Posted Thu, Oct 14, 5:12 a.m.

OK, serial catowner, lets take your logic further. Why have a private sector at all? we could smelt the aluminum in govt owned smelters. Boeing could be another Airbus like consortium owned, administered and run by a buracracy based in DC. Who needs farmers? They just suck at the public ...

Posted Wed, Oct 13, 5:05 a.m.

Create all the govt jobs you want. Pay great wages and benies not available to privates. Raise taxes and fees to support this scheme, until payers start paying attention, protesting, and then voting those responsible out...with a vengeance. This is why there will always be republicans and tea partiers. The ...

Posted Fri, Oct 8, 5:22 a.m.

So why didn't we learn about modern smelting and how this works with a clean environment? Because scrappers deliver to ports where material is shipped to other countries with NO controls. What are the costs for clean smelting? Is it possible? Are there examples of American ingenuity at work in ...

Posted Fri, Sep 24, 5:13 a.m.

So Snoqualman, you continue to think that our present management of National forests is good policy? What about the bug kill so prevalent in so many forests? What about the dramatic loss of forestry infrastructure in so many regions? I'd get deeper into this but it's like beating a dead ...

Posted Sun, Sep 19, 9:18 a.m.

"sustainable" is applied in many ways. Note title of this piece. When you vote constantly for school levies that are always there, don't you ever wonder why? The states founders set aside a section (624 acres) in every township for education support. Why is so little money generated? I don't ...

Posted Sun, Sep 19, 7:42 a.m.

Interesting you should mention Tahuya. I was just there for the first time at Camp Lyle McLeod, where my wife is director of a girl scout affiliated community camp. Noticed state leaving significant volumes of mature trees which must be a strategy to create late succession old growth like forests. ...

Posted Sat, Sep 18, 8:38 a.m.

So you must be in favor of more government to manage our 'sick' economy, ruined by those dastardly private market capitalist robber barons of late and today? How would you have that happen? You are against cutting old growth. Are you in favor of cutting second growth?

Posted Fri, Sep 17, 5:31 a.m.

Wow, not sincere. I'm offended. Try not to let those feelings overwhelm me. Lets me throw a little grass roots info your way. In 1995, I logged a forest service piece near Big Lake, below White Pass. The next ridge to the south was the Yakama rez. Fee simple Indian ...

Posted Fri, Sep 17, 5:16 a.m.

Ya know Knute, outside of deep blue Seattle, I rarely hear the words "carbon footprint". Maybe I'm just not paying attention?

Posted Wed, Sep 15, 8:24 p.m.

How do you come up with 500 Billion?

Posted Wed, Sep 8, 7:01 a.m.

Fundamental concepts missing here. Good conservation and best management practices are essential for Puget Sound cleanup. There is an urban and a rural component and they must be addressed with different strategies. The urban component would be the industrial and densely populated area pollutants. I see these as the major ...

Posted Thu, Sep 2, 6:27 a.m.

Is anyone else having trouble paying their property taxes? I contributed mightily to the college economy (two bachelors, one associate and one is in graduate school). I had to cut a lot of logs to make those payments and along the way I questioned many programs. Colleges are basically false ...

Posted Sun, Aug 29, 8:22 a.m.

You think that we need more taxes, when guv designs things 3 times, demands prevailing (newspeak for artificially inflated wages) wages and 15 different permits that all serve their own bureaucracies? oh, and yea, thanks really, Tim Eyman.

Posted Wed, Aug 25, 1:02 p.m.

this state needs reals SPENDING reform, Mr. Breneman.

Posted Tue, Aug 24, 5:51 a.m.

Instead of being an income tax apologist, Chasan should use his column to analyze Washington state public employment comparisons with states of similar populations with the question "Why do we need 30% more to manage state affairs?" and "Are public employee compensation packages in line with norms in other states ...

Posted Mon, Aug 23, 1:49 p.m.

221maggiem41: You can breath now. oh, and just one question. ya got a job?

Posted Sat, Aug 21, 7:39 a.m.

Anotherview: You think BO is a centrist? You must make only 'left' hand turns when you drive. Most of you are victims of chronic insulated liberal delusion.

Posted Fri, Aug 20, 6:53 a.m.

Sam, At least be factual. Everyone knows Rossi won the first guv election. He lost the second one fair and square. Republicans cast more votes in this election than dems, a fact you conveniently avoid. With the tide moving in a conservative direction I think it will be a contest.

