Steve Klein addresses current issues impacting Yelm and vicinity and provides a meeting place for anyone with an interest in this area to provide their ideas and opinions
WA. state Rep. Laurie Jinkins, Tacoma Dem., first elected in 2010. Credit: Washington Legislature
“Washington House Democrats poised to elect 1st woman speaker”
“Washington could become the eighth state to currently have a female speaker of the House.”
“House Democrats are poised to elect the first woman speaker of the House in Washington state.
“State Reps. Laurie Jinkins of Tacoma, June Robinson of Everett, Gael Tarleton of Seattle and Monica Stonier of Vancouver are all vying for the top spot after Frank Chopp, the state’s longest-serving speaker, announced he was stepping down from his leadership position but would remain in the Legislature. During Wednesday’s scheduled caucus meeting and vote, additional members can be nominated for the speaker-designate position,” by the AP.
“In a first, woman will serve as speaker of Washington state House. She’s from Tacoma”
“For the first time in Washington state history, a woman will serve as speaker of the House of Representatives.
“House Democrats on Wednesday [July 31] elected Rep. Laurie Jinkins of Tacoma to the post. She will be speaker-designate until the entire chamber votes at the start of the 2020 legislative session in January,” by James Drew, McClatchy Newspapers.
WA.State House Minority Leader J.T. Wilcox listens to the national anthem before Gov. Jay Inslee’s State of the State address in Olympia, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019. Credit: Dorothy Edwards, Crosscut.
“Washington House hires outside firm to investigate a member”
The Washington state House on Monday hired a firm to investigate
whether a member has engaged in, planned or promoted political violence
and to determine the extent of his involvement with groups or people
involved with such activities.
The chief clerk of the House, Bernard Dean, signed a contract with Kathy Leodler, a former FBI agent who is head of the Rampart Group, to investigate Rep. Matt Shea.”
“Wilcox said he was glad to see the scope of the contract, saying that the chief clerk made plain that ‘this is about political violence,'” by Rachel LaCorte, Associated Press.
“GOP leader J.T. Wilcox on farm life, rural values and WA politics”
“The politician’s sensibilities flow from Wilcox Family Farms, a 110-year-old institution situated in the shadow of Mount Rainier.”
“Washington state’s 2nd Legislative District covers a wide swath of rural Pierce and Thurston counties. It includes at least two famous points of frequent New Age interest: the summit of Mount Rainier, which has been called a “saucer magnet” for its history of UFO sightings, and J.Z. Knight’s Ramtha School of Enlightenment in Yelm, featuring channeled teachings from an ancient entity. But on the ground it seems like a place anchored in part by both innovative and hardworking pragmatists.
“One such nexus is the Wilcox Family Farms, about 60 miles outside of Seattle between Yelm and Eatonville,” by Knute Berger, Crosscut.
Toboton Creek salmon culvert project Peissner Rd., Yelm – July 26, 2019 Credit: Yelm Community Blog
“Cost to replace salmon-blocking culverts running into billions, WSDOT says”
“The taxpayers’ cost to comply with a federal court order to improve salmon habitat by repairing state culverts has ballooned from $1.9 billion to $3.8 billion over the past dozen years, officials told legislators Thursday [July 25].
“At a work session, members of the House-Senate Transportation Committee said they are committed to meeting the court’s mandate, which is considered a critical element to protect endangered orcas who feed on chinook salmon. But some lawmakers questioned whether the state can reduce the estimated $500 million cost of designing replacements or repairs to culverts over the next 10 years.
“Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia, said it appeared that many of the culvert projects would be similar, especially as the state completes more of them,” by James Drew, covering the state Legislature and state government for McClatchy’s Washington papers: The News Tribune, The Olympian, The Bellingham Herald and The Tri-City Herald.
“Have you ever wanted to visit Africa? Or if you already have, maybe you just want to return one more time? It’s not every day you get to do that without your passport. This weekend you will have two chances to see and hear stories about a part of Africa that most people never get to visit.
“If you haven’t signed up, come join us as Friendly Water shares a wonderful Kenyan meal and introduces the Maasai people of Africa. See their life on the Maasai Steppe and discover how they live in a rapidly changing world. It’s an experience you won’t want to miss.
