We are reading and hearing about town hall meetings all across the country where members of Congress are talking to and hearing from their constituents. I looked forward to attending a public meeting with Congressman Norm Dicks. I may have missed it, but I couldn’t find a date and location for a meeting that Dicks planned to hold.

That’s too bad. There are three things that I would have liked to talk to him about:

• During the campaign last fall, Dicks pledged to “fight for jobs.” I would have liked to hear from him what he has done in …

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Whenever or wherever a disaster occurs, who always comes to the aid of the country devastated by an earthquake, hurricane, or flood? The good old U.S. of A., of course.

Where are all the countries that are suppose to be America’s friends? Like France, Italy, Spain, England, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Mexico and so many others.

We have a major disaster in six of our Southern states. Homes and roads and businesses have been completely destroyed by tornadoes. Loss of life is over 300 and climbing. If ever there was a time America could use a helping hand, it’s now.

What is that odor lingering in the air? Sort of like rotten eggs? Oh, I get it. It is coming from The News Tribune (4-29) and the leader of the Dale Washam recall effort, Robin Farris.

Isn’t it nice that she does not have to play by the same rules Washam is held to? She does not have to pay her lawyers, and her fine of $500 was suspended by the state Public Disclosure Commission and she only has to pay half of it.

The charges of violating regulations governing the reporting of campaign contributions by initially placing …

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Re: “Bill would aid state’s family planning services” (TNT, 4-27).

Senate Bill 5912 would increase the number of people who qualify for Take Charge, the Medicaid waiver program that allows women access to free birth control and annual exams.

It is important that state legislators recognize funding family planning as an investment. An average pregnancy costs our state more than $8,000, but a year of contraception costs only about $30 in state funds under Medicaid. Today there is a gap in eligibility between state Medicaid coverage for family planning services and coverage for pregnancy through …

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Alarm bells went off after reading Mark Quinn’s Viewpoint (TNT, 4-28) on the forest management rules proposed by the U.S. Forest Service.

I am shocked that in the midst of the Obama administration’s advocacy for the use of best available science – a great reprieve from the attempts to shove science in the closet by the previous administration – these rules only call for forest managers to “take into account” best available science.

While I appreciate that this is the first time they’ve attempted to update the existing regulations in my lifetime, I am bewildered as to the scaling back …

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Is there no accountability for performance or oversight of the Tacoma Fire Department budget?

An article (TNT, 4-28) stated the Tacoma Fire Department is currently over budget by more than $600,000. City of Tacoma public record shows the Tacoma fire chief’s annual salary between $134,846 and $172,889. Under the direction of the city manager, the fire chief prepares and manages the fire department budget; he is responsible for the supervision and control of expenditures.

While we as taxpayers are financially obligated for these uncontrolled budgets and expenditures, who is accountable for the lack of fiscal responsibility and oversight? Who and …

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Two separate articles recently have reported on a school staff member being put on paid leave regarding something they were doing with students beyond their specific job description.

Boundary invasion policies in Washington state prevent staff from doing things that involve anything with students that is not their specific job description or events which the staff member is directly involved with. It also prohibits all personal issues from being discussed with staff and students and interaction beyond the school day, touching of students, transporting students and other similar issues.

Its intent was to prevent sexual misconduct with students by defining …

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Re: “Will skeptics accept birth certificate?” (TNT, 4-28).

This topic is hard to believe as a serious ongoing discussion. I was born in Japan of American parents, so I guess I never could become president. Maybe it’s the Hawaii thing, like it’s not really part of the U.S.

Actually that state has one of the highest rates of biracial marriages and kids. Looks to me this story is really about thinly disguised racism, and that large numbers of people just don’t want a black president with a black father and white mother.

Given our …

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