Posted Thu, Aug 19, 6:17 a.m.

When is the deep blue Seattle culture going to realize that Bush is out of office? The usual rule is after 6 months, the new guy owns it. BO has been pres for two years and you still blame Bush for everything! Fact: The country is center right. Most people ...

Posted Tue, Aug 17, 12:12 p.m.

Whack-a-doodle urban moonbeam thinking by those that have the political power to have us all help pay for this idiocy in the worst economy since the great depression.

Posted Wed, Aug 11, 8:14 p.m.

Why yes, Seattle does need another tax. Seattle folks just can't wait to vote those new taxes in, for that warm, fuzzy, community feeling. I say YES ON TAXES. Seattle never saw a tax it couldn't do without.

Posted Sun, Aug 8, 9 a.m.

common1sense: Wouldn't you agree that if the bankers who wrote those mortgages could be held at least partially responsible, many would not have been written?

Posted Sat, Aug 7, 8:35 a.m.

dbrenemen: I got your point immediately and thought that was an excellent observation. Policy is substance. T.M Sell: Scares me that writers like yourself seem to accept that mostly government can do no wrong. Brian Derdowski: Thanks to you and the council for your Sammamish policy. I logged and cleared ...

Posted Mon, Jul 26, 7:24 p.m.

Oh Ivan, there you go again.

Posted Sat, Jul 17, 2:30 p.m.

Another do-good er out to "help" the landowner with the decision about what to do with prime industrial property. WWII was then, this is now. You want a museum, or a factory? We already have the flight museum which is partly devoted to the B-17. That's enough. My wife's Uncle ...

Posted Sat, Jul 10, 10:25 a.m.

Richard, Yea, we need government, just not near as much. the 'new era of regulation' referred to in the article will follow the normal course of going too far. It will add more layers, hire more bureaucrats, cost a bunch a'doe. Like Jefferson said" The natural course of events has ...

Posted Thu, Jul 8, 6:50 p.m.

Sorry about the repeat posts, I kept getting an error message and didn't know the posts were going through.

Posted Thu, Jul 8, 6:48 p.m.

That is not what I meant. I was challenging the pastor to take a position on a controversial subject. He began his article talking about the troubling realities of high unemployment, recession and an oil spill. I found these trifling when compared to major challenges of the past, thus my ...

Posted Thu, Jul 8, 6:47 p.m.

That is not what I meant. I was challenging the pastor to take a position on a controversial subject. He began his article talking about the troubling realities of high unemployment, recession and an oil spill. I found these trifling when compared to major challenges of the past, thus my ...

Posted Thu, Jul 8, 6:43 p.m.

That is not what I meant. I was challenging the pastor to take a position on a controversial subject. He began his article talking about the troubling realities of high unemployment, recession and an oil spill. I found these trifling when compared to major challenges of the past, thus my ...

Posted Thu, Jul 8, 6:41 p.m.

That is not what I meant. I was challenging the pastor to take a position on a controversial subject. He began his article talking about the troubling realities of high unemployment, recession and an oil spill. I found these trifling when compared to major challenges of the past, thus my ...

Posted Thu, Jul 8, 6:40 p.m.

That is not what I meant. I was challenging the pastor to take a position on a controversial subject. He began his article talking about the troubling realities of high unemployment, recession and an oil spill. I found these trifling when compared to major challenges of the past, thus my ...

Posted Wed, Jul 7, 7:27 p.m.

Sarah and Benjamin Lukoff: Is that what I said, that removing prayer had diminished our moral character? Read it again. How is morality and character formed? What is social responsibility? Social justice? Can't believe the pastor thinks government has ANYTHING to do with morality and character!

Posted Sat, Jul 3, 6:43 a.m.

Anthony Robinson the statist. Why don't you take a serious risk and write about how our moral character has been influenced by removing prayer from the schools? You also need to put national problems in perspective. The generation that fought WWII was up against far greater threats than today. The ...

Posted Fri, Jul 2, 6:18 p.m.

Amen randydutton. what about excess bureaucracy slowing down productive biz? Another argument for less guv and their employees. all those folks running around preventing harm by slowing things down have now become the harm. Lets get rid of a bunch more. Impending bankruptcy does have a silver lining.

Posted Sat, Jun 26, 9:12 a.m.

"Chances are, few people expect the college to be about jobs." No wonder to me our present predicaments. UW and Oregon State used to be the premier west coast forestry schools. Guess now UW will study the flora and fauna in environmental dream land. Who cares about jobs anyway?

