TONIGHT: Lecture at University of Idaho on Palouse Big Box Battles

By Tom Forbes | 09/24/09

Tom Forbes, editor of the political blog Red County Whitman County (WA), will be delivering a lecture at the University of Idaho this evening titled "Killing Frankenstein's Monster: Fighting Big Boxes on the Palouse."   Forbes, a local activist extensively involved in recent environmental and land use issues, will offer his take on the national anti-big box movement and its local effects in both Pullman and Moscow.   The... read more »

Say What? Part I

By Tom Forbes | 09/18/09

As I read the newspaper Wednesday, I was struck by the Pullman City Council's remarks regarding starting a rail line between Pullman and Spokane. All I could think was they're all for things that have a snowball's chance in Hell of actually happening. When it comes to something that actually could have an effect on our local environment, like placing a quarter fee on plastic bags - a very small thing that could have a huge effect locally -... read more »

Regulatory 'Czar' Confirmed Despite Kooky Views

By Tom Forbes | 09/11/09

Send in the clowns. Yet another nut-job has been confirmed as an Obama administration czar in the mold of 9/11 truther Van Jones. Harvard law professor Cass Sunstein was confirmed in the Senate today by a 57-40 vote as Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget aka “Regulatory Czar.”  He will have broad powers to regulate economic, environmental and public health risks,... read more »

Pullman Resident Michael J. Baumgartner to Present an Insider’s View of the Afghan and Iraq Wars

By Tom Forbes | 09/10/09

Pullman resident Michael J. Baumgartner, wearing his WSU Cougars hat, with some Afghan opium farmers. The following press release was issued today by Pullman troop support coordinator, Rebecca Schwartz: Pullman Resident Michael J. Baumgartner to Present an Insider’s View of the Afghan and Iraq Wars Pullman, Washington – September 10, 2009 Pullman resident Michael J. Baumgartner will give a talk on "A View Inside the... read more »

Dino Rossi Endorses Susan Fagan for 9th Legislative District State Representative

By Tom Forbes | 09/10/09

Washington 9th Legislative District state representative candidate Susan Fagan earlier this year picked up the endorsement of the Washington GOP's likely gubernatorial candidate in 2012, Attorney General Rob McKenna.  Now, she has received the endorsement of the 2004 and 2008 candidate, Dino Rossi.  Fagan served as Rossi's Whitman County campiagn chair last year. In a press release issued yesterday, Rossi stated: Susan... read more »

Obama Invites Terrorist Lawyer to Celebrate Ramadan

By Tom Forbes | 09/02/09

Last night, President Obama hosted a dinner at the White House to celebrate the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.  Among the guests was ACLU lawyer Jameel Jaffer, head of the ACLU's "National Security" project and author of the book Administration of Torture.  So yeah, you can probably guess what Mr. Jaffer's agenda is all about.  According to the American Spectator, Jaffer has filed lawsuits... read more »

Dems Providing "Political Cover" for Possible Washington Gubernatorial Candidate Rep. Jay Inslee

By Tom Forbes | 09/02/09

Christine Gregoire is in trouble. Just nine months after winning a second term by a comfortable margin, the Washington governor's approval rating is at an abysmal 35%.  The Survey USA crosstabs reveal that Gregoire is even more unpopular in the liberal Seattle Metropolitan area (66%) than in conservative eastern Washington (64%.)  Gregoire's resistance to a state income tax and budget cuts to socal programs have disenchanted many of... read more »

Primary Observations

By Tom Forbes | 08/21/09

With 22,023 votes counted so far and less than 1,000 remaining ballots to be tallied by September 2,  I have some random observations on the recent Washington 9th Legislative District primary: Susan Fagan is going to be on the ballot in November.  There is no way she can be knocked into third place. With Pat Hailey leading by 300 votes, virtually all the remaining ballots would have to go for Glen Stockwell for him to... read more »

If It Can't Make It There, It Can't Make it Anywhere, No Tax, No Taaaaxxxxxxxxxx

By Tom Forbes | 08/19/09

Seattle's proposed tax on plastic grocery bags, which was the model for a similar proposal shot down last year by the Pullman City Council, has also gone down in flames: Voters have firmly rejected Referendum 1, which would have made Seattle the first city in the nation to levy a fee on both plastic and paper shopping bags. The defeat — 58 percent to 42 percent — means an ordinance passed by the Seattle City Council last year... read more »

Fagan Confident After First Count

By Tom Forbes | 08/19/09

In comments tonight at her campaign headquarters in Pullman, Susan Fagan, Republican candidate for state representative in the Washington 9th Legislative District, said she is happy with the initial primary results which have her leading by 3% and confident that the numbers are going as she hoped.  However, she stated that there are still many more votes yet to be counted,  Susan thanked all her supporters for their... read more »