Editorials

Editorial Board

George Le Masurier, Publisher

Mike Oakland, Editorial Page Editor

Jerre Redecker, Senior Editor

Pam Toal, Community Representative

Earl Hale, Community Representative

Olympian Blogs

Around South Sound Blog

Check out Arts Olympia show and sale this weekend 02/08

Outside Olympia Blog

County debris drop-off sites close later this month 02/08

The Politics Blog

Gov. Gregoire to sign gay-marriage bill Monday 02/09

South Sound Sports Blog

Round III of Olympia-Bellarmine boys basketball takes place Friday 02/09

The Business Blog

Olympia couple purchases Wild Birds Unlimited 02/09

more blogs & columns

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Make permanent sales tax deduction

Washington state taxpayers enter the new year not knowing if Congress will extend the sales tax deduction to those states that don’t have an income tax.
For high school wrestlers, snow day meant helping others

The River Ridge High School wrestling team was victorious last weekend, even though a tournament it was scheduled to participate in was canceled due to power outages. Here’s why: Several of the team members, joined by head wrestling coach Mike Derda, helped clean snow and storm debris from homes at Capitol City Golf Club Estates over the weekend.
Improved teacher evaluations are key to better education

A recent report by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle shows the need for this state to revamp its teacher and principal evaluation systems.
Legislature should back effort to strengthen anti-stalking laws

Tacoma special education teacher Jennifer Paulson attended the same college as her stalker. He pursued her for seven years — sometimes contacting her 10 to 15 times a day — before he shot and killed her outside of her school in February 2010.
Lawmakers, not judges form education funding plan

The state constitution says that public education – kindergarten through high school – is the paramount duty of the state. But there’s a problem. The state Supreme Court, in a strongly worded ruling, said state lawmakers are not living up to that constitutional responsibility.
There’s no need to fix redistricing process that isn’t broken

One of the four partisan members of the Washington State Redistricting Commission has recommended changes to the system that redraws congressional and legislative district boundaries every 10 years.
Law that targets parents for underage drinking goes too far

A new law aimed at reducing teen alcohol use went into effect in Mercer Island on Friday. The measure holds parents accountable for underage drinking in their home.
We must keep alive the ideals of Martin Luther King Jr.

Today should be a time of reflection on the life, ideals and the vision of the nation’s most famous civil rights leader – Martin Luther King Jr.
Closed meeting makes clear the need for recorded sessions

Did the new Olympia City Council begin the new year with an illegal council meeting?
Island purchase another victory for habitat preservation

The Anderson Island Park and Recreation District has acquired an 82-acre peninsula on the south side of the island and will permanently protect it as wildlife habitat with limited public recreation.

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