Posted Sun, Jun 20, 8:24 a.m.

not one nickel, ever.

Posted Sat, Jun 19, 9:04 a.m.

I agree with countermeme. My timber business has experienced two recent price drops in my pulp sort, which wasn't good to start with. Saw log prices are stable, but threatened. My saw log market recently announced short duration shut downs due to lack of sales. Due to expiration of home ...

Posted Wed, Jun 9, 7:42 a.m.

L Bliss, The money we're wasting on Sound Transit alone discredits your argument.

Posted Sat, Jun 5, 6:44 p.m.

what's Kale?

Posted Fri, Jun 4, 9:03 p.m.

Sarah, I checked into solar panels for my log loader, but it didn't work out. Had trouble converting, lack of power and when the sun don't shine...well if I didn't appreciate that 100 gals/day o'deisel before, I sure do now. My next experiment will be a nuclear chainsaw.

Posted Thu, Jun 3, 5:48 a.m.

Fascinating history lesson. Now people sue over broken fingernails. Progress? hmmm...not so sure. Anything Murray and Schumer support is bad for the country.

Posted Tue, Jun 1, 10:20 p.m.

Ya know, Loren Bliss, i was going to respond, but I just don't know where to begin.

Posted Fri, May 28, 5:21 a.m.

Yea Bluelight, B.S.

Posted Tue, May 18, 3:59 a.m.

Thank you posters for explaining the natural resource income that I suspected was left out of the story. I wonder how permits are in Australia? Like Washington or like Texas? "It is the natural state for government to increase and liberty to decrease", one of my favorite Thomas Jefferson quotes. ...

Posted Mon, Apr 26, 5:22 a.m.

I wish Chris had had to make good on her threat to balance the budget with cuts. That would have shown we wouldn't miss 20% of government. Now governments at all levels are broke, they have spent other peoples money that they could tax away from them and more still, ...

Posted Sun, Apr 25, 8:05 a.m.

Snoqualman: So you think we're managing our National forests better today? You continue to push this logging at public expense BS. Tell me how this works, I never saw it while logging forests service sales myself. I think this article has merit, but the devil is in the details. The ...

Posted Sat, Apr 24, 8:17 a.m.

No chance Floyd, this turkey is dead on arrival.

Posted Sat, Apr 17, 1:33 p.m.

It would have been nice to have credible science to begin with. it would have been nice to not propose taking 65% of private property for the sake of the environment when preservationists had the upper hand. Most of the Puget Sound action agenda is just the same'ol stuff that ...

Posted Sat, Apr 17, 8:59 a.m.

Steve Zemke: We (industry) are already paying environmental taxes as I previously said. I know, you obviously think we need more. How much should we pay, and where are these "huge profits"? Government at all levels are broke, deficits are out into the future ad infinitum, and we are already ...

Posted Fri, Apr 16, 6 a.m.

Jack, You leave out major pieces to this issue. First, you fail to mention that there already significant enviro taxes and fees on purchased fuel. I see at about 5 add-ons when I buy off road fuel at bulk plants. Also, why didn't you mention that nearly every jurisdiction in ...

Posted Tue, Apr 6, 5:27 a.m.

"Domestic dependent nations", isn't that perfect? Welfare style support but exempt from many laws. You can think of white men stealing Indian land or you can put it in the proper context of another tribe (white tribe) winning in the constant war that was fought. My Great great grand Uncle ...

Posted Thu, Mar 25, 5:01 a.m.

Agree with snoqalman (a first) Co-gen plants at sawmills make sense. Thinning projects might yield some saw logs, but more 'mass'. These may or may not make money. Depending on the projects goals, say fire safety, it may work economically if these values are charged. I find it hard to ...

Posted Sat, Dec 26, 9:42 a.m.

The top down, centralized planning scheme codified as the Growth Management Act is soft tyranny. Futurewise and its allies and enablers, like the American Planning Association, of which Joe Tovar is President, seek to harden this tyranny by constantly suing local governments into their idea of appropriate controls such as ...

Posted Sun, Nov 29, 3:54 a.m.

"You know, I had something to add here ... but then read through the preceding commentary and thought ... possibly not worth the keystrokes? The CAO is a prescriptive county land use ordinance. The topic at hand is the overall state budget, a serious financial matter largely made up of ...

