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Wednesday, January 9, 2008
». OPINION
The Marysville Globe 0:0 A7
THE
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OPINIONS EXPRESSEo ARE THOSE OF THE
AUTHOR AND Do NOT HEOESSARILV
REFLECT THE POSITION
OF THE GLer DR TIMES
EDnoR AND
Pulusmi
MAHASIHs
EDI'IDR Scorr FRANK
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TERI LEMKE
DEBBIE GIIOOEN
DIANE LUNDBERG
llEPoRTERs
OPERATIONS
CATHERINE PASSEY
Dismeme CONI BOWMAN
CREATIVE RAv COLVIN
FRAN HARTNEIT
KIMBERLY McCALIAN
Summa-
SAIITADOII DAN CAMPBELL
The Arlington Times
and Marysville Globe
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‘ .
Display Ads: Thurs. 4 pm. for Weds“ ' "'5'=15 am: ‘
Hbld forth at a pancake brealdast in,
Support Lakewood students, approve Feb. 19 levies
EDITORIAL
akewood voters will have the oppor-
tunity to show their support for local
schools Feb. 19 when two proposed lev-
ies will appear on the ballot.
The first, a four-year replacement Pro-
gram and Operations Levy will, if approved,
replace the existing levy which expires at the
end of 2008. The second levy going to Lake-
wood voters is a four—year Technology Levy
which would help implement the district’s
Technology Plan.
The proposed Program and Operations
Levy would provide approximately 17 per-
cent of the school district's annual operating
budget. The money would be used to things
such as curriculum, facility maintenance and
upkeep,,health and counseling services, secu-
rity and emergency preparedness, services for
students with special needs, staff training,
student athletics and activities, student trans-
portation and new school buses, and teachers,
support staff and compensation and benefits
beyond State funding levels.
The proposed replacement levy is a
fixed annual levy amount and will no increase
as property values are reassessed. Thepro»
posed levy is estimated to cost $1.85 per
$1,000 of assessed value in 2009, $1.73 per
$1,000 in 2010, $1.62 per $1,000 in 2011 and
$1.54 per '$ 1,000 in 2012. Those amounts are '
lese than what residents in nearby districts
are paying. For example, the 2007 rate per
$1,000 in Lakewood was $2.17, in Arlington it
is $2.32, in Marysville it is $2.62, in Lake Ste-
vens it is $2.63 and in Darrington it is $3.12.
Only Stanwood is lower at $1.65 per $1,000.
The proposed replacement Program and
Operations Levy would provide much needed
funding to the Lakewood School District. It
is not a new levy, it would simply replace the
existing levy which is set to expire at the end
of 2008. Local voters should show their sup-
port for the LakeWood School District and
approvedthe Program and Operations Levy on
the Feb. 19 ballot. ,
' The second measure going to Lakewood
voters on the Feb. 19 ballot is a Technology
Levy which also deserves their support.
The proposed Technology Levy is a four-
year levy which would provide a total of $3.8
million and would fund the five parts of the
district’s Technology Plan. The funding, over
four years, would provide $1.2 million for
instructional technology; $350,000 for secu-
rity; $450,000 for staff training; $300,000 for
infrastructure and $1.5 million for implemen-
tation. It would cost an estimated $0.33 per
$1,000 of assessed valuation in 2009; $0.32
per $1,000 in 2010; $0.31 per $1,000 in 2011
and $0.30 per $1,000 in 2012. After 2012, the
levy would expire.
Like the Program and Operations Levy,
the Technology Levy deserves support from
local voters. It's not enough to simply say we
support our local schools, we need to actually
do it. Vote yes on both levies when you cast
your vote on the Feb. 19 ballot. .-
STF
To contact a member of The Marysville
Globe/Arlington Times editorial board —— Kris
Passey or Short Frank — e-mail fomm@marysA
villeglobe.com.
Last Candidate Standing e.
s 8"
GRAEP
t is 1,842 miles from Marysville or Arling-
ton to Des Moines, the capitol of Iowa.