Sponsored by Friendly Water for the World. Click here to reserve.
Click here to read about Friendly Water for the World
General Admission: Cost of attendance is by donation at the event.
“When we venture out into the world, we see all that we share.”
Editor’s note: I was on a Delta Airlines flight yesterday and chose to watch a movie on the in-flight entertainment system. With the vile divisiveness spewing from President Trump’s Twitter feed, I found this one minute video promotion at the start of the movie to be a breath of fresh air in the sea of our President’s blather!
“CNN Anchor Chokes Up While Defending Baltimore From Trump’s Racist Attacks”
“‘I don’t want to sound self-righteous, but people get up and go to work there. They care for their families there,’ [Victor] Blackwell emotionally declared,” quoting Justin Baragona, Daily Beast.
“‘Louder and more hateful’: Big-city leaders say Trump’s attacks on Baltimore are escalation of his strategy to denigrate diverse, liberal areas”
“President Trump’s denunciations of Baltimore as an uninhabitable city are the latest in a string of disparaging attacks on diverse, liberal enclaves as violent, dirty and outside the mainstream — rhetoric that paints those areas of the country as fundamentally less American than whiter, more conservative strongholds.
“Trump denigrated Maryland’s largest city over the weekend as “a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” and blamed it on Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), who is black, and claimed on Sunday that the lawmaker himself is “racist.” Long before, Trump had taken aim at other major cities, some of which are predominantly African American, and their elected leaders,” by David Nakamura, The Washington Post.
“Trump attacks Al Sharpton hours before a planned news conference in Baltimore”
“President Trump attacked the Rev. Al Sharpton on Monday as “a con man” and someone who “Hates Whites & Cops,” just hours before Sharpton held a news conference in Baltimore to decry Trump’s derogatory weekend tweets directed at the city and an African American congressman.
” Sharpton, a former Democratic presidential candidate and MSNBC talk-show host, appeared in Baltimore alongside Michael Steele, who formerly chaired the Republican National Committee and served as Maryland’s lieutenant governor,” quoting John Wagner, The Washington Post.
“Forbes Names O Bee Best Credit Union in Washington”
Editor’s note: Congratulations to O’ Bee Credit Union and a special shout-out to the Yelm Branch employees!
“For a second year, O Bee Credit Union was named the best Washington credit union by Forbes.
“In partnership with Statistica, Forbes examined the results of a survey from 25,000 customers regarding their banking relationships. The institutions were scored on customer recommendations and satisfaction, as well as trust, terms and conditions, branch services, digital services, and financial advice.
“O Bee Credit Union was formed in 1955 by Ted McGill for the Olympia Brewing Co. employees and family members. It has brewery-style branches in Lacey, Tumwater, Tenino, Yelm, Olympia, Point Ruston, and Tacoma,” by South Sound Business.
“Rep. Denny Heck, D-Wash., questions former special counsel Robert Mueller as he testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2019, during a hearing on Mueller’s report on Russian election interference.” Photo Credit: Susan Walsh, AP
“All Washington House Democrats join chorus supporting impeachment inquiry”
Editor’s note: After reading a majority of The Mueller Report followed by Mr. Mueller’s testimony last week, I had written to Rep. Heck supporting an indictment via impeachment proceedings for President Trump, as outlined in the Constitution of the United States. I am elated to learn of Rep. Heck’s decision announced earlier today.
“Four Western Washington Democrats in Congress, including Denny Heck and Derek Kilmer, announced Sunday [July 28] they will support a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump’s dealings with Russia before the 2016 election and with the investigation that followed.
“That means all seven of the state’s Democratic members of Congress are now in favor of an impeachment inquiry, since Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Rick Larsen, and Adam Smith already had voiced their support. Nationally, about 100 in Congress had supported such a move, although the numbers were increasing Sunday.
“‘I support initiation of an impeachment inquiry by the House Judiciary Committee and will support measures to accomplish this when Congress returns to Washington, D.C.,’ said Heck, the 10th District representative from Olympia, in a statement on Sunday [July 28],” quoting Rolf Boone, The Olympian.
Editor’s note: Indictment of a sitting President is not the easy path folks, however this quote from one of America’s Founding Fathers reminds us why we must take this course of action!
