Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
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“Project 2025? Nothing to see here. Agenda 47 is the go-to,” the Republicans tell us. Well, I went there and surprise, it’s not so much a policy document as a series of Trump videos. But the policy content matches up pretty well. Despite claiming he knew nothing about Project 2025 (not true, there are videos), that’s the one we should be looking at and here’s why. It’s a very well developed blueprint for HOW to accomplish the worst goals that were not accomplished in Trump’s first term, partly because the administration got off to a disorgan...
In selecting a Whitman County Superior Court Judge in the upcoming election, the community will shape Whitman County’s judicial system for years to come. Having litigated cases in the area for nearly 28 years, I join most of the local legal community and elected officials in endorsing Roger Sandberg for Whitman County Superior Court Judge. Roger Sandberg has the work ethic, legal ability, and temperament to allow him to be an outstanding judge. Given Roger’s qualifications, it is no coincidence that he is endorsed by a vast majority of the loc...
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce looked at the cost of regulations in America and found that excessive protocols are undercutting our economy and costing us jobs. Federal rules alone have exploded, and the Chamber says they cost $1.7 trillion. Unwarranted state labor and employment mandates resulted in a 700,000-job loss. On the other hand, paring back state regulations which exceed federal standards now spawns 50,000 new businesses each year. The Chamber report does not indict government regulations, per se. Most regulations serve a good purpose,...
Dams on the Columbia River and its tributaries contribute greatly to the way of life here in Eastern Washington. So, when the federal government says it has reached an agreement on proposed revisions to the Columbia River Treaty with Canada, rural residents should say not so fast. On the surface, the “in principle” agreement announced last week looks good for Americans. Under the proposed changes, the U.S. will get to keep more of the power generated on our side of the border. The proposed agreement says the U.S. will reduced the power all...
Roger Sandberg is on the ballot this year for Whitman County Superior Court Judge. I urge your readers to join in voting for Sandberg for Judge. As the County’s prosecuting attorney I have worked with many judges, here and in other parts of the State; and I am convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that Mr. Sandberg deserves your vote. Roger Sandberg has the knowledge, the broad experience, the common sense, and the plain good judgment that our next judge needs to have. Please vote Sandberg for judge. Denis Tracy. Colfax...
I think it’s a safe estimate to say that more than 90% of this community is against having windmills on our picturesque Palouse hills. One landowner who signed a windmill contract agreed with me on that estimate. Simply put, the Palouse is beautiful, and windmills are ugly. No one I’ve talked to has “gotten used to” the windmills in the Oakesdale area. They are just as unsightly today as they were on day one. “But what about private property rights,” is the response I got from another. I don’t want to tell anyone what to do with their propert...
As my colleague Paul Guppy detailed in a blog post last week and discussed on WPC on the Go, the Supreme Court's recent decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo et al. weakens regulatory powers from unaccountable bureaucrats. While this has widespread implications, one potential outcome could be reigning in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and their ability to classify the internet as a Title II communications service. Reclassifying the internet from an information service...
Most of us have a hobby –– knitting sweaters, playing a musical instrument, painting a pretty picture, tinkering with electronics, etc. Few, indeed, are the hobbyists who make any money from their efforts. Keep that fact in mind when you think about farming. It has long been a hard-work hobby. My father, a life-long farmer, used to say that a person only farms because he or she LOVES working with the soil and plants. In that sense, then, it is a hobby. Most farmers farm because of love for the...
Truck, truck, truck, Tesla. Truck, truck, truck. Here in rural Eastern Washington, the running joke is that the “T” on a Tesla electric vehicle stands for “tourist.” Indeed, the expensive cars, like their electric Toyota and Rivian counterparts, are an oddity easily picked out among rural residents’ pickups, four-wheel drives and older vehicles. But what some rural residents may not realize is that they are paying to charge many of those expensive EVs. Over the last couple years, electric vehicle and utility companies have pushed installat...