That’s a far distance for events there to
determine who we might be voting for,
but that's the way our system works. With
nearly a year until the polls Open, it did seem
a bit exc'essive for the media robe assigning
so much weight to one state's primary results.
Was it pure coincidence that the airwaves
were clogged with Iowa primary trivia during a
TV writers’ strike? The public was led to think it
was all about Iowa, but it wasn't. Candidates go
where the cameras'are. Cameras go where the '
candidates are in a surreal dance in which presi-
dential candidates and media teams are locked
in a conjugal ritual, each feeding off the other.
Iowa was their stage. We were the audience.
John Edwards went 36 hours straight, hur-
tling from venue to venue. Gyms, lodge halls,
theaters, courthouse steps, school auditoriums;
wherever his handlers found an empty space,
he filled it. One wonders whether what he said
counted less than how many times he said it.
This was Edwards’ schedule for january 2:
12:30 am. Midnight caucus in Cass County
2:15 am Meet with core supporters in Creston,
Iowa. ‘
Centerville, Iowa: "“ A
7:00 am. Campaign kickoff in Ottumwa.
8:30 am. Meeting at the home of Bob
Petrezclka, Mt. Pleasant
11:30 am. Appearance at the Ivy Bake Shop, Fort
Madison
‘ ‘GDEST OPINION
by Don C. Brunell ~-
Pres'ident, Association of
Washington Business
ast year, it was called the “union
neutrality" bill. This year when the
Legislature convenes in Olympia, it will
V be dubbed the “worker privacy act.”
No matter how the bill is labeled, it skews the
rules to give union organizers the upper hand
in the workplace.
After watching union ranks shrink in the
private sector, labor leaders across the nation are
pressing Congress and state legislatures to give
them new organizing tools in non-union shops.
At the national level, they want to do away
with the secret ballot election when workers
vote on whether to unionize their workplace.
Instead of casting a private vote, work-
ers could be confronted face-to—face by union
representatives and "requested" to sign a “check
card" indicating union support. The signed
cards would be made public to their employer,
the union organizers and their coworkers. Under
the proposal, these check cards themselves
would be enough to secure formation of a union
.I.
1:00 pm. Campaign office meeting, Mt. Pleasant
3:30 pm. Meet supporters at Capanna Coffee
Co., Iowa City ‘
5:00 pm. “Count down to Caucus," Marriott
Hotel, Cedar Rapids
7:30 pm. Meet undecided voters at Saints‘ Rest
Coffee House, Grinnell
8:30 pm. Rally with John Mellcncamp, Val Air
Ballroom, West Des Moines
Eleven appearances in ten towns. No sleep
from midnight until midnight. Hundreds of
miles covered by road. You get the feeling that
only Kryptonite could have slowed him down. If
we must know who can go the longest without
making a mistake, line them up and see who
can say TOY-BOAT the most times in five sec~
onds without making an: error. It’ll be good for
laughs, after which they could rest up for a few
really meaningful appearances.
Cheers for the stout people of Iowa who
endured it all first hand. If we‘re to believe
what we saw was representative, every candi-
date’s every appearance drew a sizeable crowd.
But I have a sneaking suspicion thathere and ‘
there along the way, John, Hilary, Obama, Mike,
Rudy, the other John and Joe found themselves
talking to empty chairs. Those non-events were
mercifully abSent from the news.
We’re not hearing enough debate on how
to cure the silliness. Some advocate spending
caps as in the UK. where a candidate cannot
spend more‘than 100,000 pounds. Dennis
Kucinich would have the courts simply enforce
existing election laws. Sound thinkers lobby for
drastically shortening the period between join-
ing the race and election.
Good thoughts, all of them. But it takes
a naive person to believe that stiff legal curbs
could end blatant and unsupervised campaign-
ing. The Conservatives alone list over 600 heavily
. funded think-tanks that exist only to propagan-
dize the public about issues and candidates, all
of them protected by the First Amendment.
With electoral reform a distant dream, our
candidates soldier. on, bravely smiling through. v
the fatigue as the nation watches. to se'e.who..
will falter first. Sleepless and weary, they ,
mount the stage to pose as energetic and good
humorcd one more time. Their audiences note
whether they can still handle questions deftly
without stammering, faltering or just looking as
7W
and no formal election would take place.
