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

Bottom Lines Columnist Jim Kershner’s Take On The News

That’s the one that went on the fritz

The House passed its balanced budget plan this week, which some members likened in significance to the Apollo moon-shots. We can only hope they were not referring to Apollo 13.

Right up there with the Magna Carta

Other House members likened the plan to the Declaration of Independence. Schoolchildren will be memorizing its stirring prose for untold generations.

Hey, Clinton’s got a plan, too

Clinton has his own balanced budget plan, which has only one little problem. It comes nowhere near to balancing the budget.

Cleaner than most “Melrose Place” episodes

Sen. Phil Gramm is in trouble, but it looks to me like he can mount a simple and effective defense: “What? Those movies were hardly dirty at all.”

The best defense is a good you-know-what

I hope everybody understands the significance of last week’s development in the Gypsy civil rights lawsuit. The City of Spokane is now a plaintiff in a $40 million lawsuit against itself.

My bet is on the city

Now, there’s a lawsuit the city should be able to win.

That 7-day waiting period for tanks is useless

A man in San Diego went on a rampage with a stolen M-60 tank, which just goes to show: You can register tanks all you want, but criminals will still get hold of them.

New rules at the Walla Walla Hilton

A new bill will require state prison inmates to work or take classes in order to get TV privileges. And if they work really hard, they get room service.

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