2:00 PM: We're underway. Crowd of 50-60 present. Cathy announces that four year medical school in Spokane is under consideration, under auspices of UW.

2:05 PM: Momentary pause to seat overflow crowd, closer to 75 now.

2:11 PM: Cathy states that health care issue always comes up when she talks to constituents, especially access to care in rural areas.

2:16 PM: Cathy says she has three considerations on any proposed health care reform legislation:

1. Preserve the doctor-patient relationship.
2. Protect the quality of care. For example, the U.S. has the best breast cancer and prostate cancer survival rates in the world.
3. Address cost drivers, which have led to a growing number of uninsured.

She feels these issues can be addressed without turning them over to the federal government. Half of all uninsured are between ages 18-35. Need portable insurance for them. Small business owners and employees also lack coverage. Cathy supports association health plans to offer them more affordable options.

She also called for medical liability reform and investment in health IT. Wellness also needs to be encouraged, as 75% of health care costs come from five preventable diseases.

The controversial aspect of the bill before Congress is the public option that would reimburse at Medicare plus 5%. She feels this will make it very difficult to get a doctor and result in waiting lists. That's why she doesn't support the bill.

There would be a 8% tax on employers who don't offer insurance and 2% om individuals who don't have insuraance. Cathy asked if that is the right way to fund health care if people can't afford insurance now.

Bill would spend a trillion to a trillion and a half more in health care. She asked how do we address cost drivers and how do we pay for this.

2:37 PM: Some excellent discussion after Cathy's address. Some great points made about medical savings accounts and how that would make the patient into a consumer again and incentivize healhier living and smarter choices.

Tom Handy, a Pullman small business owner, brought up how this bill would cause him to reduce employment. Cathy said this issue needs to be addressed.

2:42 PM: Someone joked that this new health care plan needs to be tested in the federal government first.

Cathy concluded her remarks by saying that it seems that a cap has been put on the American Dream; that bureaucratic regulations and taxes have made it impossible for the American tradition of innovation and inguenity to continue.

They're baaaaacckkkk:

Friends of the Clearwater, Center for Biological Diversity, Palouse Prairie Foundation, Palouse Audubon and Palouse Group of Sierra Club filed a petition today with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requesting that the agency protect the giant Palouse earthworm as an endangered species. The earthworm has been found only four times in the past 110 years, including in 2005, and is immediately threatened by agriculture, urban sprawl, and invasive earthworms.

Predictably, it's all Dubya's fault:

Under the Bush administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected a previous petition from the groups to protect the earthworm, arguing that there was not enough information about the species. This move was typical of the administration, which adamantly opposed protecting species under the Endangered Species Act. Indeed, the administration protected only 62 species in eight years, compared to 522 species protected under the Clinton administration. In submitting the new petition, the groups provided additional information demonstrating the extreme rarity of, and severe threats to, the species.

Actually, the original petition to list the giant Palouse earthworm as an endangered species was COMPLETELY LACKING IN ANY HARD SCIENTIFIC DATA.   No one has any clue how many giant Palouse earthworms there may be left.  They could all be gone or there could be billions.  No one has any idea where their habitat may be.  There is also absolutely no indication that man's activities have harmed them or that other earthworms introduced by man have caused a decline in their population.  A petition to list the giant Palouse unicorn or Bigfoot as endangered species would have virtually as much scientific merit.

But, of course, the real issue here is that Palouse leftist wackos want to stop all growth in the region.  The declining aquifer excuse has thus far failed to do it, so now they will invoke the heavy hand of the federal government to do it instead.  New car dealership?  New golf course?  New "sprawl mall?"  New "cookie cutter" housing development?  You can guarantee that our liberal fascists and their NIMBY allies will ensure the planned site is a critical habitat for the giant Palouse earthworm.

We're going to have to push back on this one HARD, folks. 

Photos courtesy of Jeff Williams.

Average, ordinary, hard-working Americans...mom, dads, kids, grandparents, also known to the Department of Homeland Security as "domestic terrorists."

Jeff Williams telling it like it is.

The crowd, estimated at 125-150, with me at left carrying the banner (literally) for Jeff.