In a twist worthy of George Orwell, the
legislation is called “The Employee Freedom of
Choice Act.” In reality, the bill will eliminate
free choice.
Here in Washington, the pro-union '
legislation addresses workplace communica-
tions. The proposal is called, “The Worker
Privacy Act." This bill should be labeled “The
Employer Gag Rule Act."
Backers claim the measure is needed to
prohibit employers from forcing their religious
and political views on their employees, but that
is just more of a smokescreen. What labor lead-
ers want to do is make sure their organizing
efforts face no employer opposition.
Employers rarely, if ever, hold meetings
to talk about religion, and the measure’s lan-
guage about political issues is astonishingly
broad. It bans employer communications
about "...matters directly related to candi-
dates, election officials, b'allot propositions,
legislation, election campaigns, political par-
ties, and political, social, community, and
labor or other mutual aid organizations."
(Emphasis.added.)
There goes the United Way campaign and
the Salvation Army Adopt-a -Family holiday
program at the plant or office. But that may
just be collateral damage again because the
real target is union organizing.
dazed as they feel.
It might be a good system if we were
electing a marathon runner but we're not.
Killer schedules might find a place in a version
of the series, Survivor, but not in a sensible
election process. Given the hazing process
we’re witnessing, few past presidents would
have made the cut.-
Wilson was too frail to hold up. Roosevelt,
crippled as he was, wasn’t up to non-stop barn-
storming. Nixon, testy underpressure, would
have suffered a meltdown. Truman—good old ‘
give-em-hell Harry—would have slammed his
audiences with the facts and been eaten'for
breakfast by the press. Clearly, the system
we’re watching isn’t for hot-heads, wimps or
even candidates with only average physical
resources or imperfect psychological balance. It
tests more for strength than wisdom.
Afterward, TV panelists and pollsters had
their day, dissecting performances as thoroughly
as CSI examiners. Each misstep, each misspoken
phrase, each inappropriate garment was weighted
as significant. If you listened, you detected a
similarity to 'ESPN’S pest game wrap-ups.
That similarity isn‘t an accident. The new-
ish word, infotainment, says it all. Information
dressed as entertainment. Or entertainment
posing as information. Just as televised sports
are entertainment, politics is becoming a spec-
tator sport. Who wins or loses and how they
play the game makes snappier copy than the
issues at stake. When it comes to voting on
issues, score-keepingon whether they pass or
fail is more entertaining than what those deci-
sions mean to the nation.
To straighten out our electoral pro-
cess, the media needs to reevaluate its entire
approach. Some interviewers are doing just
that, posing questions that reach for substance.
Hopefully, the entire industry’s responsibility to
the public will mature beyond Brent Musburger
and Chris Schenkel’s play-by-play style.
Certainly, Iowa voters targeted some
thing more meaningful and that was rejection
of the status quo. It was a blend of candor and
.the outsider'sperspective that won them over,-
leaving candidates with ties to big»money poli-
tics wondering what happened.
Comments may be addressedto: ‘rgraef@
verizorr.net
Pro-unionorganizing billis back in Olympia e v
Traditionally, in union organizing
efforts, both union representatives and
employers have provided workers with com-
peting views so the workers could make an
informed choice in private. The proposal
would force employers to the sidelines, while
the union remains unfettered.
The bill Ists employees decide for
themselves which employer communications
(meeting notices, e-mails, etc.) violate the law
and can be safely ignored. Employers who '
run afoul of the law face lawsuits and puni-
tive damages. Employees who inappropriately
invoke the law and ignore employer’s legiti—
mate directives cannot be punished.
The measure is legally dubious. It
infringes on employers’ free speech rights and
gives unions the upper hand — something the
National Labor Relations Act never intended.
But some state legislators might be tempted
to pass it anyway, .
That would be a mistake.
