Electric Cars - Call AAA

Interesting story in today's Washington Post about electric cars. And here is my question: while we know the cars will not emit fumes, are we thinking about the other environmental consequences: mining of lithium for the batteries, disposal of the spent batteries, where they heck does the electricity come from (out in the PNW there are HUGE environmental consequences from the hydroelectric dams). Nothing, and I mean nothing is a perfect solution, so folks, how about we think about things before we rush into them?

Nah, that's un-American!

More Thoughts On Copenhagen

Very inside the Beltway analysis but interesting. Read it here.

Don't Start Laughing -- What Agreement?

Well, I guess you could say the negotiations in Copenhagen ended with an agreement to agree?

Whatever.

Climategate

Cliff Mass is our local weather guru. He is a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Washington and last winter he made a name for himself for being the only person willing to take on a powerful mayor in how he handled our two weeks of snow (or, how Mayor Nickels didn't handle the snow). Mass is a good guy.

And today, on his blog, he finally discusses what has become known as Climategate, where emails from the "elite" climate scientists from East Anglia University in England discuss their work with their colleagues here in the US. Needless to say the emails show a lot of "tough guys," trying to elbow out dissenting views on global climate change. However, from what I have read, I agree with Mass, the evidence does not lead to data tampering or a result that may be any different that humans are probably enhancing the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere which traps heat escaping gases, thus increasing the Earth's temperatures (ok, yeah, I know that explanation was rather simplistic).

None the less, after reading the emails, like Mass, I am discouraged with the lions of this particular area of research trying to stifle dissenting views or research. Mass's stories of his colleague who was fired by the State of Washington is chilling.

For us to figure out how to limit our emissions of green house gases it will take enormous political, but more importantly, social will. To corral or garner that will, it takes a willingness for the researchers to doubt their own work, to be open to critique and debate, so that everyone can resolve contentious points on their own.

And oh, by the way Al Gore, can you please stop exaggerating the research upon which you rely? It doesn't help in this debate.

It's Opening Day of Baseball Season, Yet?

The Seattle Mariners, yep the same Seattle Mariners who were so far in the hole two seasons ago no one even knew Seattle had a baseball team, just a rotation of 9 comedians, those Mariners. Well, they just acquired from Philadelphia (yes, those Phillies, two World Series appearances in a row) Cliff Lee.

Is is opening day, yet?

Congratulations Boeing!

Even though it's quite late, the new Boeing Dreamliner finally flew today!

Congratulations Boeing!

It's About Economic Growth!

Gasp! The Climate Change talks stalled today when the so-called developing nations under the Kyoto Treaty walked out.

But the actions of the G-77 (the 77 developing nations) were controlled by India and China, who do not want to be regulated as if they are developed nations. They want to be able to spew out more CO2 until they feel they are totally dominating the world's economic engine.

Way to get them back to the table? Stop buying stuff from China.

Talk But Where Is The Action in Copenhagen?

China and India, emitting more green house gases than the US and the European Union, are trying to "talk the talk" in Copenhagen. But, ironically, both nations are on a consumption binge, emulating what the US has been doing for the past several decades.

It's going to be a little hard to curb green house gases if you're driving millions of Humvees or Cadillac Escalades. And, to the surprise of no one, China has essentially surpassed the United States as the world power, because of it's boundless economic growth. The box that China and to some degree India is in, is that to scale back this growth will be politically unsettling.

The question is, then, are the promises of reductions in emissions just talk?

Global Climate Change Talks

This is what the Global Climate Change talks in Copenhagen look like!

Pets Save the Economy

Gotta' love this!

Poorest Counties

Yep, there is a link between this post and last Friday's. Think about it. The folks who live in the richest counties around Washington, DC, lobbied and voted on bloating up a program intended for timber dependent counties in the Pacific Northwest and now use it to fund just about any program in the country.

Meanwhile, the poor counties in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Northern California, western Montana...well, they're still poor.

Richest Counties

Is it just me, or does anyone else think it is odd that the majority of the counties in this list are near or around Washington, DC?

