Opinion
Eroding faith in politics
The madness of a government shutdown has a corrosive effect, not only on markets and morale, but also…
Opinion
A good, sustainable budget
Is there a salve for the budget train wreck in Washington, D.C.? (Jack Daniels at noon is not…
Opinion
Climate change at home
Climate change is no longer a worst-case abstraction peddled by eco-downers. It’s a real-time phenomenon, with nasty, often…
Opinion
The science of comments
Popular Science, the 141-year-old American magazine, announced it is closing comments on its online articles after concluding that…
Opinion
Ending the climate of fear
A formal settlement between the feds and three men represented by the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and the…
Opinion
Jail reforms starting now
An innate right to ethical treatment and respect is the essence of human dignity. It’s a definition that…
Opinion
Smith is the clear choice
Lynnwood has a migrating center of gravity. For outsiders and Lynnwoodites alike, the Alderwood Mall is its anchor.…
Opinion
Values and food stamps
Politics, for all its sound and fury, still signifies something. Ideally, it’s an expression of public values. Thursday…
Opinion
Yanking the watchdog’s tail
When dealing with the scourges of nonfeasance, misfeasance and malfeasance, governments are inclined to behave like tight-knit clans.…
Opinion
After Starbucks re-holsters
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz tired of blending fury with frappuccinos. Over the last three years, the company has…
Opinion
A courthouse that will last
The politically unpalatable line of the year goes something like this: Taxpayers, the Superior Court needs $140 million…
Opinion
Drinking beyond the binge
The good news is that teenagers, on the whole, are “binge drinking” less, according to a new study.…
Opinion
Honoring national service
National and community service is part of the Northwest DNA. It was given expression at the turn of…
Opinion
Legislators GET it right
Most of us proudly think of ourselves as steady and responsible, especially when it comes to money matters.
Opinion
For a people’s ombudsman
A culture of accountability requires ethical leadership and an institutional check of the humans-are-no-angels variety. After his first…
Opinion
So very scientific, in theory
It’s Friday the 13th, but not to worry, because we are a scientific, fact-based society. (Knock on wood.)…
Opinion
Fixing a flawed tax system
Autopsy the state’s tax code, and behold the rot. A budget heart riven with holes, siphoning equity and…
Opinion
Honoring a dedicated life
Public life is often a lonely, thankless vocation. Half the battle is navigating the thicket of special interests…
Opinion
Scribbling outside the lines
Journalist I.F. Stone was a squinty pipsqueak who roared like a lion. Author Jessica Mitford was a transplanted…