Inside the editorial page
Inside the editorial page

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.

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What's on the minds of Tacoma News Tribune editorial writers
Sunday, October 19th, 2008
Posted by Cheryl Tucker @ 05:35:06 pm

Joe Biden works the Cheney Stadium crowd in this Associated Press photo.

Finally made it back from the Joe Biden rally at Cheney Stadium. It was a last-minute decision to go, so I didn't try to finagle a press pass. Instead, I sat up in the cheap seats with the riff raff (aka, my relatives).

While the TNT political writers were down on the infield in the sun, those of up in the stands were in the shade – and cold. "At least it isn't raining," chirped one glass-half-full type.

I heard that attendance was about 12,000 – which is more than twice any previous count at a Biden rally. I stood in a long line of folks waiting to get in (the only local candidate I saw working the line was county executive hopeful Calvin Goings).

In line we were told we needed to fill out a coupon with our contact information and then tear off a ticket in order to get in. The coupons were collected, but no tickets were ever taken at the gate. Seemed like a kind of sneaky way to build up the contact list. Whatever. I just wrote down a bunch of nonsense anyway.

Some impressions:

=> Read more!

Posted by Kim Bradford @ 05:10:44 pm

This editorial will appear in Monday's print edition.

The three incumbents who represent the South Sound in the U.S. House of Representatives deserve re-election.

Washington has only one genuinely contested congressional race in 2008: a rematch between U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert and Darcy Burner in the 8th District, which encompasses most of eastern Pierce and King counties.

We endorsed Reichert’s re-election in 2006 and do so again this year. He’s one of the most independent-minded members of the House Republican caucus, and a principled, thoughtful lawmaker. He works readily with Democrats and has become a determined advocate of preserving sensitive wilderness in the Cascades.

Reichert also has an impressive record of leadership and public service. Prior to his election to Congress in 2004, for example, he was King County’s elected sheriff. He has brought a rare depth of expertise in law enforcement to the House.

Burner, a Carnation Democrat, is a smart, tech-savvy candidate who’s mounted another vigorous challenge. She is a celebrity in the world of MoveOn.org, ActBlue and the Daily Kos. Her campaign has been powered by vast sums of money from the liberal blogosphere.

=> Read more!

Categories: What's coming, Election
Posted by David Seago @ 07:13:21 am

Doesn't it just toast your grits that the city of Victoria, B.C., dumps its untreated sewage directly into the Strait of San Juan de Fuca?

The Victorians claim the sewage gets diluted to the point of harmlessness, but there is clear evidence of degraded water quality in the vicinity of the underwater outfalls. Despite years of criticism, city and provincial governments are still only at the planning stage for sewage treatment.

This bone of contention will be among the U.S.-Canadian environmental issues explored at an Oct. 28 forum hosted by the University of Puget Sound. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the Schneebeck Concert Hall.

KUOW public radio host Steve Scher and Vancouver Sun political correspondent Vaughn Palmer will lead the discussion. From UPS' announcement:

=> Read more!

Categories: Taking notice