Has the shadow of tyranny fallen over our country?  It will if we don't act.

My fellow Red County contributor Tony Phyrillas recently opined that Friday's razor-thin victory for cap-and-trade in the House proves that the Obama "honeymoon" with the nation is over.

Polling data from Rasmussen Reports released today supports Tony's assertion:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 31% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-three percent (33%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -2. That matches the lowest level yet recorded

Obama's Presidential Approval Index was consistently in the double digits until the middle of March and it has been steadily declining since then.  No doubt the trillions of dollars to be wasted on bloated TARP, cap-and-trade, and proposed universal health care legislation have taken their toll.  But I suspect mayhem in the streets of Teheran and the threat of mushroom clouds appearing over Honolulu have really made many start thinking that The One is way out of his league on foreign policy and that the albatrosses set loose by Jimmy Carter II have only started to come home to roost.

If nothing else, this poll shows that America is a deeply-divided nation and that Obama's lofty post-partisan rhetoric of unity and change has conclusively been shown to be a sham and a fraud now that his true leftist agenda has been revealed for all to see.

From yesterday's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Robyn Giovannetti stood with a sign and waved to cars honking in support of the Pullman Taxed Enough Already rally on Saturday.

The Troy woman sported a T-shirt that read, "I'll keep my freedom, guns and money ... you keep the change." Giovannetti said she had the shirts printed herself and was surprised by the support they had gotten.

"I was at the grocery store and had about 20 people say they liked my shirt, and I got tears in my eyes," she said.

About 150 people gathered for Saturday's rally, the second TEA Party in Pullman. The first was in April, along with parties in Moscow, Colfax and across the nation.

Giovannetti said she was out to support the TEA Party because of the message of accountability it was sending.

"We're trying to reach any American that really understands how grave a situation we have in our country. We have to start paying attention and holding our politicians - Republican and Democrat - accountable," Giovannetti said.

Giovannetti said the grassroots effort is what is needed to create a change.

"If we get more people trying to change things from the bottom up, we'll be OK," she said.

As the protest began, pocket-sized Constitutions were passed out, speakers took to the microphone, and signs reading everything from "Stop spending, start cutting" to "R.I.P. Liberty, Freedom 9-17-1787 to ___ - ___ - 2009" were waved.

Mark Tetzlaff of Pullman said he was attending the rally to "stand up for the idea of fiscal responsibility" in the government.

"Our goal is to convey to people watching that we don't support the wasteful use of money or the use of money we don't have," Tetzlaff said.

Denise Culbertson organized the April TEA Party in Colfax and worked diligently Saturday to support the second party.

"People need to get involved. People need to know what's going on and how close we are to being a socialized country. We're not free," Culbertson said.

She said that along with her attendance at the TEA Party on Saturday, she was helping to organize another TEA Party scheduled for July 4.

Culbertson said that among her concerns are the proposed cap-and-trade regulations and the rising price of gas and the effects those issues will have on people on the Palouse.

"I don't think people realize how much less ounces there were in things like chips and mayonnaise when gas prices went up last summer," Culbertson said. "It's just a couple ounces but the prices went up, too. You don't really notice it but it's a slow trickle."

Back at her post near a crosswalk, Giovannetti said she was tired of sitting at home complaining about the state of the country and wanted to do something.

"We're out here just reaching out to people and letting others that are frustrated and angry know they're not alone," Giovannetti said.

The attendance perhaps wasn't all that we had hoped for, especially with the "Crap and Tax" bill being passed by the House the day before, but it wasn't bad considering it was haying time, Hoopfest weekend and the Saturday before a short holiday work week.  By contrast, the "protest" marking the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War last year had 3000% fewer attendees.  Considering any public event in the Pullman/Moscow area that draws 10 or more attendees usually receives a lot of media coverage, it is disappointing that certain outlets chose to ignore the story for whatever reason.  I specifically exclude the Daily News, which is to be commended for taking notice of the rapidly growing movement standing up for fiscal responsibility and freedom on the Palouse

Pullman/Moscow Tea Party II was much more organized and dynamic than the one back on April 15.  The music by "Beargrass" was a welcome addition.  John Lafer did a great job reading Janet Contreras' now-famous "Open Letter" (I urge you to read the whole thing here.)  But the highlight was Jeff Williams' fiery keynote speech, which can be heard here.