“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” ― Thomas Paine
“How Impeachment Works and What You Need to Know About It”
“Some Democrats say opening an impeachment inquiry could help the House overcome the president’s blockade of its investigations. But others say that could backfire politically,” by Charlie Savage and Nicholas Fandos, The New York Times.
By House Judiciary Committee members Mary Gay Scanlon, David Cicilline, Pramila Jayapal and Veronica Escobar.
“Three months ago, Special Counsel Robert Mueller completed his investigation into Russian election interference and President Donald Trump’s obstruction of justice. When the redacted report finally became available to Congress and the American people, it painted a damning picture of a corrupt president who welcomed and encouraged an attack on our country, capitalized on it, and then tried to cover up what he had done.
“During his press conference announcing the end of his investigation, Mueller pointed out that the Department of Justice believes “the Constitution requires a process other than the criminal-justice system to formally accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing.” He was referring, without using the word, to impeachment—a process by which the U.S. House indicts, and the Senate convicts, a sitting president.
“Mueller’s testimony before the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees was a watershed moment,” by House Judiciary Committee members Mary Gay Scanlon, David Cicilline, Pramila Jayapal and Veronica Escobar.
“Analysis: Fact-checking lawmakers’ claims during the Mueller hearings”
“Over the course of nearly six hours, former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III testified before two House committees. Here’s a guide to some of the claims made by lawmakers that were factually shaky or misleading,” by Salvador Rizzo, Glenn Kessler, Washington Post.
“Mueller’s Skepticism of Trump’s Truthfulness Heightens Impeachment Debate”
“Toward the end of Mr. Mueller’s nearly seven-hour appearance on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, a freshman Democrat from Florida, Representative Val B. Demings, brought up Mr. Trump’s written responses and asked whether ‘his answers showed that he wasn’t always being truthful.’
“Rather than demurring as he had to similar questions, Mr. Mueller instead appeared to confirm her assessment, responding, ‘I would say generally,'” by Charlie Savage, The New York Times.
“Need a ‘Blueprint to Remove Trump’? Look at What Puerto Ricans Did in Just 16 Days”
“In less than 16 days, Puerto Rican Gov. Ricardo Rosselló is expected to resign after mass protests. I can’t even recall all the horrible shit Trump has done in the last 16 days,” by Julia Conley, Common Dreams.
“Were the Mueller hearings a disaster for Democrats? Only if Americans weren’t really listening”
“Mueller did not exactly exude charisma, but his testimony before Congress was illuminating when distilled down to the key moments,” by Kurt Bardella, NBC News THINK.
“How Trump’s ‘fake news’ rhetoric has gotten out of control”
“What may have begun as something of a reality TV-style parlor trick has mutated into a full-blown assault on the American free press, one that the President apparently can no longer control,” by Jim Acosta, CNN.
“Penn Cove Orca Capture Commemoration, Coupeville Wharf, Whidbey Island – Wednesday August 8, 2019”
“On August 8th, 1970 all three pods of Southern Resident orcas were driven into Penn Cove where the young were separated from their mothers and families to be hauled out for delivery to marine parks. Each year for over two decades Orca Network has held a commemoration event to remember the tragedy and look ahead to the prospects for the return to the Salish Sea of Lolita/Tokitae, now named in a Lummi ceremony Sk’ali Ch’ehl-tenaut, after a Native village near where she was captured in Penn Cove.
“On Wednesday August 8th, from 2:00 pm to 6:30 pm, Orca Network staff and volunteers will be at the Coupeville Wharf with educational displays and information about Tokitae and the orca captures. From 3:00 to 5:00 pm, the sailing ships Suva and Cutty Sark will provide ceremonial sails into Penn Cove to the capture sites for an on the water remembrance . Tickets for the boat trip are $75 and registration is available HERE.”
“Abducted from the Salish Sea some 48 years ago. Since then she has been at Miami Seaquarium in a small concrete tank, performing two shows a day for tourists. The Lummi Nation has committed to bringing her home to her native waters in the Salish Sea, and hopefully reuniting her with her original pod, where her probable mother still swims,” quoting the Orca Network. Video: The story of Tokitae.