Wind turbines are not real property. They are taxed like personal property. They will depreciate with the passage of time and the taxes will decrease to a residual basis that will be as low as 15 percent of the original value. The initial spike in tax revenue will throw our schools out of State programs and leave them in worse shape than they started out. Who’s going to be left holding the bag? You guessed it, YOU ARE! I’ll bet you didn’t know that. Harvest Hills know. The County Commissioners know. Ask one. Those new jobs? Those won’t be for...
I have publicly endorsed Roger Sandberg as the next Whitman County Superior Court Judge. People have asked me why I endorse him. The answer is very obvious, it is because Roger is the most qualified candidate for this very important judicial position. I know from being the Whitman County Superior Judge for the last 8 years that Roger has common sense, experience and temperament to be an excellent Judge. The Superior Court Judge hears mostly serious [felony] and family law cases, but also decides significant cases such as the recent Pac-12 case....
The gray wolf population in Washington state set a reproduction record, growing by an astounding 44 animals in 2023. The state’s wolf population has increased for 15 years in a row and is now at its highest level since it was listed. The question is, what will it take for the state to change its management policy for the predators? Last year we proposed a state delisting of gray wolves in the eastern-most third of Washington state. We also proposed an incremental, local approach to delisting as gray wolves dispersed throughout the state. T...
The Loper family own Loper Bright Enterprises, a modest New England-based fishing business. They pursue the same dream shared by many Americans – to provide their customers with quality service at a fair price while making a good living. Recently, however, the bureaucrats at the National Marine Fisheries Service had other ideas. The agency's budget was tight, so they decided to make the Lopers, along with similar family-owned businesses, pay for a government on-board inspector by charging them $710 a day. When the Lopers protested the b...
I’ve read many letters about windmills recently, but I’ve missed hearing the views of some of the key players. I’d like to hear more from the farmers considering installing windmills. We need to hear more from farmers because they play a vital role in the Palouse economy but face escalating challenges. The unpredictable weather exacerbated by climate change means farmers must explore all options to sustain themselves financially. Wind power income would help. My nightmare scenario is not windmills but bankrupt farmers, no food, and a depre...
When Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, opened a recent work session for the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, she said that the state’s law on long-term care was passed by the Legislature on a “bipartisan basis.” As Inigo Montoya said in “The Princess Bride,” “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” The law that created WA Cares, proposed in House Bill 1087, cannot be described as bipartisan legislation. By the time the bill made its way through the legislative process, it was passed on a party-line vo...
One of the most vexing problems with our nation’s health care system is getting a timely doctor’s appointment. Our primary care network is overwhelmed. More than 100 million Americans lack a primary care provider. A quarter of those are children and the problem is worsening, according to the National Association of Community Health Centers. Our country has a growing and aging population that will need more care. Combined with an aging workforce of physicians nearing retirement, the United States is facing a severe shortage of doctors, the Ass...
On June 6th, Washington’s new Parental Bill of Rights law went into effect. This popular law is a result of direct democracy. It was presented to the state legislature in January by over 454,000 citizens who signed Initiative 2081. Lawmakers could hardly ignore such a grassroots movement, and the measure garnered huge bi-partisan majorities – passing in the Senate by acclamation and being approved in the House by a vote of 82 to 15. Even far left-wing members like Sen. Jaimie Pedersen and Rep...
To whomever okayed the placement of Roger Sandberg’s sign on the West side ground of the Four Star Service building here in Colfax, as long as that sign stays up, I predict you will see: • Mr. Sandberg lose potential voters. • Four Star lose, at its stores, present and potential customers. It would be tragic if great workers like the ones Bobby Lowe has in the Colfax store and shop would suffer because of this decision, although I wouldn’t go anywhere else. It’s all just basic Marketing/PR 101, or if you missed that class, common sense wou...
On Friday, I had an opportunity to fly aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-135 aircraft and see the demonstration team in action. I was a frequent flyer when I was in college (I choose to go to a college in Illinois). So, when my boss asked if I wanted to try to fly on the massive Air Force plane, I told him that I loved flying. I was excited the opportunity would further my knowledge of military history and would enjoy talking to a veteran crew about their experiences. My mother was in the Air Force as...
