"We get what we pay for when using outdated or unfair pay scales" – your headline for this column. Are you suggesting that all the people that were hired knowing what the pay scales were are inferior employees? Our administrators, sheriff, public works administrators are all inferior because they accepted the pay scales offered to them? When someone applies for a position, the pay scales are presented to them. If they feel it is not enough, then they should seek employment elsewhere. ...more

November 25, 2008

•WHERE: Tacoma, Wash. •MESSAGE: A Barack Obama administration would help the middle class by cutting its taxes, answering Republican claims that Obama's plan represented redistribution of wealth. He repeatedly linked McCain to President Bush's tax policies, saying that the wealthy and big corporations have received millions of dollars in tax cuts that could have gone to the middle class and small businesses. ...more

October 20, 2008

The Milberg law firm said Monday that it will pay $75 million to settle a federal kickback case involving class-action lawsuits against some of the nation's biggest corporations. ...more

June 17, 2008

In his first major economic speech since becoming president, Dmitri A. Medvedev said Saturday that the world might be in the throes of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and that a newly revived Russia could offer solutions to a systemic crisis that underscored the United States' economic shortcomings. ...more

June 8, 2008

John Arango of Hudson says Republican policies are noT good for the poor and middle class. ...more

May 10, 2008

In regard to the recent editorials about the need to raise taxes on cigarettes being necessary to help pay medical expenses, as well as help deter adolescents from smoking I can only say, "Give me a break!" If people, especially politicians, really cared about the health of our young people as well as saving others from the diseases associated with smoking, they would stop tobacco companies from manufacturing their deadly product. But, because of all the money they get in payola from these despicable corporations, it will never happen. It is a proven fact that tobacco use kills, and that these tobacco companies actually add nicotine to the cigarettes to ensure addiction. But Congress does nothing, and people keep dying. ...more

February 24, 2008

Tickets are almost all gone. But there is still plenty of space for vendors. ...more

February 3, 2008

A comment heard on the radio aroused a compelling response. The caller said that both parties contributed to the serious crisis facing the country today, and contributed to the enormous $9 trillion national debt, and severe Social Security, Medicare-Medicaid crises. It is ironic that the caller cited the last 40-50 years. Consider this. It took 200 years (1787 to 1980) for the national debt to reach $1 trillion. It took 27 years for it to balloon to $9 trillion (1980 to 2007). Ergo: $6 trillion (1980-1992); +$2 trillion (1992-2001); -$5 trillion (2001 to 2007). Total: $9 trillion. So, who was in charge during those years? Who caused the $7 trillion hit on the economy in 2000? Who provided the prescription drug bill that was to cost $400 billion, but ballooned to $1 trillion and caused health care cost to increase 10 to 15 percent each year? Who allowed the corporations to duck their obligations for pensions all across this country? Who sat by while the banks and mortgage corporations manipulated the hapless home buyers to sign those sub-prime mortgages? As an immediate first step to resolve the crisis, who bought $2 millions of those egregious loans, then reduced interest rates for the banks and mortgagors, but left those hapless mortgagees swinging in the wind? Who is being held accountable? Where are those trillions and trillions of dollars? The answers? Corporations and our government! ...more

February 2, 2008

They stake out their spots in front of the tax collector's office near Gulf Harbors, soliciting signatures from people entering and leaving the building. ...more

January 24, 2008

It always amazes me how right wingers respond when presented with facts. It is obvious they can't accept facts because facts disturb their little comfort zone, which the neo-con, globalist controlled corporate media has built for them. They like to dismiss facts as "volatile diatribe" or "violent cacophony" or worse. The person presenting the facts is immediately labeled a radical, liberal, angry hate-monger. For your enlightenment, Mr. Gallagher, here are some facts. I am a Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower-type Republican and no one is more true conservative than I. I also find it disgusting that you feel free to define my objectives with respect to my military career, when you don't even know me. Here are some more facts sir: ...more

January 19, 2008