Even if the measure is ultimately over-
turned, its passage would send a loud and clear
anti-business message to employers considering
whether to locate or expand their businesses
in Washington state. In effect, the Legislature
would be announcing that, “Employers who
want fairness and free speech in the workplace
are not welcome here."
Bhutto assassination represents a way of thinking
GUEST. OPINION
by David E. Johnson
am horrified and deeply saddened by
the death of this great and courageous
woman, Benazir Bhutto, which clearly
demonstrates the extremist patriarchal
mindset. Clearly, the "fundamentalist" insanity
that grips the Muslim world by the throat, the
Al-Qaida/Taliban extremists, are the wolves at
the door and may be directly responsible for
the loss this world has suffered. The question
is of course, who let the wolves in? That is to
say, who did as little as could be not only to
prevent this. Who denied her repeated request
from better security that she would hire? Who
denied her this access?
The answer is the dictator Musharaf, who
is struggling to maintain his dictatorial power
base that he calls a “presidency.” Musharaf saw
Bhutto correctly as a formidable adversary. One
down, one to go for Musharaf, there is another
candidate who is not dead yet. The “other”
major opposition party leader Nawaz Sharif is
still alive. Will he be next, will Bhutto's family?
Unfortunately, the dictator will stop at nothing,
including canceling elections and replacing the
Pakistani Supreme Court with his minions. And
he has nuclear weapons. When will the World
, community wake-up and take action. This will
only get uglier.
Not only was Bhutto an “opposition
candidate," and a proponent of democracy,
unpopular with the dictatorial regimes vying for
power, she was a woman. The Muslims culture
demonstrates the patriarchal way and naturally
the extremists do so to the extreme. In the
Muslim belief system the feminine is seen as
needing to be protected, not to be trusted, and
no wiser than a child. Women are considered to
be chattel, property. The value of the feminine
. and recognition of its wisdom is an idea that is
violently rejected. Even in the "western" .world
the importance of the feminine is not fully
acknowledged. Bhutto could not be tolerated by
these gluttons, greedy for power and control.
All the “players” conspired to keep her wisdom,
her feminine sense of balance and fairness out
' of their area. "Women are not welcome" is the
banner they flaunt. This is because the arrogant
patriarchal thinking, which is disconnected
from feelings, sees these elements as danger-
ous. Of course, dangerous only to their extreme
beliefs that only allow for obedience to strict
mental dictates. They call these religious laws,
which they cowardly hide behind as they bru-
tally enforcc their dictatorial ideals. They use
fear to whip their people into submission, car-
ing not for the. damage it does to their people.
Blind, heartless arrogance and blind hatred are
their main driving force. Have We not seen this
throughout history, even in “our” history? For a
thousand years, our religious systems burned“
at-the-stakc, those who would not capitulate.
We must stop those who would continue to do
so, but not by being judgmental. Force will be
needed, as will understanding and guidance.
Bhutto has sought to balance all parties,
bring them together, and. attempt a workable
solution through reason and compromise.
Her intent was to cause a shift away from a
fundamentalism that allows no other pos-
sible way, to a more blended way of thinking
that allows differing points of View. This is, I
believe, critical for the survival of humanity.
A poly-psycho-theistic way of operating based
on many View points. The melding of dichot-
omy, a blending of differing view, not into a
homogenous one, but a multi‘faCeted whole
comprised of difference. Here, the round and
square holes will expand in awareness to,
accommodate square and round pegs, without
loosing there own identities. [believe this is
the true desire of the Divine.
Will her death he in vane, another mar-
tyr, another light in the darkness extinguished?
I hold not. But my "holding," my belief in the
greater good and evolution of the human spirit
will be wasted without the shift in conscious-
ness needed to bring about this new paradigm,
or group behavior model. Who needs to shift, I
do, you do, our representatives in government
do, our greedy short sighted businesses do,
the super-wealthy that exért incredible multi-
national influence do, our religious leaders do,
and finally our World leaders. It all starts with ,
the person in the mirror. I have written this
piece and will continue to work for expanded
awareness and balance. What you choose to do
is up to you, but do your best, taking action in
some form you must if we are to survive.
