Archive for May, 2008

I’m not kidding. And I’ll be getting a “load” of garbage in my new position on the City of Richland’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee. The committee, comprised of myself and about 10 others, will be digging through Richland’s garbage options and providing a recommendation to council for the solid waste program’s future. It’s a big deal.

Being that the City of Richland runs it’s own solid waste program and landfill, residents have benefited from low rates and a quality of service unthinkable in many area’s of the state. But at the city’s current waste stream rate, it may not last. As I understand it, unless we make some changes our landfill could be at capacity by 2012. That’s not that far off.

There will be a matrix of options presented to us. Of those we will be looking at the possibilities of curbside recycling, transfer stations, composting, long haul (trucking out of area), and if I have it correct, even some expansion of our current landfill. Each has it’s own set of unique problems and possibilities.

Curbside recycling requires customer cooperation and a level of convenience in order to be successful. But the more convenient, the more problematic. Mixing recyclable materials such as glass and aluminum is easier for the customer but can require manual separation later in the process. Paper and aluminum have markets, glass not so much. And as it is, many of the end points for these materials are on the west side of the state so transporting the stuff is a requirement.

Transfer stations could be an excellent opportunity. Not only could they possibly be separation points for recyclables, they also would reduce the city’s transportation costs which can be measured in dollars per mile. Additionally, they could be places for residents to drop off materials, reducing transportation costs for customers as well. With gas at 4 bucks a gallon there is some wisdom in this option, but up front costs could be a prohibitive factor.

Composting is one of my favorite ideas. Green waste, as it’s called, can make up a major portion of each residents weekly output. We have great lawns in Richland (eat your heart out Seattle) and while much of the time, I try to mow my lawn with the mulch option on my mower, you can’t do that all the time. If that waste can be captured and composted, it would cut my output in half. And it could possibly provide a commodity at the same time. Nothing better than good compost to regenerate nutrient depleted soil.

I’ll talk more about these and the other options later. But ultimately, I would like to see a recommendation that improves our current program, ensures longevity and keeps costs down. I’m also going to do some experimentation in my own recycling that should provide some laughs. I’ve never been good at it and it’s time I improve my own behavior.

If you are a resident of Richland, or just have some thoughts, by all means provide some comments. I’ve been around here for a long time and while I’m pretty sure my experiences are pretty typical, it’s good to hear others’ point of view.

Go read Juan Cole…

US media divert attention from the actual cost in American life and limb by routinely reporting only the total killed (4,073 as of May 6) and rarely mentioning the 30,004 wounded in combat. To further minimize public perception of the cost, they cover for the Pentagon by ignoring the 31,325 (as of March 1)*** military victims of accidents and illness serious enough to require medical air evacuation, although the 4,058 reported deaths include 752 (no change last week ) who died from those same causes, including 145 suicide as of March 1.

From the PI

Police detain a suspect after a shooting at the Northwest Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center on Saturday. The fight occured during a relatively peaceful afternoon at the festival next to a drum circle. Two bystanders were shot when one man reportedly pistol whipped another. Witnesses said the gun went off during the fight and two people were wounded — a woman shot in the leg and a man shot in the hand.

I am completely against gun control. But assholes like this are the only reason I could change my mind. There is so much responsibility involved when owning or carrying a gun. The last place I would bring a gun would be a fucking folklife festival!!!!

Someday, I hope the right wing anti-gun control nuts will get behind legislation to help regulate access to guns to half-wits like this moron instead of worrying about their individual rights. Because we also have the right to go to a folklife festival and not get shot by an asshole.

(my quota for using the word asshole has officially been met for the month)

Ok, this might seem a bit sexist. But then there are women out there with their bathroom walls covered with pictures of Dale Earnhart Jr. In fact, a story I heard yesterday, one woman describes life as “God, and Dale Jr. (Jesus didn’t even make the list). So I don’t feel so sexist all the sudden. And with a serious win in her purse (if she actually carries one), this girl has a shot at today’s Indy 500.

Go Fast Girl…

[Update: with just 20 something laps to go, an accident in the pits takes out Danica's car.  She was holding in 7th at the time.  Oh yeah, she was pissed]

Too bad… and bad circumstances…

“I’ve put my family second most of my career. (This is) the right thing to do,” he said. “There will be people who are disappointed, but I think they will understand.”

