Editor's Take: October 15, 2008
Credit: Buzz.Bishop/Flickr
Canadian Election Special
The Conservatives have won a minority government in Canada’s election, with BC voters helping return prime minister Stephen Harper to office. What are the implications for BC and its pioneering carbon tax? See these election summaries, the Tyee's active political blog, and this Sun piece on lessons for the BC premier.
Speaking of BC, we'll help you escape there!
Editor's Top Picks
Your editor today is Elisa Murray | View All Today's News
Canadian Elections: A Good Night for Tories in BC
Toronto Globe and Mail
10/15/2008
Conservatives win key battleground as Harper's positions on crime and carbon tax resonate with voters already upset with Liberal Premier's environmental plan.
Go to article.
Views: Political Lessons for BC's Premier
Vancouver Sun
10/15/2008
What lessons should Premier Gordon Campbell and Opposition leader Carole James be looking for in the federal results? It would be easy to look at these dismal election-night results and conclude that the carbon tax did the Liberals in. But maybe not if you look at the dynamics of the campaign.
Go to article.
Who Would Be a Greener Governor?
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
10/15/2008
Rossi, citing his Native American heritage and service to moderate environmental groups, is vigorously challenging Gregoire for environmentally minded voters -- a big difference from the Rossi-Gregoire match four years ago that basically ended in a tie. The P-I takes a look at the differences between Gregoire, Rossi on environmental issues.
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Economic Boom Left out Working Poor, but Bust Won't
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
10/15/2008
In 2006, a quarter of Washington families earned 200 percent or less than the federal poverty line -- $42,400 for a family of four; essentially the same as four years earlier, according to a report released Tuesday by the Working Poor Family Project. Although not officially in poverty, these families didn't earn enough to cover basic needs.
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Oregon Solar Plants Offer Economic Sunshine
Oregonian
10/15/2008
A ray of hope into a cloudy economic week for Oregon: Sanyo North America Corp. is launching construction of an $80 million factory that will initially employ 200 people making ingots and wafers for solar cells. Sanyo's plant will be be the "Nordstrom" of the Salem Renewable Energy and Technology Park, an 80-acre spread designed to attract more green companies.
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Toxic Byproducts Found in Bottled Water
San Francisco Chronicle
10/14/2008
The research group tested 10 brands of bottled water and found that Wal-Mart's Sam's Choice contained chemical levels that exceeded legal limits in California and the voluntary standards adopted by the industry. Four brands besides Wal-Mart's also were contaminated with bacteria.
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Translink CEO Lays Out Challenges, Strengths
BC Local News
10/15/2008
When it comes to SkyTrain, the former New York City subway boss piles praise on the automated system's speed and frequency -- at least in terms of the areas it now serves. But he also makes it clear he doesn't see the heavy metro system as the optimum answer everywhere as the region plans an aggressive rapid transit expansion.
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Stricter Regulation of Business Sought, Americans say
Los Angeles Times
10/15/2008
An L.A. Times/Bloomberg survey finds that nearly 70% of Americans in each of a wide range of demographic categories say the lack of controls is responsible for the nation's economic problems.
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Views: Want Worse Congestion? Vote for Washington's I-985
Everett Herald
10/15/2008
I-985, which Eyman calls his "Reduce Traffic Congestion Initiative," barely resembles the transportation audit Sonntag's office hired contractors to perform. By opening carpool and bus lanes to all traffic during narrowly-defined "nonpeak" hours, I-985 threatens to do the improbable: make congestion worse throughout Puget Sound.
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Views: Crackdown on Illegal Immigration Boosts Food Prices
Seattle Times
10/15/2008
The reasons for the increased cost of food are complex, including worldwide weather patterns and the high cost of fuel. But many crops are labor intensive and depend on the ability of growers to secure a sufficient supply of workers at critical stages, for example to harvest a field of lettuce or spinach, or an orchard of apples.
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