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Columns

June 12, 2012

Yes, your student is smart but…

Can they make good decisions? I often wonder about this because as I am writing this, my senior is at a presentation at his high school about the perils of alcohol and drug use while driving. I hope it's kind of a "Scared Straight" presentation, complete with a car that has been crashed to an unrecognizable pulp, simulated blood and guts, EMT and firefighters giving sobering facts, and hopefully a young adult giving a horrific testimony about their own experience. I really hope that the term "smart decisions" is floating in his mind right now. Not just now, but for some time to come. Because, this is a presentation I did not have in high school.

May 22, 2012

Voters deserve the light rail vote promised

If anyone had any doubt why light rail to Vancouver is so controversial, look no further than what the city of Vancouver tried to do. In November 2011, voters approved Proposition 1, which raised the sales tax rate in the Clark County region by 0.2 percent. C-Tran officials promised voters then that the new revenue would raise between $8 million and $9 million per year, and they would use this new money to preserve the existing bus system and prevent further service cuts.

May 1, 2012

Camas EMS levy rate: The time has come for an increase

In 1979, four visionary fire chiefs came together to ensure the public safety needs for our community for generations to come. Deloy Little of Camas, Darrell Alder of Washougal, Bob Holland of Clark County Fire District 1, and Clyde Webberley of Clark County Fire District 9, signed a document that established what has come to be known as the "Three Parties Agreement." This agreement provided for the funding of a paramedic transport service in the East Clark County area. The money was to be used for hiring personnel, buying equipment, and the ongoing emergency medical training needs of the involved departments.

April 24, 2012

Real jobs created by small businesses will lead Washington out of recession

Governor Gregoire kicked off 2012 with a strong statement about the importance of the state's small businesses in creating the jobs that will turn the state's economy around: "...If we can make it easier and cheaper for them [small business owners] to do business, they can afford to add more employees. This is the key to our economic recovery..."

February 28, 2012

Rising gas prices threaten economic recovery

What's that old saying? "One step forward, two steps back." Just as our economy is starting to move again, rising gas prices threaten to put the brakes on the recovery.

January 31, 2012

And if I am elected president I will…

On a drizzly, dark day this past Sunday with a rare couple of hours to kill, I decided to take in coverage of the race for the Republican primary in Florida on CNN. While watching clips of Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich speaking and glad handling their way through the crowds, I just had to roll my eyes and shake my head at the sheer absurdity of some of the proposals they were making.

January 24, 2012

Stand behind governor’s budget decisions

A recent newspaper article prompted me to sit down and express my feelings about how difficult it must have been for Gov. Chris Gregoire to explain to students at the Clark County Skills Center why the state is facing more deep cuts to education.

January 17, 2012

Post-Record new look coming next week

OK, I'm going to level with you up front, dear reader. This column may not contain the most fascinating news you've read in your Post-Record for a while. No, it's not going to rank up there with the stories about the great success the Washougal and Camas girls' sports programs had this past weekend, or this week's Hometown front page story. Heck, even a City Council story will probably seem fascinating compared to what I'm about to write about.

January 3, 2012

The electric chickens have come home to roost

For years, energy experts warned us that regulations and policies that reduce the supply of affordable conventional energy would result in higher prices for American families.