The world has lost a magnificent and
brave woman. Let us no forget her sacrifice for
she knew she risked her life returning to her
Pakistan; and even more so by running for the
office she was ousted from years back by the
predecessors of the fundamentalist monsters.
Dr. David Eigen’ is a leading psychologist
and the author ofMen — The Gods of Love.
Additional information may be obtained at
www.menrhegodsoflove.com.
ADELE FERsusoH
More
7 favorite,
news
of2007
OLYMPIA w A vigilant Olym—
pia man went to great lengths to
recover his stolen 35- foot speed
boat, chartering a plane to scour
highways in Jefferson and Mason
counties.
His 2005 Cobalt speed boat
was stolen on Aug. 7 from a ‘
repair Shop. Friends told the boat
owner they’d seen it in Shelton,
so he chartered the plane, spot-
ted the boat on Highway 101 and
called authorities. The couple
towing the boat, a 52-year—old
Bremerton woman and a 49-year-
old Port Orchard man, told police
they’d recently bought it and
didn’t know it was stolen. They
directed police to a home just off
Highway 104 on the western side
of the Hood Canal bridge. There
police found another boat stolen
from, Milton. They suspect boats
are being Chopped up and sold
for the metal and have a suspect
in a POrt Orchard man already
in Jefferson County jail on a DUI
charge.
DALLAS A Dallas hom-
eowner shot to death an intruder
after being alerted by his pet
parrot that someone was on
the premises. Police were called
to the home about 3:30 am.
— a home that had already been
burglarized four times that
month. Officer Dennis Baker was
awakened from a deep sleep
by his Mexican redheaded par-
rot Salvador, who says "hello"
whenever he sees someone. His
"hello, hello" woke Baker who
found 46~ycar-old John Woodson
in his-attached garage and shot
him with a handgun. Earlier this
year, Texas lawmakers approved
the Castle Law, Which removes
any obligation for a crime victim
to retreat before responding with
deadly force when faced with
an intruder in his or her home,
vehicle or business.
CHEHALIS A quick think—
ing 9-year-old bOy grabbed the
wheel of a tractor trailer rig when
his father fell unconscious, called
for help, and with the help of a
Good Samaritan, helped bring
the big truck safely to a halt. The
father and son were hauling two
trailers loaded with lumber out
of Tillamook when the father
passed out. The boy climbed
into the driver’s seat and began
steering the truck which had
traveled into oncoming lanes of
traffic and grazed a power pole.
He managed to get it back into
the correct lanes and used the CB
radio to ask for help. A passing
driver braked to a stop, chased
the truck on foot and jumped
aboard, opened the driver’s door
and applied the brakes. The
father’s OK.
METAIRIE, La. — A 53-year-
old woman and her 17-year-old
son were in the drive—through
line at an Arby’s Restaurant when
Carl Chestnut, 44, walked up
and pointed a gun at the woman,
demanding money and the car.
When he leaned inside, trying to
pull the mother out of the car, the
teenager grabbed the gun, which
went off once as they struggled,
but did not hit anyone. Once the
teen got the gun, he Shot Chest-
nut several times. The robber was
hospitalized and the teen was told
it is safer to cooperate.
BRISTOW, Va. ~— Mona
Shaw, 75, made an appointment
with Comcast to come to her
home and install its “Triple Play"
service which combines phone,
cable and internet services. The
installers failed to show up but
came two days later and left
with the job half done. The next
day, they cut off all service. That
same day, Mona and her husband
went to the call center office to
complain. When Mona demanded
to speak with the manager, she
was told someone would be right
with them. They sat for two
hours. Then the customer rep
told them the manager had left
for the day. Mona stewed over it
all weekend, then armed herself
with a claw hammer and returned
to Comcast. BAM! She whacked
the keyboard. BAM! She whacked
the monitor. BAM! She. totaled the
telephone. POW! A parting shot
to the phone. The cops came and
She received a three-month sus-
pended sentence and a $345 fine.
She’s cooled of but now she’s on
Verizon.
Adele Ferguson can be
reached at P.(). Box 69, Hansville,
Wa., 98340.