The speed of his action, in this regard, is in stark contrast with his continued refusal for many months to bring 20-plus pieces of House legislation, generally friendlier to free-enterprise capitalism, up for a vote.

The beehive of energy that free enterprise capitalism provides is generated by small business, which promotes creativity and innovation. These enterprises significantly improve the rate of meaningful employment as new employees are needed to fulfill the increasing expansion of service.

In today’s economy, big business has learned to depend on government benefits to increase their profits. This is known as “crony capitalism.” Companies like Amazon, Target, Walmart, etc., welcome taxes being imposed on small businesses because it eliminates the innovative competition for which smaller companies are responsible.

Larger companies already pay local and state taxes due to their multiple locations throughout the country, so this legislation possesses no significant threat to them. They can afford the administrative costs of managing the 96,000 or so local taxing districts requirements in the U.S. – something that small businesses can’t afford, even if they are profitable.

Competition breeds innovation while “safe sailing” in organizations often leads to interior “dry rot” where maintenance of the status-quo trumps creativity. If passed into law, this legislation will damage meaningful job creation.

Local violent shootings by a police chief, soldiers and citizens tell us that passing a background check does not predict the impossibility of future explosive gun violence. A foreground check tells us it is foreseeable that more disgruntled, alienated and agitated men will legally obtain guns for mass shootings.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., says our national security system failed in Benghazi and Boston, where a total of seven died. Our national security system also failed to foresee and prevent the killings of 33 at Virginia Tech, the 26 at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the 24 in Killeen, the six in Tucson, the six at Northern Illinois University and the 13 at Fort Hood.

We failed to secure weapons depots in Iraq that later armed the disgruntled young male insurgents who killed thousands of Americans. Radicalized men, at home or abroad, with easy access to weapons meant only for mass killing are the common thread threatening our security.

Whether the guns came from Turkey, Walmart or an Internet purchase, Republican senators should express equal anger about the weapons obtained that killed four Americans at Benghazi and more than 900 Americans in mass shootings on our own soil.

The Monday after the Sandy Hook massacre, I received a pamphlet titled, “Restoring Sense of Safety in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting: Tips for Parent and Professionals.” Our only response to a foreground check is to be ready to counsel our children on how to deal with the aftermath of mass shootings.

The front-page article depicts the hangover the state of Washington, Safeway, Walmart, etc., along with the liquor distributors, have inflicted on the mom-and-pop liquor retail business.

Granted the new owners should have known about all the fees associated with buying into this business of liquor sales, but that alone is no excuse for the crippling taxes laid on those who don’t have the resources big retailers enjoy. The article notes that Oregon is reaping substantially from our state’s overly regressive and oppressive tax system on booze.

Putting the squeeze on the mom-and-pop stores, with hopes of thwarting competition, is counter to the benefit of all. Not only does the system bankrupt the little guy, it also depletes the tax base, puts people out of work, and may put some on subsistence – which invariably becomes a cost and not an income to state coffers. It’s a lose-lose proposition to everyone but those the state, in a roundabout way, underwrites.

The state should allow mom-and-pop stores to co-op so they too can enjoy the same rates allowed big corporations. Unfortunately, lobbyists have already made sure that can’t happen.

What exactly has been accomplished by this project? The street is now jet-black, and the previously normal-length traffic lane markers are now a series of short, unevenly placed lines that are virtually impossible to see when it’s dark outside or when the road is wet.

The intersections that mark the three entrance/exits for Walmart were hazardous enough before this project, what with reckless drivers tearing out of the parking lots and racing down Bridgeport at all hours. Now the lane visibility on the road has been severely compromised.

Who was the brain trust behind this operation?

I understand those who want to protest against Walmart because of perceived discrimination against workers, whether it be due to race or gender, or because of its impact on smaller businesses. But the fact is that Walmart is a major part of the U.S. economy. Boycotting Walmart, even if it’s only for Black Friday, will cause the company to cut wages, which will mean they’re lower than the workers are complaining they are anyway.

Ultimately, though, there won’t be enough to fully boycott Walmart because people will think since everyone else will be boycotting so they’ll be able to get all the deals. Chances are a large group of people will think this, and the turnout will be the same as any other year anyway.

Essentially, resistance is futile, and Black Friday will happen like it would anyway.

Why are the rich trying to take over public schools with our own tax dollars?

It’s not just Bill Gates and Paul Allen who have given millions to fund this pro-charter school initiative. The Walmart barons have “invested” $1.7 million to get you to vote for charter schools paid for by taxpayers – and they don’t even live in Washington. The wealthy like us to pay for their pet projects.

Here’s the real deal. Public schools are under the control of democratically elected school boards paid for by taxpayers. Charter schools are run by private boards of directors, but using our tax dollars. It’s not enough that the super-rich send their kids to expensive private schools, but they want to siphon off public dollars to corporatize our children’s education. Why don’t they just use their billions to send our kids to private schools if they (and we) want to?

Tell politicians to fully fund our public schools for a change. And let us in Washington reject charter schools for the fourth time and vote no on I-1240.

They sway beautifully, they are very lush, and they are home to a colony of little yellow birds that playfully flutter about.

That day, however, tragedy struck. Bulldozers moved toward the trees, dug deep holes around the roots to force the trees to topple, then carried them to a large shredder. By the end of the meeting, all the trees were gone.

“They are building a Walmart,” said a colleague.

What? Another Walmart? What about the Target down the street, Costco, the Tacoma Mall and the Home Depots? Do we really need another store?

We do? OK, then why can’t those trees just stay there alongside the new building, with picnic benches for weary shoppers to enjoy their shade and point out those little yellow birds to their children?

The destruction was painful to watch. I walked out of the meeting with a heavy heart. As I stepped into
the parking lot, I was struck by a heavy scent of pine resin that hung in the air.

I realized that it came from the trees that had just been felled. I took in some deep breaths, very conscious that this scent was their last contribution to this neighborhood.

These fallen giants continue to live in my heart.

I went to their surplus sale on Thursday to see if I could get some good deals on furniture or other supplies for a free, nonprofit community writing center that my friends and I are creating. Once I told the members where the tables and chairs would be going, they refused to let me pay, insisting that they wanted the furniture to go to a place where it would help the community. They gave us 10 tables and 40 chairs and encouraged me to come back for more.

I have mixed feelings about the generous donation. I was thrilled to get the much-need furniture for free. On the other hand, it was incredibly sad to see the building being emptied, photos being taken down and the walls, counters and railings stripped of woodwork and metal so that the new Walmart can take its place.

As I was coming and going with my loads of furniture throughout the morning, one Elks member sat in his wheelchair gazing out the large dining room windows into the field behind the Elks building.

I hope his memories include all the good things the club did for us, the community. I, for one, am moved by the generosity.

When the council heard about the possibility of Walmart coming to Central Tacoma, they enacted a temporary ban on such stores. Yet the city is taking in alarming numbers of convicted sex offenders in boarding house settings and doing nothing about it.

The council needs to put a temporary ban on these houses until policies can be developed in regards to them. It is not enough to say “we are studying the matter.” The city must act now with a ban on any further sex offender housing. This matter would be of much more concern to the future of Tacoma than a big-box store.

So the new city manager is getting rid of some of the city bureaucrats who actually run the city.

It will do no good whatsoever. A city of 200,000 citizens cannot be run by an unelected bureaucrat who answers to no one if he can keep five members of the City Council on his side.

We elect council members who rely on the city manager and his unelected “team” for all of their information only to be bamboozle” at the last minute and left holding the bag. Think Walmart.

Tacoma will forever be playing catch-up as cities with democratically elected, modern government run circles around us.