Gary Crooks

The 100-year anniversary of the big forest fires of 1910 has sparked extensive and fascinating coverage, but the event also was a central plot line in the Progressive Era of American politics. Though massive tracts of forestland were devastated, they would regenerate and be protected by the federal government. Timothy Egan chronicled this political battle in his masterful book “The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America.” By saving America, Egan means the setting aside of vast lands in the West. This was highly controversial at the time and remains one of the remarkable achievements of American governance. Today, we take national parks and the U.S. Forest Service for granted.

Didier withholds Rossi endorsement

Religion and the mosque

Anti-incumbent fever!

Election Roundup

The August 16 Thread

“Uncertainty” is the buzzword of this election season. Here are some examples from The Spokesman-Review’s election guide: “First of all we need to create some economic certainty; the biggest concern I hear right now is uncertainty. (Business owners say) they are not expanding, not investing, because of uncertainty over federal spending and the concern of how we’re going to pay for things like health care reform, cap and trade.” – U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers

The August 9 thread

The August 2 thread

The Kaiser Health Tracking Poll for July shows that the new health care reform law is gaining in popularity, with 50 percent of respondents holding a favorable view and 35 percent disliking it. Two months ago, the “unfavorables” held the lead, 44 percent to 41 percent. So did popularity rise because whining declined? Or did whining decline because popularity rose?

The Constitution, commas and immigration

July 26 thread

The July 19 thread

What’s the quickest way to get the party out of power to stop talking about budget deficits? Put it back in power. In the debate over whether to pass another extension of unemployment benefits, some Republicans said, “Fine, as long as Congress finds a way to cover the $35 billion price tag.” But in pushing for an extension of the tax cuts that were enacted under President George W. Bush and are set to expire, Republicans aren’t interested in paying for it.

Equal rights in Washington state

The July 12 thread

First, I’d like to welcome Cheryl Kilday, who was recently named the president and CEO of the Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau. Second, I’d like to suggest that she immediately capitalize on the self-inflicted pummeling of Arizona’s reputation. What better place to steal tourism and convention dollars than a state that is trashed daily by its governor and other elected officials? We have “Near Nature, Near Perfect.” They have “Near Mexico, Near Beheadings.” Please, capture some video of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s pronouncements about illegal immigration and turn them into an ad campaign.

Idaho county is simpatico

Local elections, anyone?

July 6 Loose Thread

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that Social Security won’t be there for future retirees, I could comfortably retire without this government benefit. This claim is often made in the context of privatizing the program by letting individuals invest the money as they see fit. You’d think this argument would’ve been smothered by The Lost Decade of Investing. On June 30, 2000, the Dow Jones industrial average was at 10,447. Ten years later, it was at 9,872, or 575 points lower. Even when the market is doing well, there are people who invest unwisely. Quite simply, we are not going to let bad investors starve when they retire, so we’ll need a safety net.

Gun owner rights extended

June 28 thread

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter recently held a “Women’s Day in the Capitol” to spotlight the important work women are doing in his administration. Meanwhile, The S-R’s Boise reporter, Betsy Z. Russell, found that “of the 77 state agency heads on the state’s payroll on that date, 50 were men and 27 were women. Average pay for the male state agency heads was $109,658; average pay for the female state agency heads was $88,681.” When asked about that, Otter said he’d need to analyze the numbers, but added: “I’m telling you this: If Nancy Merrill became the head of the Department of Corrections, she would get Brent Reinke’s salary.… If there’s inequities, then we oughta correct them where we can and as soon as we can.”