Semler’s wife, Ginny, 64, a retired teacher, just learned that one of her kidneys has stopped functioning. Doctors are planning more tests.

Semler already had a good go at it in the fundraising department and was a strong candidate for the position and while I thought his “Building Bridges” video was a bit dorky, its also one of those silly things that’s endearing. I don’t know why so don’t ask me to explain. While I didn’t know if I would have support him yet, there aren’t many candidates out there with his qualifications.

This was the only YouTube version of Clinton’s comments that I could find so far without some ominous music or editing. It’s still f-ed up but at least you get it in context…

If you want my opinion… it’s a mess. Yea, we all think about it. But there is rarely a slip of the toungue without a moment of truth in its fall to the ground.

A friend said to me recently that his republican father was planning on voting for Obama. The dad said he believed Obama would be shot. Makes me wonder how much “progress” (or the lack thereof in Clinton’s case) we’ve made over the years.

How much entertainment can one get from Doc Hastings? Well that depends on what you consider entertainment but certainly his AP outburst takes the cake this week. As it is, the latest “Farm Bill” (a pork filled porkage for big ag interests and a few goodies for the folks Hastings screwed over during the past decade and timely for the vast majority of both wings just in time for elections bill) which was destined for a Presidential posture veto and quick veto over ride arrived on the presidents desk 30 some odd pages light. For which Doc Hastings gets the following quote:

“The House should not gloss over an incident of this magnitude,” Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., said on the House floor. “It’s a serious constitutional violation.”

A bill Hastings voted in favor of? Geezuss what an ass.

The deal is, according to the AP article, is procedure. And since a printing problem (or something like that) hasn’t happened since 1892 it was quickly figured that there was a way to remedy the situation peacefully. But not before republicans could jump up and down on procedure.

The bill passed 316 to 108.

Meanwhile… more bullshit out of Doc Hastings. This time we go back to Hastings concurrent them of giving the wealthiest among us a break (the rest can just piss up a rope I guess) by opposing the state sales tax deduction on federal taxes. It appears the deduction is at the expense of corporate tax loopholes and that just doesn’t sit well with Hastings.

“This Democrat tax plan is a fool’s bargain that unnecessarily raises taxes by over $50 billion in order to simply extend existing low-tax policies that have expired,” said Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., in a statement. Hastings is from Pasco.

(I’m sure your constituents would agree Doc… we don’t need the break. Especially if it harms Doc’s weathy friends.)

But the George Fearing camp didn’t waste any time reminding us all that the tax breaks on the chopping block are of the sort also slated for offshore corporations. You know… the ones that are moving American jobs overseas…

“It’s dishonorable to reward corporations who are moving jobs overseas with tax breaks in America,” said Fearing. “Even more, it’s disgraceful that he would vote for these corporations over helping taxpayers right here in Central Washington. This is another example of how Doc has the wrong priorities for us.”

That’s your week in Doc Hastings Bullshit. Watch your step…

That Europe function that got Republican Vito Fossella in so much trouble…

Despite besieged Rep. Vito Fossella’s retirement announcement today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington isn’t backing off their demand that the Staten Island Republican be investigated for using tax dollars to get frisky with a former Air Force liaison officer whose child he fathered.

The lefty watchdogs say they will not back off their request that the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct probe Fossella’s congressional junkets to Europe, where he is believed to have cavorted with official escort Lt. Col. Laura Shoaf, aka Laura Fay.

Looks like Hastings was wined and dined on the same trip.  And the obvious romance just didn’t seem to click with the then Chair of the House Ethics Committee.

In a twist, CREW has also called on the committee’s top GOP member to step aside from any examination of a suspect junket Fossella was on with his mistress. Records show that ranking Republican Rep. Doc Hastings of Washington State was on the 2003 congressional trip to Europe, where the married lovebirds’ romance was obvious to many of the travelers, sources have said.

“If Hastings was actually there and saw this and did nothing, he should clearly be recused from any consideration of the Fossella matter,” said Melanie Sloan, CREW’s director. “He should have at least confronted Vito Fossella and advised him he was about to have an ethics problem.”

