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Posts published in “Issue: April 2020

When a 13% return isn’t enough

The City Council offers exemptions from property taxes for developers who build “market rate” housing downtown. According to their Downtown Strategy (DTS), market conditions present a few years ago would produce a return of [only] 13%, while “entrepreneurial developers” wanted at least 15%. The 8-year exemption from tax on residential…

Then This Happened — April 2020

Then this happened… WIP covered freight derailments in February, and this month, Washington legislators sent Governor Inslee a bill that requires freight and passenger trains to run with a minimum of two crew members. —climate activists were acquitted of criminal trespass by a Portland jury based on a defense that…

Activists arrested in Trident submarine blockade at Kitsap-Bangor Naval Base

On March 2, thirteen nuclear abolitionists blocked traffic leading into Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Washington as part of a public protest of Trident nuclear-missile-launching submarines based there. The direct action came at the conclusion of the annual gathering of the Pacific Life Community, a network of spiritually motivated activists from the…

What about those who can’t stay home?

Washington’s Governor Inslee issued an order on March 23 prohibiting people from leaving home except for essential activities at least through April 6. The order exempted “individuals experiencing homelessness.” So if you’re homeless, you’re not illegal, just on your own. The order said nothing about people locked up — either…

Strengthen and build immunity to give your body a fighting chance

Sheltering in place, washing hands often, not touching the face and using a mask when encountering outsiders are all good ways to “flatten the curve” and stop the spread of N-Covid-19. But don’t stop there—consider the advice of nutritionists, naturopaths and medical doctors who recommend additional ways to boost your…

Fact vs. myth about the “Missing Middle”

In April Parallax Perspectives on TCTV, Glen Anderson helps the public understand the serious shortage of housing that is truly affordable for people who are not rich. Local governments in Olympia and elsewhere want to solve the problem, but they have misdiagnosed it, so they have proposed the wrong solutions,…

Rethinking everything

And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently.…

Thurston County COVID–19 People’s Policy Resolution

The coronavirus outbreak has now hit Thurston County. Thousands of county residents are at risk of contracting the disease and suffering the economic fallout of its rapid spread. Many local residents do not have the option of working from home. Service, retail and restaurant employees, gig economy workers, those employed…

Política de Personas Con Respecto al COVID–19

El brote de coronavirus ha llegado y golpea el condado de Thurston. Miles de residentes del condado corren el riesgo de contraer la enfermedad y sufrir las consecuencias económicas de su rápida propagación. Muchos residentes locales no tienen la opción de trabajar desde casa. Los empleados de servicios, minoristas, de…

Only 90 miles away

Can we learn anything from a socialist country? When Bernie Sanders mentioned that Cuba’s population has a high rate of literacy, US politicians and their media echoes acted like he had endorsed the Devil Incarnate...

Pathogens, patents and pandemics

We are all familiar with the dominant narrative that the virulent strain of influenza known now as N-Covid-19 originated at a crowded seafood market in Wuhan China when an errant bat infected poultry, passed the virus to humans and quickly mutated into at least two deadly strains. Because the market…

A wake-up call: Threat “Z” at Hanford

Shortly before Doug Shoop retired from managing Hanford cleanup operations for the US Department of Energy in 2019, he met with members of the Hanford Advisory Board and answered a simple question: of all the issues that need more attention than they are getting now, what keeps him up at…

What is Socialism?

In this month’s column, you will be able to explore with me some aspects of “socialism,” often in the news because of Bernie Sanders—but rarely given an accurate explanation...

Maintaining our downtowns during lockdown

These suggestions relate to Olympia, but they work for other towns as well. Many businesses offer takeout. That’s a great option for support. Many are online, so check their websites to see if there is a way to buy a gift card or shop. This includes theaters. A win-win option…

Encierro

Hay miedo. Hay aislamiento. Hay compras de pánico. Hay enfermedad. También hay muerte. Pero, Dicen que en Wuhan después de años de ruido Puedes escuchar el canto de los pájaros. Dicen que después de algunas semanas de sosiego El cielo está despejado Azul y claro. Dicen que en las calles…

Lockdown

Yes there is fear. Yes there is isolation. Yes there is panic buying. Yes there is sickness. Yes there is even death. But, They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise You can hear the birds again. They say that after just a few weeks of quiet…