Opinion

Swine flu and Green River flooding – real threats?

For years now I have operated under the rule that I do not believe anything my government tells me. If my government told me the… Continue reading

Backstrom: Am I an extremist?

I have been accused of being an extremist, angry, negative, loudmouth, trouble-making Uncle Tom — and black. All this before breakfast. I plead guilty to four out of six. I don’t have an uncle named Tom, and my grandfather was Jewish. I’m only part black, just like Barack.

Editor’s note: Kent Reporter sponsors mayor, City Council debates

If you have been riding the fence as far as local politics, then I want you to mark a date on your calendar: Oct. 19.That’s… Continue reading

Column: A bird in the pants is worth…

The first call I took as a brand new patrol officer (it was during the Reagan administration if that gives you some context) was a… Continue reading

  • Sep 29, 2009
  • BY Wire Service

A message from the Kent School Board: Thank you

We want to thank the members of the Kent School District community for sharing their valued input through emails, letters, and phone calls.

  • Sep 25, 2009
  • BY Wire Service

Editor’s note: Do floods mean I’m paddling my life raft to work?

Like a lot of Kent residents, I live in the valley.When I first moved here, nearly four years ago, I gravitated toward the Green River… Continue reading

Legislator speaks: School battles can bear fruit

Aristotle once said, “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”Harvesting that fruit will require some hard work. Especially as our school… Continue reading

Let’s get back to business at hand

The latest chapter has unfolded in our Kent teachers’ strike, and like all parties involved or watching from the sidelines, I am hoping this will… Continue reading

Column: Picket lines and teachers don’t add up

Well, the signs are up on many corners in Kent and happy smiling faces are behind each sign anticipating droves of support.I suspect support will… Continue reading

Evergreen Freedom Foundation: Unions don’t fix education

It’s fitting to look at Labor Day and “Back to School” side by side since many believe the teachers’ union is the champion of quality… Continue reading

  • Aug 26, 2009
  • BY Wire Service

Why am I angry? Let me count the ways…

Recently, I received several e-mails accusing me of being an angry black man.I will admit to being black, and the likely culprit is my parents,… Continue reading

Schools and soccer fields: Our kids are making the sacrifices, this time

From the way matters look now, it will be tough to be a kid in Kent.Ditto that as the parent of a kid in Kent.Our… Continue reading

Jesus would not have done this

I attended the Pray for Washington rally a couple of weeks ago.The rally was in Olympia, which made me somewhat skeptical. The rally was hosted… Continue reading

Education system tied in knots by union rules?

Recently, the Associated Press reported that hundreds of New York City public school teachers accused of offenses ranging from insubordination to sexual misconduct are being… Continue reading

Kent Station office space for Social Security Administration a mistake

I was disappointed to learn the Social Security Administration has, or is about to, sign a lease for the top floor of the new building… Continue reading

So does this make me a left-wing, media liberal? Or what?

The longer I stick around journalism, the more I hear the phrase “left wing, liberal media.”I heard that phrase bandied about in regard to me… Continue reading

Answer to Opinion page question: Who is Arnold Glashow?

The July 25 Kent Reporter ran a quote from someone you may have never heard of: Arnold Glashow.The quote: "An idea not coupled with action… Continue reading

  • Jul 24, 2009
  • BY Wire Service