Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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Those of us who take to heart President Lincoln's words that government is "of the people" appreciate being asked to offer a forecast of an upcoming legislative session. Our constituents and others, such as the news media and business and local-government leaders around the state, deserve to know what we want to accomplish at the state Capitol during the 2025 session, which convened Jan. 13. It's also good to offer a heads-up about what may be coming their way – like the plan for tax i...
With the beginning of the 2025 legislative session, the reign of Gov. Jay Inslee has come to an end. Many legislators on both sides of the aisle, as well as many of you, are encouraged by this fact. The State of the State speech given by new Gov. Bob Ferguson was even more encouraging. The difference between the two governors could not be more evident than their outgoing and incoming speeches given this week in the Legislature. While Inslee took jabs at Republicans and listed his greatest...
A Disgusting Tax Request Residential landlords received an overreaching letter from Wraylee Floodin, Whitman Co Assessor, entitled “Income and Expense Questionnaire”, signed by Crystal Langley. The Request for Financial Information (RFI) indicates the financial success of a landlord will be used to determine their property tax liability. It states that the Assessor’s office is required to annually determine the market value of all property in the County as of Jan 1st. They do not in fact assess every property in Whitman Co annually. They may d...
The mood heading into Washington state's 2025 legislative session Jan. 13 was not exactly hopeful. According to the Cascade PBS/Elway poll, a majority of voters feel the state is headed in the wrong direction. Many Democrats and Republicans agree, with more than half of those surveyed saying things are getting worse with high taxes, budget shortfalls and the rising cost of living. Voters want their pocketbooks prioritized. The poll found 66% of respondents preferred cutting government spending...
As you sit at home watching video footage of the wildfires currently burning in California, it makes you wonder could happen here. Well, yes, it could. As California goes, so goes Washington. Our state politicians and bureaucrats in Olympia have a long history of copying California. Our politicos have gotten so lazy, they've even sponsored, supported, pushed and/or passed laws that say if California enacts a policy, Washington state will follow (cap and trade, vehicle emissions, gas-powered...
Whitman Hospital Commissioners are you aware of the financial bequest that sits mostly indolent to county residents outside of Pullman but could duly fortify the in-house Hospice program approved at the request of St. John physician Dr. Peter Edminster? Just how much money does Friends of Hospice hold in their largess? Let me share what I know from my brief time working for the organization and later this fall as I spoke to Malden friends and neighbors of past resident, Donald Steward. Over 30 years ago, Steward and his wife retired to Malden,...
In 2025, big investment money is going to nuclear power to offset the loss of reliable electricity from coal and natural gas-fired power plants. Those plants are closing to curb “greenhouse gas” emissions at a time when demand is skyrocketing. The Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee cites the rapid expansion of data centers as a driver in increased electricity use. Large data centers, an increase in high-tech manufacturing and growing electrification in homes, buildings and transportation are straining power generating and tra... Full story
Unemployment benefits were implemented under the Social Security Act off 1935 to help workers who become involuntarily employed. The idea was that businesses would be taxed to pay for unemployment benefits for former employees who were fired, laid off or otherwise lose their job due to business closures and other decisions beyond their control. The funds would be paid on a limited basis and for a limited time period while a worker actively searched for a new job. A worker who quit and walked off the job or who voluntarily decided not to work... Full story
Washington State University does excellent work mitigating the climate crisis, but did you know the WSU Foundation invests about $50 million in fossil fuels? I think it is a perverse case of institutional dissonance. WSU has a proud record: Its researchers help boost crops, cure disease, manage the grid, store power, produce sustainable fuels, and mitigate societal climate impacts. Its faculty educates the next generation of scientists and engineers, and extension officers share sustainable agricultural practices. In stark contrast, the WSU...
The Whitman County Commissioners have rebuffed multiple requests by local citizens to enact a moratorium on wind farms in order for the wind code to be re-examined. The requests were to ensure the citizens of Whitman County would have a chance to be adequately protected from the adverse impact industrial wind farms have on quality of life. Impacts like shadow flicker, infrasound noise and diminished viewshed, just to name a few. Whitman County has the weakest code requirements of any county in Washington per the US Dept of Energy, but that...
As Washingtonians take a welcome year-end break to spend time with family and celebrate Christmas, our state’s political leaders are hard at work drafting the agenda for the upcoming legislative session. The legislature doesn’t meet formally until January 13th, but the governor’s budget proposal, a list of 215 pre-filed bills, and a curious leaked e-mail give us hints of what some lawmakers are planning. Tax collections are up and there is ample revenue to fund government services, plus increases in most cases, for the 2025-27 budget cycle...
“Just as a leaking faucet results in the loss of water for no gain to the homeowner, concurrent enrollment results in additional costs to taxpayers without a benefit to the people served by Medicaid,” writes Democrat Pat McCarthy, Washington state’s auditor. She wrote it in a summary statement for an October report about wasteful spending in Medicaid that hurts both state and federal taxpayers. In an October report, “Examining Washington’s Concurrent Medicaid Enrollments,” the auditor’s office found millions of dollars of waste each year — a...
Washington State Veterinarian Dr. Amber Itle signed off on a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (CVI) and a permit number Friday, Dec. 20 allowing Santa and his team to move between states to deliver toys on Christmas Eve. The release from the Washington State Department of Agriculture noted, “A CVI is a special animal health document that certifies that the animals listed ‘are not showing signs of infectious, contagious and/or communicable diseases’ and have met all the required vacci...
The question of whether boys should be participating in girls sports in our state may finally be addressed by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association next spring. Among proposed amendments to the organization’s athletic code are proposed rule amendments that relating to so-called “transgender” competitors. The proposals will be introduced to the 53-member assembly during its annual meeting Jan. 27. One amendment would limit participation in girls sport to “students assigned female...
In the aftermath of the catastrophic fire which gutted Paris’ Cathedral of Notre Dame in 2019, President Emmanuel Macron announced it would be rebuilt within five years and promised it would be “more beautiful than before!” Macron, who remains head of a divided French government, saw restoration of the 13th Century church as a way to restore national pride and unite fellow French citizens. When interviewed just before Notre Dame’s massive doors re-opened on Dec. 7, Macron called the restoration a miracle—an accomplishment of the unthinkab...
As I sit down to write my final column for the Whitman County Gazette, my heart is filled with a bittersweet mixture of gratitude, love and anticipation. It’s not easy to say goodbye to a place that has left such an indelible mark on my life. The rolling wheat fields, the kind-hearted people and the stories we have shared together will remain with me long after I turn the page to this new chapter. I am humbled and honored to share that I will be stepping into the role of managing editor for the Lincoln County Record-Times. It’s an opp...
On Saturday, Dec. 7, I had the enjoyment of attending my daughter’s graduation from University of Idaho. As a father, I enjoyed kicking back in the stands and watching the next Harnack generation matriculate. And, as you would expect, I was as proud as any dad in the crowd. Aside from being Dad and enjoying the fanfare and Pomp and Circumstance, however, one part of the ceremony didn’t sit well with me — the push for so-called “DEI,” or diversity, equity and inclusion. As I crossed the campus headed to the ceremony, the push for DEI became ev...
If Washington state elected officials and energy planners need to be reminded of the risks of increasing reliance on wind-generated electricity, they can look to the week-and-a-half after Thanksgiving. Starting on the night before Thanksgiving, the amount of electricity generated by wind power in the BPA system across the northwest collapsed, falling to zero megawatts around midnight. Generation remained extremely low until midday on December 7, more than nine days later. During those nine...