Posted Fri, Nov 27, 6:59 a.m.

Ivan: Lets review. When 3 appeals court judges and a division (5) Supreme Court judges unanamously throw out the single most significant and far reaching provision (socialist stretch) of the CAO, thats clear victory. The CAO, and other liberal reaches, like the shoreline master plans,in-stream flow rules, exempt well assaults, ...

Posted Thu, Nov 26, 12:30 p.m.

Agree with Bluelight. Yarrow: I am an elected official at a small special use district in King County. I am also a veteran of tough politics in King County from the outside, leading, with others, the fight against the CAO. I now see from the inside and I agree with ...

Posted Sat, Aug 29, 7:11 a.m.

Joshuadf: I have no problem with people who exercise their choice to live a walkable compact life. I do have a problem when these 'planners' decide thats the way I am going to live.

Posted Fri, Aug 28, 7:56 p.m.

"Rural King County is another good example of a place consistently funded by Seattle and Bellevue for fire and police service." Mr. Mahar, How is Bellevue and Seattle paying for my police and fire service?

Posted Fri, Aug 28, 5:49 a.m.

Most all of the commenters are wrong. Are you all planners? First of all, most people I know would not want the "compact, walkable" dense and crowded lifestyle that planners love to push. People want quiet and privacy, with a little "elbow room" thrown in, plus they want to own ...

Posted Sat, Aug 15, 5:06 p.m.

Mr Baker, I live in a world defined by real markets. I have to produce to survive. I have contracts with private landowners to log their timber and sell it on markets defined only by what they are willing to pay, period. Many of these markets are overseas, unregulated amd ...

Posted Sat, Aug 15, 8:24 a.m.

I wondered what happened to you, Aaron. Not surprised that you're involved in another far left, Seattle greenie group like Futurewise. I would go a bit further than many of the other commenters in that I think Fuse is Socialist more than progressive or liberal. "Freedom, opportunity, security for all." ...

Posted Sat, Aug 8, 10:52 a.m.

Just look at the stunning array of laws, regulations and taxes we have today. Wives have to work because, unlike our fathers generation (I'm 56)one income cannot pay the bills. I see this as a result of liberal thinking. More laws and taxes will solve the problem of the day. ...

Posted Fri, Jul 10, 3:36 a.m.

I disagree Mr Wade. This is a great program and should be fully supported. I just wish it could actually MAKE money so subsidies would not re required. As a county conservation supervisor, I would, and regulary do, vote funds for projects such as this.

Posted Mon, May 25, 1:59 p.m.

I should also mention a great uncle on my moms side. Paul Masterton formed up VP-151 at Whidbey Island Naval air station at the beginning of the war, flying PV-1 Ventura's, an aircraft I'd never heard of (I am a licensed 27 year pilot with extensive aviation knowledge). He commanded ...

Posted Mon, May 25, 8:03 a.m.

My dad talks about the palpable fear that west coasters had (lived in Portland) of Japanese invasion. He operated combines at the family farm in the Willamete Valley. Later served in combat ready unit in europe during early part of cold war. I had a great uncle shot through the ...

Posted Thu, May 21, 5:21 a.m.

Floyd: Tim thanks you for giving him yet another forum; heh..heh..heh..

Posted Thu, May 21, 5:10 a.m.

I'm glad Goldmark didn't spend much time on this. DNR didn't sell 10 of the last 14 timber sales it offered due to the economy. Nothing like a little economic crisis to define priorities.

Posted Sat, Apr 18, 1:03 p.m.

Interesting story. Follow them and attack? In the end, it will come to that. 1861 was a historical year in our family. On August 10,1861, my GGGrandfater fought his first epic battle during the Civil War. (It was the second major Civil War battle after Manassas)

Posted Fri, Apr 17, 6:19 p.m.

It really doen't matter much anymore. There are so few mills left and the forest bureacracy so difficult to negotiate, who would want to even do it. All these issues have been browbeaten to death for so long now. Endless, mindless process. Why even discuss it. Let it burn.

Posted Tue, Apr 14, 6:47 a.m.

How about getting back to basics, like engineering, manufacturing processes, Bus admin and get rid of the social feel good BS. Then maybe your whinning beggar arguments might gain a little traction. Glad I'm mostly done with the higher ed experience (paying for 3)

Posted Sat, Apr 11, 1:42 p.m.

The only democrat I (have ever?)vote for consistently. Clearly points out the BS that is SOP at state guv.

Posted Fri, Apr 10, 6:36 a.m.

By the time they got the permits, the recession would be over, but the program would never end.

Posted Fri, Apr 10, 6:32 a.m.

Ok Art, You want to create survivo-regions, something only possible with total gov authority, so we can become independent and self-sufficient?

Posted Sat, Mar 28, 12:04 p.m.

I see that you have your work cut out for you. Good luck!

Posted Mon, Mar 23, 5:08 p.m.

Isn't this the same guy who applauded the end of football at Western? Are you a soccer guy Floyd?

Posted Fri, Mar 13, 5:45 a.m.

You focus on the deficit as though it is a problem of not having enough money. Why not analyse the real problem, spending. I absolutely agree with stuka that the bureacracy is inefficient. This is universally understood, so why expand government. Cut gov and contract out without restriction and you ...

Posted Tue, Mar 10, 8 p.m.

Mr Chasan, Write a piece on our dimishing forestry infrastructure, a huge problem. Spotlight the states newest sawmill, Sierra Pacifics mill in Skagit County. Ask them why they had the gonads to build it, and why not in Everett where they originally wanted to put it. Tackle forest land conversion, ...

Posted Tue, Mar 10, 7:37 p.m.

I hope the trend narrows environmental lawsuits. For years now these suits have had the effect of rendering impossible any sane management of our national forests. Disease and high fuel loading on unmanaged forests present catastrophic fire potential and lack of economic opportunity, jobs, tax income and all that goes ...

Posted Tue, Feb 24, 7:02 a.m.

Many good points up to: "Futurewise has played a successful role in enforcing the Growth Management Act by slowing sprawl" You have no problem with Futurewise ruining the dreams of rural landowners but don't mess with my turf? One man's sprawl is another mans place in the sun. The reality ...

Posted Tue, Feb 17, 4:09 p.m.

By the way, speaking of local history, I have a client who is a member of the Ford family (not the car company, Ford's prairie outside of Centralia) whose mother was an eyewitness to the Centralia Massacre and who says the history (which is controversial) is incorrectly recorded. She is ...

Posted Tue, Feb 17, 4:04 p.m.

Sorry Knute, couldn't get past "Joe the plumber" disparagement. Joe the plumber is a private citizen who had the knowledge and guts to ask Barack the Great some rather inconvienent taxation questions, which the Messiah answered poorly. He was then subjected to a media scrutiny unheard of when 'favorites' come ...

Posted Sat, Feb 7, 7:52 a.m.

Good article, Knute. Your best atribute is your honesty, although you are city-centric in your thinking. Stuka's observations add greatly to your's in my opinion. "If done well, sprawl is a bueatiful orderly mosaic" There are many well done G zoned (about an acre, now illegal) communities in unincorporated King ...

Posted Wed, Feb 4, 8:40 p.m.

Yes Mr Baker, that is why Seattle should be it's own county as well. Leave the rest of us alone.

Posted Wed, Feb 4, 8:27 p.m.

You are full of it, Knute. I had great experiences with scouting as a youth. Our troop was outdoor skills oriented. The scoutmaster, Mr McLane, taught woods skills and spent all his vacation time with us taking serious hikes, like a 50 miler around Mt Ranier I'll never forget. Scouting ...

Posted Wed, Feb 4, 5:09 a.m.

Is your real name Wallace Stegner? OK, so no income from the National forests, which had multiple use mandates originally by the way. How do you pay for the environmental wish list? How do you pay for the agency to administer the forest? what happens when fire spreads to or ...

Posted Sun, Feb 1, 8:12 a.m.

Snoqualman, What does a "good timber sale program" mean? Of course it means logging. Are you a "no touch" preservationist who thinks all logging is evil? Lets look at some of the statements in the article to illustrate 'facts and contexts' missing. "Rural citizens are starting to see the downside ...

Posted Fri, Jan 30, 5:28 a.m.

Important facts and contexts are missing from this piece. I can see how new arrivals would contribute to Montana's economy, but blaming mechanization for timber industry job losses leaves out other important factors. Lack of log supply has killed off many otherwise well run and profitable sawmills. It is the ...

Posted Sat, Dec 13, 8:42 a.m.

This is great journalism with accurate in depth analysis. really enjoyed reading it. the comments add to it. As was mentioned early in the article, over-regulation has been a huge factor in the present diminished state of the industry. a search of the Seattle Times website of "forest land conversion" ...