Questioning Conventional Wisdom on Mammographies

It usually takes Barbara Ehrenreich to question conventional wisdom. This is an interesting piece.

Afghanistan

It seems President Obama is going to "surge" with 30,000 troops, but he wants them out of the country in 2011.

I hope this works. It's a huge risk in a country where the Brits lost, the Soviet Union lost, the moderate Afghanies have lost...

Staying Foreclosures...Can We Get It Right?

Looks like the Obama Administration is going to take another swing at this horrible debacle.

What a testament to the mess we put ourselves in that we can not seem to help those folks who are in trouble, much less clean up the problems.

Heroes

Gail Collins (op-ed writer for New York Times) has a new book out about women who changed the world in the 1960s and 1970s. Sounds like a great book!

Science Wow

Hate to admit it to my physic's professors, but I haven't a clue what this all means, but it sure evokes a "wow," from me.

Mortgage Problems Increase

If this doesn't scare us, not much should. One in ten mortgages are at least one month late in payments.

Recovery?

China First

I thought this article was a fantastic analysis on why China now dominates the world economy (in my opinion they are not a developing nation, they are fully developed) and how America's corporate leaders made China what it is today.

There is nothing wrong with buying American!

Breast Cancer

I've been spending a lot of time in a hospital the past two weeks. Despite the fact my father worked at one for almost two decades, I have a whole new appreciation of hospital staff. Then, I saw this video (click here to watch). It's amazing. Gave me an even greater appreciation for people who on a daily basis deal with life and death.

An American Hero

Elizabeth Warren did this fabulous interview with The New Yorker. Watch it, it will make you feel better about American's trying to help with this economic nightmare.

It's Unemployment, Mr. Buffet

I rarely enjoy citing Arianna Huffington, but she nailed the economy and the dissonance between our "leaders" and the rest of us when she wrote this appeal to Warren Buffet, asking him to "put down the pom-poms" and think of real solutions to the economy.

Sure all the banks and Wall Street are doing well. But Main Street? With unemployment to probably go over 10% and the under-employed hovering around 20%?

Remember the 1992 Clinton Campaign sign in the campaign office: it's the economy, stupid? Well, Mr. Buffet, it's unemployment, living wages, and some benefits....

Money Printing Machine Called The Olympic Games

One of the most interesting and fun experiences of my life was attending the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. But, I also agree with some Olympic Games historians that the 1984 Olympics were the original corporate games. After Los Angeles was awarded the games, they watched in horror as Montreal lost millions and millions of dollars trying to build stadiums, housing, and accommodate the influx of hundreds of thousands of fans. The head of the LA Olympic Organizing Committee, Peter Uberoth promised Los Angeles would not be left in debt. And he proceeded to sell to corporations every single inch of "real estate" where they could emblazon their names, corporate logos, or entertain swanky clients. In fact, one of my favorite stories of this marketing of the Olympics was with 7-11. The LA Organizing Committee called the head marketers of 7-11 and offered them the chance of a lifetime. If they contributed a bazillion dollars the velodrome would be names the 7-11 Velodrome. "Great, we'll do it," came the reply. A few minutes later the phone rang at the LA Organizing Committee offices. It was 7-11 wanting to know what was a velodrome.

It comes as no surprised then, that the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in British Columbia, Canada, is already a money printing machine for corporations. If you want tickets to the events, well, forget about it unless you have thousands and thousands of dollars. Most of the tickets are already distributed to corporations who sponsor the Olympic Games. Think about the banks US taxpayers bailed out. They will be wining and dining big time clients at hockey matches, down hill skiing venues, and speed skating.

Back in 1984 it was relatively easy. You called a number, got a booklet, filled out your preferences, and bought tickets for not a lot of money (if I could go...). Now, now it's all about lining someone's pocket. Ticket aggregators have made it virtually impossible for a normal person to see events unless they somehow miraculously win a lottery!

Which isn't to say the idea of the Olympic Games still isn't noble. But it certainly has been corrupted beyond what the modern Olympics should be about.

