Michael Reitz

Seattle P-I: No more Bush-league judges

By Michael Reitz | 10/09/08

Last month the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ran an op-ed piece from Seattle attorneys Leonard Feldman and Tom Burt. They say that when voters go to the polls in November, one of the most important issues will be the judges each candidate has pledged to nominate. But they have stern warnings about McCain's approach to judicial picks. Americans will be making a choice between real change and a continuation of many of the policies of the Bush... read more »

Group sues Secretary of State for improper voter registrations

By Michael Reitz | 10/08/08

Does the Secretary of State have an obligation to prevent improper voter registrations? The Evergreen Freedom Foundation thinks so. The group has filed a complaint against Secretary of State Sam Reed in Thurston County Superior Court, alleging the Secretary is violating his obligation to prevent ineligible voters from registering. Researchers at EFF discovered that since 2000, more than 16,000 registrations from underage voters have been... read more »

Making sense of the $700 billion bailout

By Michael Reitz | 10/03/08

 Still trying to wrap your head around the recent financial meltdown and the response from Congress? The Evergreen Freedom Foundation dives into the issue in its weekly Get Free podcast. EFF's Lynn Harsh and Tom Henry discuss how we got here, what Congress is doing right now, the possible outcomes, and what you should do about it. Listen here, and click here to subscribe to Get Free on iTunes.  read more »

Palin vs. Biden

By Michael Reitz | 10/03/08

I know there's more detailed analysis out there. Orbusmax has a good roundup of the links. But here's my take on the Palin/Biden debate: No one watched the debate last night to see what Joe Biden had to say. And because Palin gave a strong, confident performance, she gave her ticket the more significant boost. read more »

Pay Equity: Obama Doesn't Walk the Talk

By Michael Reitz | 09/13/08

Obama is fond of attacking a Republican straw man opposition to pay equity for men and women. Most recently he blasted Gov. Sarah Palin: "she's opposed -- like John McCain is -- to equal pay for equal work. That doesn't make much sense to me." But an examination of Obama's Senate staff shows that he may be the one with the sexism problem. A nonpartisan group called LegiStorm posts Senate salary information online. Their findings aren't good for... read more »

Teacher can send dues to charity despite union's objection

By Michael Reitz | 09/08/08

After a three year fight with her local union, Vancouver teacher Susan Wiggs is finally free to send her union dues to a charity that fights sex-trafficking. This is an important victory for the First Amendment rights of teachers. The Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC), the state's labor agency, has ruled that Susan, a middle school teacher, can resign from union membership and forward her union dues to the charity of her choice,... read more »

Contrasting views on life

By Michael Reitz | 09/03/08

As a political junkie I couldn't help but notice the contrast between Gov. Sarah Palin's attitude toward her teenage daughter's pregnancy, and that of Sen. Barack Obama. When the news of Palin's soon-to-be-born grandchild came out, she and husband Todd Palin issued this statement. We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news... read more »

Who's gonna bail me out?

By Michael Reitz | 08/06/08

The housing-bailout bill Congress will likely pass irks me. Why should Taxpayer A, who makes wise fiscal choices, be required to bailout Taxpayer B, who took on a questionable mortgage? (To say nothing of rescuing the lenders.) And then I saw this item--apparently one of the Extreme Makeover families is now in foreclosure. Here you have someone who received a $450,000 house (for free!!) and somehow managed to throw it away. To paraphrase P.J.... read more »

Government: The problem or the solution?

By Michael Reitz | 07/30/08

Seattle Times headline: Viaduct not yet replaced; $1B spent or committed.Yeah, let's put these guys in charge of universal health care! read more »

Congratulations, you're done paying for government

By Michael Reitz | 07/23/08

Happy Cost of Government Day, Washington! Taxpayers are now working for themselves. July 22 marked the day when you are done paying for the taxes and regulations imposed by government (federal, state, and local). Washingtonians must work 203 days to cover these costs.According to the Americans for Tax Reform, our state's Cost of Government Day comes six days after the national average, giving Washington the dubious distinction of having the... read more »