Poor air quality creates health risks By Ann McCreary Autumn in the Methow Valley brings cool, crisp weather, bright days and colorful foliage. And smoke. Just like every other season of the year. The Methow Valley’s clean, clear air — one of its key attractions — is anything but clean and clear for extended periods of the year. In […]
Mud Dust Smoke & Snow
My New Year’s ‘rulin’s’ for 2014 include an ‘adios’
By Patrick McGann On New Year’s Day, I finally got to wondering about resolutions. I haven’t done that in a few years. I contemplated. I ruminated. I Googled. I found Woody Guthrie’s New Year’s resolutions from 1943. He called them “rulin’s.” Isn’t that something? Among them were pledges to shave, and shine his shoes, work […]
The health care dilemma: Someday we will remember why
By Patrick McGann In the future, in all 50 states, all health insurance will cover preventative care, doctor’s office visits, maternity care and mental illness. Health insurers will not be able to cancel your policy because you were struck with a costly disease. You will not become uninsurable because your blood sugar got out of […]
The case of the passive/aggressive county commission
By Patrick McGann I know, I should be haranguing the county commission on their ATV bulldozery, but I kind of feel like it’s a waste of time. They’re not listening, and I don’t think they are very concerned about the things the rest of us are concerned about. That much is obvious. I’m not sure […]
Look out! Here comes Obamacare!
July 17, 2013 By PATRICK McGANN Since 2010 the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has voted 38 times to repeal Obamacare. Speaker John Boehner just announced they are going to vote to gut it for a 39th time, which, of course, has absolutely no chance of passing the Senate or clearing Obama’s desk. They really, really […]
Quick, pick liberty or death
June 12, 2013 By PATRICK McGANN One. The Internal Revenue Service’s “targeting” scandal is exactly what the IRS says it is, overwhelmed bureaucrats making inappropriate shortcuts to more efficiently accomplish what they’re supposed to be doing – profiling, basically. Two. The National Security Agency (NSA) has been collecting, mining and intricately sifting massive amounts of […]
