Camano Community

Opinion: Stage set for emergency taxing

by Ed Jenkins

Island County Commissioner John Dean states, “The situation is no different than a community that has suffered a devastating natural disaster, such as an earthquake. In such situations, governments must prioritize services based on critical needs.”

This financial crisis did not fall upon us like some natural disaster with no warning. I am certainly no genius but myself and many friends read the papers over the past years and realized that there was going to be a huge problem very soon. Why was the inevitable crash such a shock to our government leaders?

via www.pnwlocalnews.com

Opinion: The Turnaround Fallacy

by Andrew Smarick

For as long as there have been struggling schools in America’s cities, there have been efforts to turn them around. The lure of dramatic improvement runs through Morgan Freeman’s big-screen portrayal of bat-wielding principal Joe Clark, philanthropic initiatives like the Gates Foundation’s “small schools” project, and No Child Left Behind (NCLB)’s restructuring mandate. The Obama administration hopes to extend this thread even further, making school turnarounds a top priority.

But overall, school turnaround efforts have consistently fallen far short of hopes and expectations.

via educationnext.org

‘Everything but marriage' law close to victory

Majorities of voters in Snohomish and Island counties supported the measure. In Snohomish County, the referendum was winning approval 51.5 percent to 48.5 percent while in Island County the margin was 53 percent to 47 percent.

via www.heraldnet.com

Opinion: What would real political change look like?

By Ted Van Dyk at Crosscut

The election will bring change, but the entrenched factors suggest only a few nudges. Here's an agenda for substantive change in our tax system, our spending priorities, our stalemated politics, and the post-Boeing economy.

via crosscut.com

How taking out dams splits environmental groups

By Daniel Jack Chasan at Crosscut

The issues are maddeningly complex and politically explosive. Here's a close look at the bedeviled Klamath River basin, where a seeming agreement is dividing the greens.

via crosscut.com

Boeing Heads South For Better Business Climate: Washington State Politicians Are Surprised?

Union leaders and politicians like Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., expressed shock, dismay and outrage at the company’s decision.

Either they are feigning surprise, or they’ve been comatose for the last decade. Your guess is as good as mine.

via biggovernment.com

Legislative Update

By Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen

Washington Residents Supporting State Parks Through Donations

Good news for anyone who loves state parks (like me!): The state Parks and Recreation Commission is reporting that, so far, taxpayer donations on vehicle license tab renewals are coming in at a strong enough rate to avoid the closure of any state parks. Between July 1 and Sept. 30, $1.4 million had been raised. That’s a rate that can keep all parks open under the approved budget.

Opinion: Our state must learn a hard lesson from Boeing

by Rep. Norma Smith

I am very disappointed to hear about Boeing’s 787 decision. Today’s announcement is a vital reminder that Washington state simply does not have a business climate that is fair to its employers. Employers continually face uncompetitive and high costs from the state’s workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, regulatory, and health insurance systems. These problems have not been addressed by the Legislature and were significant factors in Boeing’s recent decision.

Opinion: The political fallout from Boeing's bombshell

By David Brewster at Crosscut

Gov. Gregoire just finished an artful press conference, disclaiming any responsibility for Boeing's decision to build a second 787 production line in North Charleston, S.C., noting again that Boeing had told her there was nothing the state could do about the decision. The governor then tried to shift the public's attention to working together to keep future 737s and tanker projects in the state. No recriminations, please.

via crosscut.com

Opinion: Undermining Math Education in our State

By Cliff Mass

As many of you know, improving math education is of particular interest to me--particularly since I see on a daily basis the poor math skills of many entering UW students. And I was stunned by the questionable materials provided to my own children. I am active in a group called wheresthemath.com, which includes thousands of parents and educators from throughout the state trying to do something about it.

via cliffmass.blogspot.com

Opinion: In Olympia, recession is looking like an opportunity missed

by Austin Jenkins

Desperate times call for bold measures, but structural and political obstacles make any meaningful change unlikely

via crosscut.com

Opinion Page: How To Get Around Bad CBO Scores

With all the focus on a  handful of high-profile items, many important features in the House and Senate health reform proposals are being overlooked. And some of these neglected items bear on the fiscal soundness of whatever reform is eventually adopted.

via www.tnr.com

Election '09: Vote Yes on Prop 1

Sno-Isle Libraries Proposition 1 is on the November ballot . Please help us continue current library services by voting "YES" on Sno-Isle Libraries Proposition 1 on the November ballot and urging your friends to also vote "yes" for this measure.   For a small price we can make sure that our libraries stay open, continue to have services and resources that help people especially during tough economic times, and connect children with books and reading.  Our communities need our libraries now more than ever.  

 You should receive your ballot in the mail soon.  Please vote Yes for Sno-Isle Libraries.  Thanks! Gay Campbell, APR, 360-572-4172 Cell phone: 425-293-5451. cmcommunications.org

Election ‘09: Camano Island Volunteer Firefighters Support Gary Bradley for Fire Commissioner

With the November election weeks away, we would like to make sure everyone is aware of the very important race for Fire Commissioner (Position 5) for Camano Island Fire and Rescue.  As CIFR firefighters, but more importantly as Island residents, we wholeheartedly support and endorse Gary Bradley for re-election. 

Opinion Page: Real 'change' needed for economic recovery in Washington state

By Reps. Cary Condotta and Norma Smith

In Washington, we are blessed to have some of the most creative and innovative employers in the country. Likewise, our employers are blessed with talented employees who have the intellectual horsepower to help them compete in a global marketplace.

Legislative Update

by Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen

It looks like summer has come and gone, but I love the beautiful fall colors. I hope you’re enjoying the mild weather, too, before things turn colder.

Like everyone else, I’m watching for each new sign that we’ve turned the corner on the recession, and this week’s events pretty much validate exactly what economists have predicted for months now — we’re bottoming out and starting to grow, but the recovery will be a slow, prolonged process.

Opinion Page: Ode to a wood stove

by Gardiner Davis at Crosscut

Twenty years ago at a party in Seattle it was fun and lively to get into a backyard discussion with other men on thesubject of heating your house with a wood-fueled stove.

We would huddle in the drizzly rain in our Woolrich jackets with a beer in hand and talk about stove designs, makes and models, catalytic converters, stoves that burnt wood all night and, of course, the best species to burn. Alder, although easy to split, just seemed to melt away, producing negligible heat. Cedar snapped at you. We talked about where to get wood cheap. How to dry it. It was guy talk. Women would listen in and then drift away to another conversation. I never knew a woman who gave a thought as to where household heat came from.

via crosscut.com

Opinion Page: This camp is your camp

By Knute Berger at Crosscut

Using a state pilot project, the Cascade Land Conservancy has made it possible to preserve historic Hidden Valley Camp for future generations. It's more than a win for holding back sprawl, it also saves an incubator of the Northwest's conservation ethic.

via crosscut.com

Opinion Page: Coming to grips with a changed old friend

For a certain generation of Northwest airplane geeks, Boeing's recent troubles hit especially hard. The easiest thing may be to just call the company what it has become: McDonnell Douglas.

via crosscut.com

Opinion Page: Don’t glamorize teenage fugitive

The fact that SWAT team officials returned to the woods of Camano Island indicates that Colton Harris-Moore (or “Colt” as his fan club says) is the prime suspect in a trail of illegal activities — the latest being the stolen aircraft ditched on the flanks of Mount Pilchuck and the burglary which set off a massive manhunt in the Granite Falls area.

via www.heraldnet.com