Our Congressmen and Women As Mouthpieces

One of the dirtiest secrets in Washington, DC is that most legislation is written by lobbyists. Environmental lobbyists sit in rooms with Congressional staffers and are probably re-working climate change legislation. Health care insurers are sitting closely with with Senate staffers strategizing how to re-work the House's health care bill that passed a week ago.

So it should not be a surprise that Genetech lobbyists wrote floor speeches for both Republican and Democratic Congressmen and Women to enter into the Congressional Record during the health care votes last week. Word for word that the corporate lobbyists wrote were entered into the record.

It's so surprising there has yet to be a revolution in this country. We are no longer that different than when King George "owned" this country. His courtesans whispered in his ears about great profits to be made in the new world, they controlled his reign and rule. Our "rulers" are not that much different.

Salish Sea

It's now somewhat official. Linking Canada and the US, off the coasts of Washington State and the Providence of British Columbia is the Salish Sea.

Salish is the collective name of various Native American tribes scattered throughout the coastal lowlands of Puget Sound, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and the Straits of Georgia.

Names, I believe, resonate locale. While there is some controversy over this name change, I think it speaks to "this neck of the woods." And reflects the fact that boundaries are truly artificial, the waters flow between Canada and the US, between straits and sounds. Salish Sea.

America's Lost Decade

When the last remnants of the Bush Administration and the incoming Obama started trying to fix the economic depression (oops, I mean debacle) economists talked about Japan's lost decade (meaning the 1990s) which there was an economic stabilization but no growth. These economists were warning our policy makers to not create a recovery where "no one wins."

But really, this past decade has already been a lost decade for Americans. Finally someone wrote about it here. And if you begin to examine the signs, or so-called "green shoots," where the Obama Administration is claiming there is a recovery, you will see it sure isn't impacting main street.

And this could be the political reaction.

Junior, a Mariner for One More Year!

I'll admit that last year I was a cynic about the Mariners signing Ken Griffey, Jr. But, now I think it's great he will be back for one more year. The only game I went to this past season, he hit a home run. The stadium was electric. Isn't that really what it's all about?

Bring it on, 2010 Major League Baseball!

Fort Hood

Unfortunately, eulogies usually become great speeches. President Obama's talk the the Fort Hood memorial service, on the eve of Veterans Day, is perfect in tone and content.

Anxious About Flying? Someone is Watching You

I dunno, what really concerns me is that these TSA profilers are working off of only 4 days of training! Yikes!

10.2%

Unemployment: 10.2%. And rising.

Mortgage Industry Redux

Normally I don't like to re-post, much less from Huffington Post, but here is a great article about what went wrong in the mortgage industry.

Warren Buffett's Train Set

Just in time for Christmas, Warren Buffett bought himself a railroad. Burlington Northern Santa Fe, a legendary rail line that helped "open up" The Grand Canyon and now provides freight hauling services throughout the country. One of BNSF's major customers are the coal fields of Wyoming and the great ports on the West Coast. This is a bold move by Buffett, who tends to acquire companies and hold onto them for a long time rather than churn for immediate shareholder profits.

It's also, Buffett said in his press release, a statement on his bullishness about the American economy.

Perhaps. But he is also obligated to make money for his shareholders and as we begin our national conversation about how we can change our lifestyles to slow down the rate of anthropogenic enhancements to global climate change, rail transportation will begin to figure prominently into the discussions about movements of goods and services. Trains are much more efficient at hauling freight than trucks, at least for long distances.

Some commentators have said this acquisition is about real estate. A number of years ago, Burlington Northern shed it's real estate division, Plum Creek, and the Santa Fe lines also did not have extensive holdings in the checkerboard lands deeded by the Federal Government in the late 1800s as a subsidy to the railroads for their expansions across the continent.

No, this is about wheels, rails, and locomotives.

Pretty cool train set.

Global Warming, Inc

I've had a love/hate relationship with Al Gore that stems back to the 1980s. Earth in the Balance was in many ways a phenomenal book, but it's optimism in technological solutions for disastrous environmental problems bothered me. There was no critical thinking about the environmental problems caused by technology.

