August 22, 2007 by Bravo.

The McMorris Rodgers 2008 campaign is out of the gates more than a year early this time. And she’s making full use of our tax dollars to pay for it. McMorris Rodgers visited Walla Walla on Wednesday (August 22) for a town hall meeting.

Of course meeting announcements were printed in full color and mailed on the congressional franking privilege at taxpayer expense. She brought a staff of four to the meeting (at whose expense?). The meeting was held at 1:30 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon for the convenience of workers in the area. And she took the opportunity to collect names and addresses for her monthly newsletter.

But more than 120 locals skipped work and turned out, most with some bone to pick—from vets and peace activists to medical marijuana users and reproductive rights advocates.

McMorris Rodgers took questions in writing only, so she could pick and choose which to respond to. And to her credit, she has learned to dance lightly around a number of issues with the help of Frank Luntz and his political bromides—working in references to the “death tax” and the “Healthy Forests” initiative.

And she gave us, once again, the “happy Iraq” story, praising benchmarks that have been set and met there and promising no long-term military presence.

One of the toughest questions came from a Planned Parenthood representative who asked why she had voted to cut funding for the organization. McMorris Rodgers responded that she’s pro-life and doesn’t support federal funding for these types of organizations. The questioner persisted asking where the 3,000 people who currently use Planned Parenthood services in the area were supposed to go. McMorris Rodgers just buried her head in the next card.

Posted in 2008, Walla Walla, Campaigns, Fifth CD, Cathy McMorris | 1 Comment »

July 18, 2007 by Bravo.

In a recent fit of insomnia, I happened upon the C-SPAN coverage of the all-night Senate debate over funding for the war in Iraq. I caught the arguments of a Republican Senator from Oklahoma pressing the panic button repeatedly over an early withdrawal of troops. Early withdrawal, he said, would place the troops in grave danger.

Am I missing something? Seems to me that staying in Iraq longer is the grave danger for troops. Maybe our leaders would be better served to get some sleep before the next vote.

Posted in Iraq, National, Rants | No Comments »

June 24, 2007 by Bravo.

Planning for the future is a good thing. Let’s hire a consultant, pay him a chunk of money, set up a citizen committee, organize four community walk-arounds and three public hearings, and then ignore everything he says.

Sound crazy? That’s what Southeast Washington appears to be doing after a comprehensive plan for the future was presented last week in Walla Walla (see U-B article). Community members attending the meeting seemed to turn a cold shoulder to nearly every new proposal.

Among the ideas discussed, what about consolidating the city governments of College Place and Walla Walla with the county? Or maybe we’re all just happy with myriad elections, the fights over library funding and water rights, the endless negotiations, the bidding wars for big-box stores that have come to characterize this community.

Or what about some sort of planning for development zones that might begin to tie our commercial areas together? Nope. Guess we’re all too happy with stores popping up wherever.

The best outcome of a comprehensive plan is the discussion that is taking place and will continue over the next months. But what if we started from the premise that not every new idea is a bad one?

Posted in Walla Walla, Rural | 1 Comment »

June 20, 2007 by Bravo.

Every other Sunday, a group of peace advocates meets in downtown Walla Walla. They wave signs saying, “Peace Now,” “Wage Peace,” and “Honk for Peace.” They flash the peace sign to passing motorists for half an hour or so, then they gather in a small circle to read and honor the names of American military personnel who have died in the war during those past two weeks.

Last Sunday that list totaled 45 names. A Vietnam veteran reads the names from his wheelchair with his hand to his heart and tears in his eyes.

During the reading of names this past Sunday, a man approached and walked directly into the center of the group during the reading of the names. Then he said with a voice of disdain, “I’m a veteran and I fought to protect the rights of losers like you.”

At that same time, a woman walking outside the circle chimed in, “Yeah, see how you like it in Iraq.”

They walked on. The reading of names continued.

But I had to ask myself, in what way is the American presence in Iraq protecting our rights of expression? Is our goal to turn Iraq into a little America? What is our goal in Iraq? What are we fighting for? How will we know if we’ve accomplished it?

In many ways, I think the man interrupting that peaceful demonstration and Vietnam veteran reading those names want many of the same things. We want to live free from the threat of terror. We want to protect each individual’s right of self-expression and self-determination. We want to support the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms.

But how is fighting in Iraq doing anything but breeding future generations of terrorists? How is the surge doing anything but providing more targets of opportunity? Is it not supporting our troops to provide them with clear military objectives and then bring them home rather than placing them in an indefinite role as an army of occupation?

No—I wouldn’t like to live in Iraq, thank you—especially the Iraq we have created.

