With all the focus on eliminating the Bush tax cuts and spurring the economy, President Obama and Congressional Democrats are tripping over themselves touting their small business tax breaks this election season. What they’re not mentioning is an automatic tax increase that will hit family-owned businesses hard, starting on New Year’s Day. Unless Congress and [...]
The Obama administration seems deeply committed to policies that can’t work. The President is demanding hefty energy taxes to “save the planet.” Unfortunately, the proposed reductions in U.S. greenhouse emissions would have virtually no impact on he earth’s temperatures — even if CO2 is the culprit that it doesn’t seem to be. A 22 percent [...]
The four technologies that will change the world within 15 years, with each having a billion-dollar-a-year economic activity, are light emitting diode lighting, biodiesel from algae, line-focused solar collectors for heating buildings and photovoltaics for making electricity. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) do not contain mercury, which is an environmental health hazard. LEDs produce the most [...]
Congress traditionally goes out of session each August so representatives and senators can spend time working with those we were elected to serve. During the past several weeks, I have had the opportunity to meet with local residents in many central Washington communities, including Grandview, Ephrata, Toppenish, Goldendale, Chelan, Moses Lake, Quincy, Connell and Leavenworth. [...]
The world of retirement planning has certainly changed over the years. The days when folks quit their jobs and started drawing pensions are long gone for most of us. People want to retire younger these days and dependable company pensions are becoming a rarity. That means we have to save for our own retirement. Who [...]
The first day of school is tough. First impressions are everything, especially to a young girl. The “day one” outfit can either make or break a child’s social placement among his or her peers. That’s a lot of pressure to put on young kids. Imagine if Cindy Mancini hadn’t made-over Ronald Miller in Can’t Buy [...]
Finding a job is the best substitute for an unemployment check, but as more and more Americans exhaust their jobless benefits, employment opportunities remain sparse. In July, the state unemployment rate was 8.6 percent, down from 9.5 percent a year ago. However, in parts of Washington, it’s in double-digits. The Portland-Vancouver metro area reports 13.3 [...]
We have a Sears Kenmore front-loading washer and have experienced mold and slime in the washer on our laundry. It took me some time, but I finally got the phone number and called the corporate office in Illinois and talked to them about the problem. The Sears headquarters wants to hear about this problem so [...]
A big thank you goes out to Othello for another great year. Without all the businesses and local support this would not be possible. Oggie, great job. Thank you, Time Out Pizza, for the pizzas Friday night and to Simplot for the donuts Saturday morning. Thank you, everyone, for all your help and support. See [...]
By Roger Pond I guess I’ll never understand economics. The experts say our economy is kind of slow and personal savings have reached an all-time low. This seems backward to me. It seems folks would be saving for the future — instead of spending every nickel they can get hold of. Today’s consumers remind me [...]
Some geologists are heroes. That was the thought that came to my mind when I read of what Afghan geologists had done during the long and difficult time the Taliban had run their country. Even without real hope they might ever do geology again, but with fears about what might happen at any time to [...]
Over the last several years, Americans have heard repeated promises from those who control Washington, D.C., regarding a comprehensive health care law that would allow them to keep their health care plan if they liked it, would not raise costs for families and would strengthen Medicare for seniors. They also said the bill would be [...]
I’m not at all surprised a known, admitted, activist, gay person when appointed as a judge in San Francisco, gets the assignment to call in favor of honoring the choice of homosexual marriage, he does so with a huge shout. He gives over 100 pages of “proofs” homosexual behavior is the same as skin color [...]
