News Digest for April 5th 2005
There's a lot of different things to cover today, so here's a news digest covering the most important issues for April 5th, 2005:
GOP Unites with State Senate Democrats Sheldon and Hargrove to Derail Equal Rights Legislation
The Associated Press reports that a procedural vote that required the help of two conservative Democrats (one is Sheldon, who is a DINO, or Democrat In Name Only) allowed Republicans to derail the latest attempt by the Legislature to pass a gay civil rights bill, sending it to a hostile committee where it is expected to die.
Rep. Ed Murray, the primary sponsor and driving force behind the bill, issued this statement (courtesy of OlyScoop):
Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges has set a May 23rd trial date for the state GOP's challenge of the result of the 2004 gubernatorial election. The trial is supposed to last two weeks.
Rossi’s attorneys must “lock their claims” and disclose all their witnesses by April 15th; but the Democrats have until May 6th. On May 2nd, Bridges will rule on whether the GOP can use their proportional analysis method to prove their case.
Shipping line that polluted Columbia fined $25 million
Here's an excellent example of government bureaucracy at work serving the citizens of the Pacific Northwest:
This company was deliberately polluting US waters in violation of our laws because it was cheaper and more convenient than disposing of waste properly.
And they wouldn't have been caught if it hadn't been for the sharp eye of that Department of Ecology inspector.
There's a reason why we need government inspectors and regulators. They're the main force that protects citizens and taxpayers from reprehensible companies like Evergreen International.
The next time people complain about excessive bureaucracy, they ought to think about all the things that government does for them that private enterprise can't or won't do.
Must Read Columns
Here's links to a couple must read columns: the first is by Anna Bernasek, who is wrote a column in the New York Times. She explores the myth that taxes are bad for the economy. An excerpt:
GOP Unites with State Senate Democrats Sheldon and Hargrove to Derail Equal Rights Legislation
The Associated Press reports that a procedural vote that required the help of two conservative Democrats (one is Sheldon, who is a DINO, or Democrat In Name Only) allowed Republicans to derail the latest attempt by the Legislature to pass a gay civil rights bill, sending it to a hostile committee where it is expected to die.
Rep. Ed Murray, the primary sponsor and driving force behind the bill, issued this statement (courtesy of OlyScoop):
"I'm disappointed that parliamentary procedures were used in an attempt to stop the Anti-Discrimination Bill, a bill that would pass if given an opportunity for a full vote before the Senate.Date Set in Election Contest Trial
The actions taken today are stall tactics against a bill that is seeking to ensure that principles of fairness and justice are available to everyone under the law.
Supporters of the bill knew this sort of parliamentary maneuvering was possible. This will not stop our efforts. We believe we are right, a majority of Washington citizens agree with us, and in the end, a majority of Senators will as well.
This bill is long past due. Today a person who happens to be gay or lesbian can lose their job or be denied a house just because of who they are. We can no longer allow these injustices to occur and must protect everyone from discrimination in all its forms."
Chelan County Superior Court Judge John Bridges has set a May 23rd trial date for the state GOP's challenge of the result of the 2004 gubernatorial election. The trial is supposed to last two weeks.
Rossi’s attorneys must “lock their claims” and disclose all their witnesses by April 15th; but the Democrats have until May 6th. On May 2nd, Bridges will rule on whether the GOP can use their proportional analysis method to prove their case.
Shipping line that polluted Columbia fined $25 million
Here's an excellent example of government bureaucracy at work serving the citizens of the Pacific Northwest:
Amid the crazy-quilt tangle of pipes and machinery in the cargo ship's engine room, the inspector's attention was drawn to two bolts -- two bolts among hundreds.Evergreen International, a Panamanian shipping line, has pleaded guilty to concealing the discharge of waste oil, obstructing Coast Guard inspections and altering records during a three year period which ended in 2001.
The paint was missing.
That sharp-eyed scrutiny by a Washington Department of Ecology inspector triggered a chain of events that culminated yesterday in one of the largest fines ever imposed on a company that deliberately polluted the ocean.
This company was deliberately polluting US waters in violation of our laws because it was cheaper and more convenient than disposing of waste properly.
And they wouldn't have been caught if it hadn't been for the sharp eye of that Department of Ecology inspector.
There's a reason why we need government inspectors and regulators. They're the main force that protects citizens and taxpayers from reprehensible companies like Evergreen International.
The next time people complain about excessive bureaucracy, they ought to think about all the things that government does for them that private enterprise can't or won't do.
Must Read Columns
Here's links to a couple must read columns: the first is by Anna Bernasek, who is wrote a column in the New York Times. She explores the myth that taxes are bad for the economy. An excerpt:
Over the last 30 years, economists have undertaken hundreds of studies to determine whether taxes hurt the economy. So far, they’ve turned up little to convict taxes of the charge. After reviewing the literature on the topic in 1993, two economists, William Easterly of New York University and Sergio Rebelo of Northwestern, concluded in a joint paper that “the evidence that tax rates matter for growth is disturbingly fragile.”A highly reccomended column. The second one is in today's Seattle Times - and it's actually in the Northwest Life section, of all places, though it could have easily made it on the Times' op-ed page. It's entitled "State's broken tax system means society is worse off", and it drives home a number of excellent points. An excerpt:
Nobody likes to pay taxes.There's your News Digest for today.
Growing up in the 1950s and '60s, I remember my mom saying we did it for the common good: good schools, police and fire protection, clean water and decent roads. Even people without children pay taxes for schools, she said — to keep their property values high and streets safe.
When did this notion unravel? My dad began voting against everything, including schools, claiming, "They waste too much money!" The once-exceptional public schools that educated my brothers and me lost levy after levy, becoming some of the worst in the state. Over time, gangs roamed streets where I walked as a little girl, and the value of my parents' home — after 50 years — budged only a little.
A sea change has swept through our nation's attitudes about taxes since I was young. As we became wealthier, we became stingier. Lots of us find money for "necessities" — huge homes, cellphones, private schools, new cars and huge entertainment centers — but resist being taxed unless it benefits us directly. Never mind our long-term self-interest in making society better, safer. Only what's in front of our noses counts anymore.