Posted in Walla Walla, Iraq, Rants | 2 Comments »

June 15, 2007 by Bravo.

Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, apparently wants to keep the region’s veterans from getting the care they need. The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reports that Craig is criticizing an appropriations bill that would actually fund the much-ballyhooed vets outpatient clinic at the VA in Walla Walla. Cathy McMorris Rodgers couldn’t wait to pose for photos with VA Secretary Jim Nicholson last summer when he announced plans for the clinic at a surprise visit.

But it is Sen. Patty Murray who is making the right moves for local vets. Her office is reporting passage of a $3 billion appropriation bill for VA improvements. Part of that bill will move the clinic construction project up on the list of priorities for funding in 2009.

A group of vets and community members, called the Walla Walla Community VA Taskforce, meets monthly to check on progress in restoring services that the hospital has lost in recent years. The 20-member group continues to push for 24/7 emergency services and inpatient hospital beds.

Murray’s appropriations bill next goes into House-Senate negotiations, and vets here are hopeful of a presidential signature by August.

The new director of the Walla Walla and Spokane VA hospitals, Sharon Helman, met with the taskforce Thursday to talk about upcoming plans. She reported that documents have been signed to provide local vets with VA-funded emergency hospital services at the downtown hospitals in Walla Walla. Since the VA emergency room was closed, some local vets have faced long delays and denials in getting VA benefits for emergency services at area hospitals.

The taskforce also got word today that John King, the director of Veterans Affairs for Washington State, has submitted to Congress a bill for approval of a joint effort of the state and the VA to establish an 80-patient nursing home at the VA in Walla Walla.

Vets in Southeastern Washington were promised by two VA directors that all lost services would be restored. They are still waiting for the fulfillment of that promise, especially for emergency and hospital care. Thanks to the efforts of Sen. Murray and others, they have some reason for hope.

You can bet Larry Craig and his cronies will be squealing like stuck pigs at the next vote to bring troops home from Iraq. Yet they don’t seem to want to stand and deliver when it comes to paying the real costs of Bush’s war.

Posted in Idaho, Walla Walla, Rural, Iraq, Rants, Cathy McMorris | No Comments »

June 13, 2007 by Bravo.

Looking for a change, former Walla Walla County Democratic Party Chair Nina Roth has turned her position over to retired dairy farmer Bill McCaw. Roth will continue to serve the state party as the committee woman for the county, with Conrad Cavazos serving as the county’s male party rep.

Tom Schmerer, an IT contractor, has assumed the role of chair of the 16^th Legislative District, a position formerly held by Pasco’s Roy Dehart. Schmerer lost a state senate race against Mike Hewitt of Walla Walla in 2004.

Roth did a fabulous job during her tenure as county chair in organizing party efforts, including recruiting volunteers, turning out voters at rallies and distributing yard signs. The party has worked hard in this county to make itself heard. And it has had to. The Rs in the county hold such a numerical advantage that they seem to have become lax about such distasteful political activities as door-to-door canvassing.

Finding good Democratic candidates to run in this district is another challenge. In fact, Democratic candidates sometimes feel they can do better running away from the party than with it—some go so far as to say that being hand-picked by the party is, in this county, the kiss of death. So the party doesn’t have much real leverage in enticing good candidates to run.

The strength for the WW County Dems in 2008 may be in the work they have done to encourage grassroots activism among the party faithful here. They have a base to build from, experienced volunteers, and more than a few voters dissatisfied with the direction of the country.

Posted in Rural, Fifth CD | 2 Comments »

June 11, 2007 by Bravo.

I’m not saying that Walla Walla County is ready to vote Democratic—yet. And maybe it won’t ever—Bill Grant excepted. But the county is experiencing changes that bear watching and political reassessment.

The Walla Walla Valley has seen the number of wineries go from a handful a decade ago to more than 100 today. The region has been reviewed favorably in national and regional publications. Those changes are bringing more tourists, upscale restaurants, and jobs to town.

In addition, the valley has turned into something of an early retirement mecca as scores of Westsiders and Californians have been cashing out the accrued values in their homes and settling here. Property values and new housing starts continue to climb at a breathtaking pace.

And the migrant population that used to move through the region with the fruit crops seems to be, at least to some extent, taking root in a number of Southeastern Washington communities. Their kids are completing school, and they’re building businesses. Latinos represent the largest minority in the state, and they are becoming more politically active.

Walla Walla County is no longer just the reserve of the wheat farmer and the penitentiary guard. Perhaps the time is right for a political realignment here in Eastern Washington.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »