. Some insider information available to me indicates that Southwest’s problems were the culmination of years of a slow decline in corporate attention to business. Or ra...
