Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Matter of Opinion archive for Jan. 1, 2010

FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2010


Petitions and privacy 13 

Those wanting petition signatures to remain private can't be encouraged by the questioning that arose from the Supreme Court hearing. Alito is on board. Roberts is a maybe. Thomas? Who knows since he doesn't ask questions. Hopes for Scalia might've been dashed:Declaring that the rough-and-tumble…

Continue reading this post »

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 2010

MONDAY, APRIL 26, 2010

FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2010

Financial reform 17 

Does Wall Street need to change its ways? Should government force that? Along those lines, the headline of the day goes to The Atlantic for "Did porn cause the financial crisis?"Here's a primer/analysis on the issue -- financial reform, that is.Unlike those SEC guys, keep…

Continue reading this post »

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2010

State income tax 56 

Tax cut, anyone? Well, not anyone, but most people would apparently get one under this plan backed by William Gates Sr. Tim Eyman is for lower taxes. Wonder if he'll sign the petition?"It is the Holy Grail of the progressive movement," Eyman said of the…

Continue reading this post »


The April 21 thread 16 

Heard this song on the way to work. It's "Amerika 6.0 (The Best We Can Do)" by Steve Earle. Starts like this:Look at yaYeah, take a look in the mirror now tell me what you seeAnother satisfied customer in the front of the line for…

Continue reading this post »

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010

Lawmakers at work 

For those who care about these things, the Website WashingtonVotes.org has posted its account of missed votes from this year's regular and special sessions of the Legislature. It's a valuable site if you like to keep track of legislative activity. The lawmaker who missed the…

Continue reading this post »


Police, Zehm, Kirkpatrick 

I'm surprised at the lack of comments here about these two stories.1. Police changed testimony in Otto Zehm case?2. Police union "shows" no-confidence in Chief Kirkpatrick. S-R editorial about that here.

Continue reading this post »



Government trust and the people 33 

Pew is out with a poll about a record level of distrust in government. This item notes that distrust has been typical since the 1970s, with only 9/11 and its immediate aftermath breaking the cycle. Recessions fuel spikes, even though the country relies more on…

Continue reading this post »

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010

MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2010

The April 7 Thread 11 

Think I'll go with the bowling alley method of blogging for awhile. I set 'em up. You knock 'em down. This is an official loose thread. Note the themed threads below. And, as always, be careful in here.

Continue reading this post »

TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 2010

Civility and politics 54 

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "a nice person." Then went on to say more. I'm 180 degrees in opposition to the speaker -- she's a nice lady," he said. The crowd could be heard responding unfavorably to his characterization. "Come…

Continue reading this post »


MONDAY, APRIL 5, 2010

Internet anonymity 38 

Leonard Pitts weighs in here on nasty commenters and their media enablers. The Washington Post ombudsman discusses the issue here. Does the anonymity of commenters bring more or less value to the table? Or is the issue something else?

Continue reading this post »


Myth busters 42 

Nice article on the husband-wife team that debunks Internet fiction at snopes.comEver used that site or others like them? What is behind the gullibility of so many people? A distrust of media is, of course, one reason. But what I find interesting is that no…

Continue reading this post »


The April 5 thread 25 

What's on your soggy minds this morning? I mean, what's on your minds this soggy morning.Note themed threads below on health care, education and global warming/cap-trade.

Continue reading this post »

THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2010

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2010


TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2010

MONDAY, MARCH 29, 2010

March 29 thread 19 

Consumer spending up a bit in February for the fifth straight month. Wages haven't budged. Discuss this and other news here. Note themed threads on health care, education and global warming.

Continue reading this post »

FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2010

Stimulus/Fed report card 

Most economists in this Wall Street Journal survey said the economy would be worse without stimulus. The Fed gets the most credit.Thirty-eight of the 54 surveyed economists, not all of whom answered every question, said the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act boosted growth and mitigated…

Continue reading this post »

A Matter of Opinion is really a matter of three opinions – those held by the people responsible for the opinion pages of The Spokesman-Review. Check in regularly to find out what they’re up to, what they think and where they differ and to joust with them if you want.



Blog Archives

Dec. 2010 Nov. 2010 Oct. 2010 Sept. 2010
Aug. 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010
April 2010 March 2010 Feb. 2010 Jan. 2010