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Posts published in “Issue: January 2019

About this Issue — Political Work

Stimulated by the successful French protests, but recognizing that our demands are very different, friends of WIP and volunteer staffers put on these fluorescent vests because—like the people of France—and every other country—we are in a disaster zone...

Themes for February, March and April 2019

The February theme is rural life and the urban/rural divide. WIP is distributed in 4 counties of which three, Mason, Lewis and Grays Harbor are mostly rural. What is it like to live in “the county?” Community-supported agriculture might be thriving but the tax base is small...

A political animal in extreme times

The question of my political work following the November 2018 elections is a difficult one for me to answer, as US electoral politics rarely have any direct impact on what I do, and certainly not mid-term US elections. An exception, in my case, was the November 2016 elections, which led…

County commissioners shape our future, literally

County commissioner elections don’t always generate the interest that a hotly contested race for mayor or state representative might. Yet county government actions are consequential: many decisions about criminal justice, housing, public health, and environmental protection fall to county government to resolve. Land-use planning as a key county duty Buried…

Swept up in France’s yellow vest protests

I’ve never been tear gassed before. The smell is similar to fireworks and the effect is explosive—and effective. I immediately wanted to get as far away as I could from the noxious source of burning eyes and throat. I was in Paris when France’s “yellow vest” (gilet jaune) movement shut…