And, in expected fashion, Hastings simply doesn’t plan on talking about it.

Last week, when asked if Hastings knew of the affair in 2003 or took any action, his spokesman said he wouldn’t discuss matters before the ethics committee. At that time, however, Fossella’s May 1 drunk driving bust was the only transgression known to be before the panel because House rules require a review of any lawmaker’s arrest. Asked again today, the Hastings spokesman said he wouldn’t discuss anything that could be looked at by the committee.

A big ol’e low profile… Uh huh.

While the Areva decision may be a sore spot for us locals, happy times for opportunistic pols, and fodder for poorly thought out editorials, there is yet even more to consider in the Areva decision for its new Idaho plant.  Yesterday we got the first printed voice of reason that I’m aware of in the letters section of the Tri-City Herald.

The national lab in Idaho has responsibility for nuclear power technology development. Here, we have turned the mission into something like garbage collection. Core staff involved in the long-defunct weapons production, which involved fuel fabrication technology and chemical separations, have grown old and retired (if not died). Younger staff, who have joined the national lab in Richland during a generation of neglect of nuclear power development, are not particularly knowledgeable in the technology of enrichment and processing of nuclear fuel.

Using the Areva decision as a stick to beat Gov. Chris Gregoire, as the Herald editorial board did and virtually all letter writers have done, strikes me as an example of cognitive dissonance at best, and petty partisanship at worst.

It’s not surprising so many took to howling at Governor Gregiore over the decision, but at least a few of us local minds (mine included) can think of better reasons.  Local blogger Kendall Miller also understands the business implications.

It’s no secret that Areva, as the only company that is currently building new nuclear power plants, is positioning itself to be a major player if not THE player in the coming nuclear renaissance in the U.S. As such its appetite for native nuclear know-how is insatiable. By selecting the Idaho site Areva can establish a presence in one of the few remaining nuclear-friendly communities in which it does not already have one. Many an Idaho-grown engineer and technician will find themselves locally-hired but globally utilized just as has happened in Richland. On the technical side of things, the gas-centrifuge technology is wrapped in layers of high security clearance. One may be able to buy the rights to use it but one is not allowed to see the equipment that does it. Since the Idaho Falls site is even more remote than the Tri-cities and has remained under a military-level of security, I suspect that the arbiters of the gas-centrifuge technology have a keen interest in putting the plant near a place that has on-going military missions. These are things that Olympia could no more affect than the rainfall on Rattlesnake Mountain.

Even though this is all speculation, knowing what we know today, it’s pretty clear Areva was watching out for Areva and making smart decisions to position itself to have the upper hand for years to come.  The fact that the Tri-City Herald could not even come close to that argument, or even attempt some half effort at researching the potential deal breakers for the Richland location undermines their credibility.  Because I know they’re not stupid.

Feeling down about this crappy weather?  Lighten up and come on down to Drinking Liberally in the Tri-Cities.  And in light of Barack Obama’s supposed ignorance on Hanford, I’ll buy the first drink of anyone that can tell me what infamous radioactive plant we are growing out here on the 500 square mile Hanford Reservation.

Hint:  If smoked, it doesn’t turn you into a Zombie…

Funny. I like his response though.

Heck, most people that don’t live around here either don’t know anything about Hanford, or think all us locals glow in the dark. Seriously!

Er… behind the scenes of that video I posted earlier…

h/t Gordon

From Politico’s Crypt:

Just off the House floor today, the Crypt overheard House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers tell two other people: “We’re closing in on Rove. Someone’s got to kick his ass.”

Asked a few minutes later for a more official explanation, Conyers told us that Rove has a week to appear before his committee. If he doesn’t, said Conyers, “We’ll do what any self-respecting committee would do. We’d hold him in contempt. Either that or go and have him arrested.”

Conyers said the committee wants Rove to testify about his role in the imprisonment of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, among other things.

“We want him for so many things, it’s hard to keep track,” Conyers said.

More bad news for the GOP. Guys like Rove earned the scrutiny they are getting. I’m looking forward to the outcome of this.

I forgot to blog this, but at DL last Tuesday night I bumped into Hillary!

Notice the LED timer she is wearing. It was counting down.

No word yet on the explosion…