Gary Crooks

Wednesday's Loose Thread

It’s sometimes hard to tell whether the National Rifle Association harbors genuine fear or prefers it. The NRA ran some ads during the presidential campaign claiming that Barack Obama would be the worst president ever when it comes to gun rights. When the nonpartisan factcheck.org demolished the over-the-top claims about hunting, ammo and self-defense, the NRA fired back that it preferred its “facts.”

’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the land No reporters were stirring, most had been canned.

I’ve gotten some flak from University of Washington fans for my denunciation of the school’s request for $150 million to fix up crumbling Husky Stadium. They either think I’m a Wazzu alum or ill-informed. And, no, that isn’t the same thing. I’m not a Coug, and I’m well aware of how this revenue stream would be fished. My point still stands: This is a low priority. We already spend too much government money on athletics.

This is a lot more interesting than the Apple Cup: A group of Washington State University alumni told a legislative task force Monday that lawmakers should turn down the $150 million request from the University of Washington for renovations to Husky Stadium.

If you doubt that politics dominated discussions this year, check out the top 10 words of the year, as judged by Merriam-Webster Online. Finishing first was “bailout.” Using them all in a paragraph, I came up with: With much trepidation, the Arizona senator selected the Alaska governor with little time to vet her. How was he to know she’d be the subject of internal misogynist attacks for going rogue? This could’ve been avoided if the base allowed him his bipartisan pick for the vice presidency. But pushed to the precipice, the maverick blinked. Alas, with the economy tanking and a bailout looming, concepts like socialism were lost in the turmoil.

One of the most difficult races for the editorial board to call during the endorsement season was the one between Shelly Short and Sue Lani Madsen for representative in Washington state’s 7th legislative district. The candidates were both well-qualified for the job and held similar ideological beliefs. Then came the news about Short’s husband, Mitch, who was accused of stealing money from a volunteer fair organization in Colville. I called Shelly Short for an explanation. She was pleasant but adamant that the charge was an untrue political smear. But I never quite understood why the Shorts planned to pay back money they claimed was never taken in the first place. That uneasiness led us to endorse Madsen.

In a glum assessment of the budget picture, Spokane County CEO Marshall Farnell said last week: “I don’t know how you do those things that make sense, that save money in the future.” He was referring, in part, to a new pretrial services initiative designed to divert criminals from the usual path of repeat offenses, which, in turn, would save the county money in the long run. But it’s a universal complaint that long-term projects are tough to defend in our short-term world. Politicians quickly face re-election and thus want immediate successes.

It’s amazing how quickly the economy has tanked just because shoppers have snapped their purses and wallets shut. Given their importance, you’d think there would be some mention of shopping in the Constitution: Life, liberty and the pursuit of products, preferably on sale. Shoppers have not only taken down the U.S. economy, they’ve precipitated a recession in Japan and deep concern in China. That’s not to say that the country hasn’t genuflected to the drivers of retail sales. We see it everywhere. Zoning laws are written to lure stores within taxing districts, whether neighbors want them or not. The idea is to get people shopping here instead of there. Giant malls reshaped entire cities, leaving the older portions to scramble for crumbs. Downtowns fought back with tax breaks, loans and, yes, those lovely parking garages. It seems as if society has been transformed with the shopper in mind.

Though it’s facing lean budget times, the Washington Legislature is committed to delivering a new basic education funding formula in 2009. It better opt for an epidural, because the birthing unit – also know as the Basic Education Funding Task Force – is predicting a very big baby. The task force plans to announce its big push in early December. Judging from preliminary reports, all facets of education would change under proposed guidelines. Here’s just some of what committee members could soon propose (to see more, visit whatittakesforkids.com):

It’s true that we live in frightening times. The last time I saw this much fear was when the Gates Commission delivered that income tax report to legislative Democrats. Look, I realize that it would be a tough battle to persuade Washingtonians that most of them would be better off with a flat income tax, the elimination of the state property tax and a cut in the sales tax. But it’s the truth. It would really help the border counties, which, according to the report, could increase sales and revenue significantly if they weren’t saddled with such a high sales tax. Plus, we could rid ourselves of that embarrassing title of taxing the poor more than any other state.