And while I admire his emphatic and seemingly no-nonsense warnings about global climate change in Inconvenient Truth, I've always thought Tipper and he were a bit disingenuous promoting change in our life styles when their life style was rather, in my opinion, extravagant. I mean, how large of a house does one need, and I don't care if it's powered by coal, solar, or windmill. It's about consumption.

Plus, a little known fact about Gore, until today's article in the New York Times, is that he invests heavily in the technologies that he promotes will "save us" from global warming.

One of those technologies, smart meters, just received a huge grant from the Federal government. Metering of utilities has been around for a long time. It's one of the ways utilities figure out how much you owe them for water, natural gas, electricity. Smart meters are being sold to the public as a way for the consumer to determine when they are not using as much energy so they can spread their consumption around toward "off hours." But really, smart meters are a form of, well, er, intrusion. Currently, appliance manufacturers are installing in new appliances the ability for the appliance to "talk" with the electrical grid. The result of the "conversation," will be when your appliance turns on, for instance, when the dishwasher will operate. You wil no longer be able to just push the button. Smart meters will be able to tell the utility and frankly, at the risk of being paranoid, other agencies such as law enforcement, exactly when and how you're using energy.

Stop those indoor pot growers!

But seriously, it's a lot more intrusion than we are accustom.

But more importantly, Al Gore is making a lot of money off of his global warming warnings. Is that a good thing? What concerns me is his lack of, to use the over used word, transparency, on this. It's not like he stands up in his movie, or his speeches, gives his Power Point presentation, and then says: Oh, by the way, I've invested money and stand to make a lot of money in the very technologies I am advocating we all adopt.

Hmmm. Seems like a little bit of a conflict of interest to me.

Big Tents and the Grand Old Party

It seems the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt is no longer. Heck it seems the party of Barry Goldwater is long gone. Even Richard Nixon might not recognize this Republican Party.

It's more like the party of Joe McCarthy, full of litmus tests, fake loyalty oaths, and political ideological cleansings. And even more disturbingly, this push to the radical right is being led by talk show hosts!

In a Congressional District held by Republicans since 1872, a woman who was moderate, Dede Scozzafara, sought to replace another moderate, who President Obama appointed as Secretary of the Army. Then the ultra-right wing talk show hosts went nuts. A few people in the district are trying to play this as a grassroots thing, but really, it's national talk-show hosts bullying Ms. Scozzafara. She is pro-choice, neutral on gay issues, and just wanted to do good things for her neighborhood.

The right-wingers found an ultra-conservative who didn't even live in the District when he registered for the office. And by the time the talk-show hosts were done with Ms. Scozzafara, she decided to stop her campaign on the weekend before the election and endorse the Democrat.

Frankly this is sad. Democracy only thrives when there are vibrant and multiple points of view with access to the public sphere. By bullying this viable and interesting candidate to abandon her party and her chance at being an effective legislator, the right-wing talk show hosts have essentially caused a junta, a take over. And they talk like they care about the regular person, but they sure as heck don't want the regular guy to just make a choice.

And what ever happened to the party of the big tent, that allows diversity of opinions, as long as they care about certain principles.

It's sad. Democracy took a hit.

After I posted this, a blog I read about rural issues posted this.

When You Rely On Consumption

When you rely on consumption and people are not feeling too giddy about their futures...it's a recipe for a stagnant economy.

We're there, now! And the stock market finally realizes it.

Twenty Nine More Days

Twenty nine more days for this Congressional session. And we now have a 1,990 page bill, in addition to the three already passed in the House and at least two introduced in the Senate, on health care reform.

Any bets?

Once Again, It's About Manufacturing!

Today, Boeing, once a local company here in the Pacific Northwest, announced that is was going to build a second line of "Dreamliner" planes in South Carolina rather than in Washington. Of course, as these things go, South Carolina gave Boeing huge tax incentives and other lures to get them to their state, including very management conducive anti-union laws.