TARP, universal health care, cap and trade...all are important national issues.  But never forget that the assault on your personal liberties BEGINS AT HOME.  Examples are the current proposal to ban smoking in bars in Moscow, ongoing efforts by a group of unelected university leftists telling you where you can and can't shop, and laws banning possession of firearms in Whitman County parks. NOW IS THE TIME TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!!!

That is why at Tea Party II, I was the guy holding up the "Jeff Wiliams for Pullman City Council" sign.  If you'd like to donate to Jeff's campaign, contact me here.

Rural Skykomish Valley Now Controlled by Gangs?

I think the best description of what has happened in Monroe and Sultan, Washington would be to call it a shock! Three years ago we began to see TAGGING all over the city. These are spray paint can graffiti on walls, fences and buildings all proclaiming gang notations for MS-13 (Mara Salvatrucha 13) or the Brown Pride Soldiers (BPS)! These local chapters represent some of the most dangerous, heavily armed gangs in the US. Here is the FBI 2009 Gang Report; read the section on regional activity and in particular the Northwest Region. FBI LINK

’m sure you have heard the phrase: On a Clear Day you can See Forever and understand its subtle meanings. However, in the Skykomish River Valley, famous around the USA for its wilderness areas, it goes like this: “ON A CALM DAY YOU CAN SMELL FOREVER!” What does that mean? It’s the smell of ammonia like the odor of a kitty litter box combined sometimes with the smell of rotten eggs. It’s the smell of Meth Factories operating between the cities of Monroe, Sultan and Skykomish in the valley all along Highway 2 (the Highway of Death) and on up to Stevens Pass! The locals call it Meth Valley! These factories operate out in the forest, dotted by old logging and recreational vehicle roads and are hard to spot from the air. These Meth factories are set up to quickly produce their products and are under tents and easily abandoned if any police agency ever got up the nerve to go up in those areas. The gangs that operate the camouflaged labs are very well armed with all kinds of illegal weapons to include automatic machine guns similar to the AK 47. 

There were plenty of early warnings beginning with the Sky Valley Meth Lab in Index LINK1. Then there was a warning letter written by me and published in the Everett Herald LINK2. Stories began to appear about mass quantities of Meth coming from the valley and the rural areas of Snohomish County LINK3. Then this last month came the big wake up call for Rural Snohomish County, a brutal gangland murder in the small city of Sultan. LINK4

This murder was a major shock to not only the local Sultan/Monroe community but a MAJOR embarrassment to John Lovick the leftist Sheriff of Snohomish County. Lovick is of the belief that by doing a lot of social work the Snohomish County Sheriff’s office can stem major gang problems in the county. You know the liberal drill: “the poor babies, their environment made ‘em do it!” The murder got to be such a big slap in the face for County Executive Aaron Reardon and Lovick that the ‘bought and paid for’ Everett Herald jumped in and shoved the story on the back pages on B-8, running one of those ‘everything will be all right and you don’t have to worry’ leftwing pieces LINK5. So-called “local leaders” are trying to suggest that the best way to manage the problem is to hold meetings with the ‘youth of the community’ rather than deal with the real problem and start the process of SHUTTING DOWN THE METH LABS!

The Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe has regular scheduled gun shows. Since Obama has been elected there was a rush to buy guns/ammo and the gun shows have had some great times finally slowing down last month. However, locals are telling me to expect a FLOOD of folks coming in during the next gun show to buy guns and stock up on ammo. All because of increasing fear out in the boonies that the sheriff’s office will not be enough to protect them from these armed desperadoes.

One very small city, local city councilman confidentially told me last week, “If the Snohomish County Sheriff is not going to go after these criminals, then we will fend for ourselves!” So if you happen to be out hiking in rural Snohomish County this summer and particularly in Sky Valley and you hear gunshots, be careful. As the late President Reagan used to say, “Don’t forget to duck!”