Seems to have been some confusion over that “Obamanations” item last week. I figured that by scraping together all of the anti-Obama mud and molding it into an overwrought, overwritten tirade, I could expose the absurdity of that narrative. Well, some people read it as a direct attack on the man, so I got praise and condemnation from surprising quarters. So, let’s clear this up:

To recap, Barack Hussein Obama is a socialist/Marxist who won’t produce his birth certificate in court because it will prove he is an Indonesian and thus ineligible to spread the wealth around, though he won’t even help his destitute Kenyan half-brother and a loving aunt. Furthermore, he pals around with domestic terrorists, devious developers and an anti-Semitic Semitic professor. Plus, he married a woman who only recently became proud to be an American but who is hiding her college writings that show her true colors as the kind of woman who would marry a radical Muslim who is – come on, we all know it – an Arab.

What I learned from candidates at the endorsement rap sessions: •This is no time for taxes. Budgets need axes. Line by line. Like you do all the time. That being said, vital services need protectin’. Corruption’s an infection. Need a leadership injection.

The pundits were wrong when they predicted John McCain would throw everything but the kitchen sink at Barack Obama in the final debate. He threw the sink, too. So what if Joe the Plumber turned into Joe Isuzu. It’s a better fit for the Straight Talk Express. Plus, it’s not hopeless now that it’s been revealed that Samuel J. Wurzelbacher isn’t a licensed plumber, wouldn’t be making $280,000 if he bought that business and wouldn’t be dinged by the Barack Obama tax plan. (Then again, with his history of nonpayment, no tax plan could touch him.)

“I just have to rely on the good judgment of the voters not to buy into these negative attack ads. Sooner or later, people are going to figure out if all you run is negative attack ads, you don’t have much of a vision for the future or you’re not ready to articulate it.” Barack Obama in 2008? No, it’s John McCain in 2000. That was the year when George W. Bush’s operatives reacted to a loss in the New Hampshire primary with underhanded insinuations against McCain in the South Carolina contest.

“Oh, yeah, it’s so obvious I’m a Washington outsider. And someone just not used to the way you guys operate.” That was Sarah Palin on Thursday night explainin’ why she was gonna give Americans some of that straight talk they’re cravin’.

The answer to why Congress isn’t genuflecting to President Bush’s dire economic warnings can be found in children’s literature. It’s “Chicken Little” meets “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” “Danger! Iraq! WMD! Mushroom clouds! Mushroom clouds! We must invade … Now!”

It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon as my kids and I demolished the back nine of a miniature golf course. Sure, I could’ve been home watching football, but instead I selflessly trudged the land of windmills and soda-stained carpet. I don’t want to make a big deal out of this, because I believe humility to be an important trait. Just thought you should know my values before considering future columns. And if you conclude that I’m a swell dad based on this unbiased glimpse, all the better. Just glad you didn’t witness the car fight on the way home. Character, we’re told, is revealed when nobody is looking. How voters can discern that without looking is a challenge all politicians face.

John McCain decries the system of government spending known as earmarks. He squawks so much about that and pork-barrel politics in general that you’d think it was the main culprit behind the increase in government spending in recent years. Back in April he said, “I can eliminate $100 billion of wasteful and earmark spending immediately – $35 billion in big spending bills in the last two years, and another $65 billion that has already been made a permanent part of the budget.”

The conventions have come and gone. My impressions: •The media expected a bunt and the infield was drawn in, but Sarah Palin hit a home run. And if that’s the last time that metaphor is used I’ll be happy. Besides, she’s a hockey mom. She shoots, she scores!

Abortion opponents clamor for informed consent laws, which ensure that women who show up for abortions are made aware of alternatives and the facts about the procedure. They say patients have a right to know. I’m all for getting the facts out, which is why I’m troubled by a proposed federal rule that would allow health care workers to act on their consciences when dealing with controversial services, such as abortion and emergency contraceptives. The rule would punish employers who don’t accommodate workers who want to opt out of caring for patients because doing so would violate their personal beliefs.

A curious issue popped up in last Sunday’s paper. The headline read: “Police get guidance on cell phones.” They’re not alone. Others in need of guidance are the lawmakers who made it illegal for motorists to use handheld phones and the people who responded by buying hands-free devices. Quick recap: A citizen spotted a deputy sheriff at a stoplight talking on a handheld cell phone. After complaints, the department assured the public that its deputies would be better role models. Along those lines, the department is in the process of outfitting its vehicles with hands-free phones, such as Bluetooth, at $65 a pop.

Had enough of the Joseph Duncan sentencing trial? Me, too. It’s not the quality of the reporting, which has been excellent. It’s the quantity. Be nice to fast-forward to the verdict. The details about how he planned and executed the crimes are chilling. Are you scared yet?