July 5, 2011
Citizens can help guide planning process
It's not very often that residents of a city in the year 2011 have the opportunity to truly impact how it will look years down the road.
It's not very often that residents of a city in the year 2011 have the opportunity to truly impact how it will look years down the road.
Later this month, state legislators will begin discussions about designing and implementing a health-care exchange. If experience is a guide -- and it is -- Washington lawmakers should tread very carefully because recent events have shown how perilous such efforts can be.
There are people in our community who have literally spent their lives giving back to others, and they have often done so without much in the way of fanfare or accolades.
The City of Washougal has had a structural budget deficit off and on since 2006. That means that we committed to spending more than we earn. The deficit is projected to worsen each year until the economy improves.
Sunday afternoon, traffic slowed on Highway 14 as it approached a State Patrol vehicle parked on the shoulder of the road with emergency lights flashing. The trooper had made a traffic stop and was in the process of administering a field sobriety test to a woman suspected of driving under the influence.
Farrell House could benefit the community There seems to be a lot of discussion in the Evergreen Terrace Edition, between the neighbors about the proposed use of the Farrell house.
The official filing deadline for political offices up for election on the November ballot came to a close on Friday. Based on the number of candidates who have filed for local positions, the races should prove to be interesting, to say the least.
One of the more rewarding aspects of holding a statewide office is to visit schools across the state, especially to high schools where students are nearing the end of their 13-year incubation period as young scholars, ready to fly out of the classroom and land in college, the military or directly in the workplace.
Sometimes, some of the best ideas come out of difficult situations. And the dismal economy during the past several years has created many difficult situations. Among them is access to nutritious food options for those in need -- people who have lost their jobs, are chronically unemployed, and even homeless. For these individuals, any meal rather than a healthy meal has become the priority.
Camas and Washougal should merge I believe there is a great need to make government more affordable to the taxpayer. All options should be looked at, including the merger of the city governments of Washougal and Camas. I believe our fine cities would benefit with a greater voice in Clark County and in Olympia.
