The Columbian Blows It Again: In our view Feb. 8: Transparency Is Key

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Now, I'm all about governmental transparency. Locally, for example, any effort by the City of Vancouver concerning their rancid efforts on the I-5 Bridge Replacement or Loot Rail or their Columbian Newspaper Bailout Building Buy should certainly be held up to the disinfectant of the brightest sunlight. Nationally, our government should, for example; explain to us, in excruciating detail, what happened to every dime of the last failure of a bailout, so we can get a grip on the upcoming failure of a bailout.

Transparency, like so many of the messiah's false promises, has gone the way of his bogus bipartisanship. It has, in fact, become yet another of the many political footnotes long since forgotten from the "Change! We can't believe in!" campaign.

Mr. Obama's grandstanding Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which should be actually known as the "Lawyer Full Employment Act," was a bogus play that was and is utterly meaningless compared to the massive problems made worse by his Administration since that unfortunate January 20, last. It is another in a continuing series of laws or rules where government makes itself look good on the backs of business in its never-ceasing efforts to get the people to actually think government gives a damn about us; instead of merely acting as a conduit of payoffs, graft and corruption to political allies. After all, we need look no farther than the double-standard that is the appointment of a criminal tax-dodging illegal alien employer as our nation's treasurer to see that.

The signing of this act does absolutely nothing to address the over-arching issues confronting us today; much like, come to think of it, the pending union pay-off bill, which SHOULD more accurately be known as the Generational Indebtedness Act (Spendelous). That this will serve as Mr. Obama's direct pay-off of his union base in a way that would make Al Capone blush at it's arrogance, depth and depravity in the injury of indebtedness it will cause untold generations of Americans when the bill becomes due, all under the guise of a nonexistent "stimulus," is as obvious as it is obscene.

The Pravda Columbian, however, meekly and shortsightedly goes along with the Ledbetter scam, because they are as vested in The One's presidency as the leg-humpers at NBC News.

This past election, the Pravda Columbian acted like they were receiving their payments directly from the democrat national committee, given that in every race for an open seat at any level from the Presidency to state representative, they endorsed democrats and nothing but democrats.

Like their decision to avoid holding our local congressman, Brain Baird, accountable for his continuing failure to take a position on the organized crime effort known as the Barnett/Mohegan/Paskenta megacasino, this type of editorial is worthless in that it fails to hold anyone accountable.

When Obama sells out to labor (and is selling out to labor... as if anyone with a brain in his head couldn't see that coming; one need look no farther then the welfare program known as the Automaker/United Auto Workers bailout) this rag will express it's "disappointment," and then move on like nothing happened.

This newspaper only demands accountability for those not counted as their "friends." Arguably Mr. Obama, for whom they carried the local water like Gunga Din with their utterly unjustifiable, nonsensical endorsement; counts as much as a friend because of that endorsement as, say, anyone out of touch with reality enough to support the bridge/loot rail boondoggle.

Eyewash editorials like this one do nothing to change that perception, just like their easily predicted endorsement of Brian Baird in the congressional race did nothing to hold him accountable for his multiple failures in the case of the mega-casino scam... or to provide him with any incentive to take a position that doesn't sell us out to the tribe.

To clarify: I actually agree with any effort to hold any of the major players, business or union, accountable for their actions. That would include blowing off their effort to push the envelope into new territory by not only keeping these current requirements into place, but adding requirements for accountability to all concerned. No, my beef is the mixed message of this sorry editorial effort, and the fact that when it comes to Mr. Obama's multiple failures to the American people, I'll be here to tell this disgrace of a newspaper: I told you so.

In our view Feb. 8: Transparency Is Key Obama applauded for Lilly Ledbetter Act; he should also hold unions accountable

Sunday, February 8 1:00 a.m.

President Barack Obama continues to write big thank-you notes to organized labor. That's OK, so long as he agrees with unions on issues that receive his assistance and so long as his decisions benefit America as a whole rather than simply cater to a powerful interest group.

Some of the executive orders celebrated by union leaders in these early days of Obama Nation have had merit.

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is a good example of ensuring that common sense rules the day. Signing the act into law was one of Obama's first actions as president. It allows people who are discriminated against in the workplace to seek justice when they become aware of a discrimination-based pay disparity. Without the act, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a woman who suffered pay discrimination was not entitled to compensation because she filed suit long after the decision was made to pay her less than male peers.

Ledbetter might have filed her lawsuit at the appropriate time (within 180 days of such a transgression) had she known of the injustice. But she didn't. A lot of co-workers have no idea what others make in their same position, and as Rep. Robert Andrews, D-N.J., has said, "It should not become the law of the land that, if you are an employer and can hide discrimination for 180 days, you can get away with it."

But whereas the Ledbetter Act is an Obama move to cheer, there are other labor-related rule changes to jeer and a few left to urge the president to steer clear of. One such action the Obama administration is considering is the rollback of disclosure requirements for union officials. Given this month's trouble with various Obama appointees — and Obama's quick and admirable mea culpa — we hope the president would tell unions that he won't be making it easier for them to hide their actions from workers. After all, Obama has said this is a new era of government: "Let me say it as clearly as I can: transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency."

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