Boeing's Dreamliner has been plagued with problems. It hasn't even had one test flight, which has been delayed now for over a year. Management, in an attempt to appease it's international customers, parsed out various components of the plane to dozens of different countries, and guess what, the parts don't fit!

As this is written, talk show hosts and call in "experts" are blaming Washington state's governor and the Machinist's union for failing to give up their right to strike, as a reason for Boeing beginning to decamp from Washington. It's extremely simplistic to do that.

In an age where union strength is all but gone, we have forgotten what we, each of us, whether white collar or blue collar, owe to unions. 5 day work week, holidays off, paid medical insurance, disability insurance, unemployment benefits, minimum wages, 8 hour work day, over time pay...giving up the right to strike essentially makes a union useless.

Rather, this is about global markets, stock incentives for management, squeezing every dime out of labor, and fickle governments bending over backwards for manufacturing jobs that normally, these days, are sent overseas.

It really is time that this country wake up and realize if we continue to lose these jobs we will dig ourselves deeper into this economic hole. Plus, keeping manufacturing jobs is sustainable. Isn't it better to buy and sell goods closer to home than waste so much carbon having them shipped all over the globe?

There has been a recent discussion in my neighborhood about a bike path that would cut through a vibrant industrial area. The local businesses are concerned about the safety, of bikes zipping through their driveways. And some of the complaints from bike advocates is that the businesses use some of the land for employee parking, so they resent the cars on what they think should be "their bike path." What gets lost in this polarized discussion is the need to keep these light industrial jobs within the city, that those employees probably have to drive to their jobs since they may not make enough to live in the chi-chi condos that are edging closer and closer to the industrial area. And that real estate development with the attendant ritzy boutiques is simply not sustainable (I walked into one boutique today advertising itself as selling basic "goods," where an Oxford cloth shirt was retailing for $180! Yikes!).

If we want to revive this economy we need to pay attention to manufacturing.

Natural Gas Company Doing the Right Thing

The Catskills, habitat for some of the best drinking water in the country (that doesn't have to be filtered) is again protected. A company that owned the natural gas rights underneath the New York City watershed has decided not to drill. It's the right thing to do.

Nice to see a company in America make good choices.

What Predatory Lending Is

Read this great article, second in a series, about Washington Mutual. It defines predatory lending.

Public Disclosure and Initiatives

No one has ever denied that democracy is messy. But what really makes democracy works is information and to use the in-vogue word, transparency. In small towns in New England, decisions are still made with town meetings. Stand up and be counted. The extremely popular television show, Gilmore Girls, had a field day with the town meetings, yet everyone attended and every one talked.

Here in Washington State we are processing a wrenching debate over whether the names of people who signed petitions to challenge laws enacted by the State Legislature (known as referendums) or petitions to create laws (initiatives) can be made public. The Secretary of State said "yes," those names should be public and the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed. The US Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the release until it can have a hearing, meaning the vote will be long over.

The contentious part of this is that the names sought were attached to a petition to essentially rescind the domestic partnership law passes by the state legislature. And the groups trying to prevent the release are, they claim, afraid that they will be harassed and hounded by gay activists. Indeed, they only point to California where the release of contribution records to the initiative to ban gay marriage resulted in a community theatre director being "hounded out of a job" because he gave money in what was perceived to be an anti-gay measure.

Whether concerns over being hounded are valid or not, it seems that our democracy operates much better when we are willing to be open about our beliefs. Rather than hiding behind legalistic interpretations of regulations, standing up and being counted is a vibrant part of our debate. It frequently inspires a much more open dialogue as well as healthy resolutions.

Anti-disclosure advocates maintain a petition signature is like a vote, it should be kept secret (these days your vote really isn't secret, trust me). But a petition isn't a vote. It's an attempt to convince fellow citizens that we either need a new law or the laws we have are not good. It's your stand up and be counted moment.

And for once we have to trust that the rest of us will not act inappropriately once we hear your side.

Public Option

I am the farthest thing from an economists (although I have taken many many many economics classes) but it seems to me removing the anti-trust exemption from health care insurers still does nothing to create competition.

So, it's with delight that Senator Harry Reid has agreed to "consider" putting the public option back into the Senate Health Care bills.

