Commentary
We can’t keep falling for the myth of ‘billionaire tax flight’
“Did you hear? Jeff Bezos is moving from Seattle to Miami!” Yes, I heard. And as someone who advocates for a more just tax system in Washington state, I braced for what I would hear from progressives and conservatives alike about the Amazon founder’s move. Bezos himself said that he decided to move to Florida […]
It’s time to broaden our conversation about guns
There is a familiar pattern after the mass shootings that have become a well-known feature of American life. The initial shock and grief gives way to demands for greater regulation of gun ownership by Democrats, while Republicans dismiss such measures and blame mental illness instead. But if we actually want to do something about it, […]
‘Taps’ carries on high the simple yet profound character of the soldier
Promptly at 5 p.m., every day, rain or shine, blizzard or heat, a volunteer bugler wearing a period World War I U.S. Army uniform stands at attention near the flagpole at the National World War One Memorial not far from the White House in Washington D.C. On a brilliant autumn day, I watched as a Black soldier attired […]
America’s farmers are getting older, and young people aren’t rushing to join them
On Oct. 12, National Farmers’ Day, Americans honor the hardworking people who keep the world fed and clothed. But the farming labor force has a problem: It’s aging rapidly. The average American farmer is 57 and a half years old, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s up sharply […]
United no more. But there’s hope.
This column was first published by the Daily Montanan. The “United” States aren’t anymore. Politically, our country is a train wreck – polarized, partisan and divisive. We have lost our moral compass; no longer united in the underlying democratic principles that gave birth to our republic; failing to work together to address existential threats to […]
Progressive reforms or harsher punishments alone won’t fix student misconduct
The 2022-23 school year was a particularly violent year for educators. In Florida, a high school student beat a paraprofessional unconscious. A 15-year-old in Georgia left her teacher with difficulty walking. And a group of students in Texas sent their assistant principal to the hospital after an assault. Recent headlines suggest the 2023-24 school year […]
Corporate consolidation is hurting Americans. Now is the time to rein it in.
This article first appeared in the Minnesota Reformer. Just weeks after Sanford Health and Fairview Health Services called off a mega-merger that would have remade Minnesota’s healthcare system, Cleveland-Cliffs announced its interest in acquiring U.S. Steel, a combination that would remake Minnesota’s Iron Range. The relentless pace of merger news is no anomaly though. In 2021 merger activity set […]
National officials should spark prescribed burns on federal lands to mitigate extreme fire seasons
As a former wildland firefighter for four years (2008-11), peak fire season would migrate north in late summer, to our district in Eastern Oregon, but the critical practice of prescribed burning was infrequently used in our region. Twelve years later, the fire seasons still migrate north, and millions of acres continue to be destroyed annually […]
Salmon politics in motion: Responsible momentum is building in Pacific Northwest
In 2021, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson proposed that the earthen sections of four dams be removed to restore free salmon migration through 140 miles of the lower Snake River. Since then, he has had underway a non-linear work in progress: tacking through political waters toward the day the real U.S. Congress, not a wishful one, […]
‘Zombie fires’ in the Arctic: Canada’s extreme wildfire season offers a glimpse of new risks
The blanket of wildfire smoke that spread across large parts of the U.S. and Canada in 2023 was a wake-up call, showing what climate change could feel like in the near future for millions of people. Apocalyptic orange skies and air pollution levels that force people indoors only tell part of the story, though. As […]
New long-term care program will offer families crucial support at tough times
You don’t need a medical degree to understand that accessing care when you need it, in the comfort of your home, is essential to our well-being. Our first statewide long-term care program will help make this possible and at such a low cost. The program is finally here and it’s time to celebrate. As a […]
Empty office spaces can be converted to residential buildings – but it won’t be affordable
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, more companies have offered remote work options for their employees, or have even switched to working entirely remotely – leaving empty office buildings a new fixture in many cities. In July 2023, Boston’s Planning and Development Agency announced a pilot program to offer incentives to building developers who convert office […]