This blog is designed to give readers a glimpse of our editorial-page operation and how we make our decisions. We’ll let you know who we’re meeting with, what they’re telling us, what events and issues we’re looking at. We’ll also pass on information and observations that may not make our print editions. In addition to the editorial board members who post on this blog, the board includes Publisher David Zeeck, Executive Editor Karen Peterson and Managing Editor Dale Phelps.
Editorial board bloggers
Editorial page editor Patrick O’Callahan oversees the online and printed opinion sections of The News Tribune. He came to The News Tribune in 1987 and has worked at Washington newspapers since 1979. E-mail him at patrick.ocallahan@thenewstribune.com
Editorial writer Cheryl Tucker, in addition to writing commentary, manages the daily production of the editorial and op-ed pages and edits letters to the editor. She began her journalism career in 1974 at a Virginia newspaper and came to The News Tribune in 1978. E-mail her at cheryl.tucker@thenewstribune.com.
Editorial writer Kim Bradford manages the online opinion section of The News Tribune and writes commentary. She joined The News Tribune in 2005 after working 11 years at newspapers in Washington and Maryland. E-mail her at kim.bradford@thenewstribune.com.
Guest bloggers
Editor emeritus David Seago retired from The News Tribune in 2008 after 41 years at The News Tribune. E-mail him at sds99@harbornet.com.
Richard Davis’ column on state politics frequently runs in the print edition of The News Tribune. He was president of the Washington Research Council, a statewide think tank, from 1986 through 2006. Currently, as a principal with The Simeon Partnership, Inc. he coordinates the activities of the Washington Alliance for a Competitive Economy, a business coalition founded by the Research Council, the Association of Washington Business and the Washington Roundtable.
Karen Irwin of University Place, a mother of four, has been a frequent contributor to The News Tribune's print editions. She has also written for Seattle's Child, Puget Sound Parent, the Tacoma Weekly, the Fayetteville Observer Times and the political blog Right Meets Left. She graduated from California Lutheran University with a degree in English literature and is currently working toward a history degree.
Michael Allen, professor of history at the University of Washington Tacoma, was born and raised in Ellensburg. He served with the U.S. Marines in Vietnam from 1969-70. He has written five books, including the prize-winning "Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus' Great Discovery to the War on Terror," "Rodeo Cowboys in the North American Imagination" and "Western Rivermen, 1763-1861: Ohio and Mississippi Boatmen and the Myth of the Alligator Horse." Allen lives in Tacoma and Ellensburg and has three children.
Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/tntopinion.
- All
- Editorial cartoons (285)
- Editorial outtakes (325)
- Election (121)
- How we work (191)
- Taking notice (1871)
- What's coming (989)
- Who's visiting (124)
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| << < | Current | > >> | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
- August 2009 (86)
- July 2009 (91)
- June 2009 (94)
- May 2009 (80)
- April 2009 (91)
- March 2009 (99)
- February 2009 (90)
- January 2009 (125)
- December 2008 (111)
- November 2008 (89)
- October 2008 (111)
- September 2008 (87)
- More...
XML Feeds- MrSinister
- artman77
- Guest Users: 243
Tacoma City Councilman Mike Lonergan, the third Pierce County executive candidate, is a videographer's dream. His answers were succinct and on point. (As a result, his clips are shorter than the others'.)
Lonergan's the dark horse in this race and he doesn't pull any punches. We'll see if his strategy of using the "Executive Excellence" party label to remind voters he's got the most management experience pays off. I personally think he would have been better off registering as plain old independent.
Lonergan on why he's running
On Sunday, we'll print our endorsements in the Pierce County executive races.
On Monday come our endorsements for Congress in the 8th, 9th and 6th districts.
But look for previews of both editorials on this blog the afternoon before they run in print.
Next up in our rundown of county executive candidates is Calvin Goings, Pierce County councilman and former state lawmaker.
Goings is by far the most polished campaigner; he also is the candidate who offers the most specifics regarding his plans. His interview was impressive.
For those of you who like your politics served with something stiffer, I suggest drinking each time you hear "at the end of the day."
Goings on his management philosophy
How about a $15 million "copying charge" to fill a public-records request? Incredible but true -- in Gov. Sarah Palin's Alaska.
From MSNBC news:
Sarah Palin's office has discovered a renewable resource to bring millions of dollars into Alaska's economy: the governor's e-mails.
The office of the Republican vice-presidential nominee has quoted prices as high as $15 million for copies of state e-mails requested by news organizations and citizens. No matter what the price, most of the e-mails of Palin, her senior staff and other state employees won't be made public until at least several weeks after the Nov. 4 presidential election, her office told msnbc.com on Thursday.
How did the cost reach $15 million? Let's look at a typical request.
See the full article here.
Thanks to Jason Mercier director of the Washington Policy Institute's Center for Government Reform, for spotting this story. He and I both serve on the board of the Washington Coalition for Open Government.
One of the coalition's aims is making sure copying charges for public-records requests are reasonable. I'd say $15 million was a little on the high side.
Look for our endorsement in the Pierce County executive race this Sunday. In the meantime, we'll be posting some excerpts of our interviews of the four candidates.
I'll take them in alphabetical order, starting with Pierce County Councilman Shawn Bunney.
We've tried to capture what seemed to be the most pertinent or interesting bits, but inevitably things get missed when you're editing four hours of footage. My apologies to any candidate who thinks their best stuff was left on the cutting room floor.
Without further ado, here's Bunney, a policy wonk who is never going to win an award for rousing oratory but does come across as thoughtful.
Bunney on his qualifications for the job