Finally.

Animal Love

I just loved this article. That most Americans would "go the extra mile" for our beloved animals.

Love it.

Swift Boating in Seattle Port Commission Race

This is so disgusting I can't even post a picture!

A real estate developer is running against a community activist for Port Commission. Several weeks ago (ok, I admit it, I was listening to sports-talk radio) I heard an ad for the real estate developer, David Doud. The ad claimed his opponent, Rob Holland is a supporter of ACORN (the current non-profit every conservative loves to hate) and that Holland essentially mis-managed his finances because the State of Washington claimed he owed for an overpayment of unemployment insurance.

Just hearing the ad without even knowing the rebuttal facts made me furious. While the Port of Seattle has not been my favorite government agency (it has been riddled with corruption, racist police, and junket enjoying port commissioners for years), this ad was way and above what is necessary to win. And it does nothing about discussing the issues: how to deal with racist cops, how to keep traditional port industries such as shipping, fishing, and other maritime related businesses, and how to eliminate the corruption. And it attacked the character of someone based on national allegations of ACORN which in no manner whatsoever have been born out locally, plus almost everyone who has ever been on unemployment has been accidently overpaid by the state!

So finally, this ad and a mailer have made the news.

Turns out, indeed the overpayment was the State's mistake. And the appearance at an ACORN function was part of a community rally which almost every candidate for Port Commission except David Doud appeared.

I can only hope this type of Swift Boating backfires on Mr. Doud.

Signs of Economic Problems

Elliot Bay Book Company, an iconic book store in an old Seattle brick building is either going to downsize and move or go out of business.

"Bookies" will lament that this is another in the decade long epic battle between bricks and mortar independent book sellers and big box/Amazon retailers. Or they will say electronic media readers like Kindle are making books themselves obsolete.

I think this tale may have something to do with those struggles, but more to do with the current economy and the failure of government agencies in Seattle to understand the difficulties, the actual difficulties, of small businesses.

First, Elliot Bay is not a small independent book seller. Years ago the original owner sold the business to it's current owner who is well versed in marketing, book selling, and owning businesses. He owns two other book stores as well as several other retail operations. However, Elliot Bay is a different animal than the other two stores, one located in a smallish mall and the other is a used book store. Elliot Bay has been part of Seattle for over 30 years. It's a landmark.

But the City of Seattle has been on a mission to reduce automobile traffic, so finding parking in the Pioneer Square area takes obsessive zeal. Just darting out to buy a book is not that kind of obsession. And the location of the book store is a mere few blocks from the professional sports stadiums. Seattle Department of Transportation and the police make getting in and out of the neighborhood on a game day a navigational nightmare. And add to it last winter's debacle with the City of Seattle failing, no neglecting, no intentionally NOT plowing the streets for two weeks during a snowstorm (the key two weeks for holiday shopping when most book sellers make the bulk of their annual income) and the recipe for failure is written. Then of course, there is credit. The book store's credit (used to buy inventory) is tapped out and no lender wants to write a new loan (you know, those banks we bailed out?).

For all the talk by politicians that they want to help businesses, they really don't know what to do. So-called business lobbying groups, like the Chamber of Commerce really don't have small business interests at heart. They really represent their own professional staff and large mega-businesses, like, say Barnes and Noble who would be delighted to see Elliot Bay shutter it's windows. And politicians take money from the Chamber of Commerce's Political Action Committee, not from small time owners of little shops in Seattle. So the mayor and city council will wring their hands (it's an election year) about the loss of Elliot Bay, but really, nothing will get done.

But the story of Elliot Bay is applicable to every town and city in America right now. And sooner or later there will be shuttered windows and empty store fronts unless those in power in finance and in managing cities and towns figure out there are ways to help this economy and it ain't bailing out banks too big to fail. That really it's helping out small book stores so small they need to succeed.

Blowing Bubbles

The stock market gained to 10,000 this week, then had some sell off. But clearly Wall Street thinks this depression (oops, I mean recession) is over.

However, I think this piece is great on thinking through the fundamentals. In other words, the reasons to invest in stock still are not apparent.

Perhaps we are creating, yet again, another bubble?

Will Cap and Trade Work?

Before we all rush headstrong into cap and trade, it's time to pause and examine some of the basic premises. One of them is whether preserving forests far away from the emissions is actually impacting global climate change.

In a new report released today, Greenpeace is challenging the assumption that a power company (using coal for energy) in Indiana can purchase "rights" to a forest in Bolivia and all is then well with the coal plant's emissions. Countering the report are some conservation groups who have "adjusted their models," and believe preservation thousands of miles away will reduce carbon emissions.

Models are only as good as the inputted data and the analyst. And remember, models are what got us into the real estate/financial meltdown mess. Models are what always implodes the stock market. Models brought us clear cutting. We seem enamored with models, numbers, they appear oh-so scientific, so "sure." But, but, they really are only theories in numbers rather than narrative.

As we go onto the Next Big Issue after health care, global climate change, remember, be suspicious of models on all sides. Preservation of forests is a good thing, but will it help or is it a way for large scale emitters of carbon to absolve their responsibilities?

Wall Street Happy - Main Street Losing 1 Out of 20 Jobs

The financial system is broken. When headlines say things like Washington state is losing 1 out of 20 jobs (as in jobs vanished) yet Chase Manhattan, beneficiary of government bailout monies, reports earning huge profits and will award the largest bonuses, something is wrong. Wall Street celebrated today by going over 10,000.

Main street, however, isn't doing enough to let policy makers know the system is broken except for the lucky few in the financial industry. Where is the anger, the revolt, demanding better regulation and more commutarian financial services, which benefit those who make deposits, pay interest, and take risk in the stock market?

The system is broken.

It's Raining and the Baucus Bill Passes Committee

I am hoping there is no link between the rain storm and the fact the Senate Finance Committee passed the Health Insurance Reform Bill.

Health Insurance Reform?

As the Senate Finance Committee nears it's vote on health care "reform," it's important to wonder whether this proposed legislation will actually "reform" health care or merely mandate the uninsured increase the insurance pool and as a consequence hopefully decrease or stabilize insurance premiums.

What is lost in all of this is health care reform. How are we controlling costs? How are we insuring that health care, quality health care, is available to everyone?

My sense is, as this article suggests, is that health care reform is not happening. We are not looking at costs, at services, at availability.

So much for reform.

We're Talking Salmon

It's been over 10 years since the federal government declared several "runs" of salmon here in the Pacific Northwest threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in all sorts of salmon habitat restoration projects all over the Puget Sound region as well along the mainstem and tributaries of the Columbia River, both major salmon spawning areas. Hundreds of hours of conferences and seminars have been held. And literally whole stands of timber have been used to create the paper filed in litigation after litigation on salmon issues, much less the voluminous (and sometimes disingenuous) habitat conservation plans.

And yet, the Pacific Northwest, like much of the country, ravenously ate up land during the real estate boom, new developments with amenities like golf courses and even vineyards sprung up in desert lands, fed by water from the Columbia and other rivers. Miles and miles of pavement were laid to feed cul d' sacs and growing commuter populations. And no matter how well engineered to prevent massive run-offs, millions of gallons of storm water contaminated with God-knows-what, entered every watershed. The salmon continue to suffer.

Now, the Obama Administration, with great fanfare, announced it's salmon recovery plans. Which are much like the Bush Administration. No dams on the Snake River will be removed or decommissioned. And the requirements for habitat protections continue to be lame at best.

As wild salmon populations continue to decline, this once abundant anadromous fish is slowly becoming a prisoner of politics. All the money spent by hydro utilities, timber companies, municipalities, and state governments on habitat restoration is not going to fix the causes of salmon declines nor enhance their restoration. At some point, then, rather than continuing the charade that we are trying to prevent the extinction of salmon in the Pacific Northwest, perhaps we really need to begin the conversation about what extinction really means.

Anyone seen a Passenger pigeon recently?

Babe Ruth

Now this is very cool!