Advice, Opinion & Guest Writers

Whatcom County: FEC shows millions given to Candidates and Pacs for Federal campaigns

Money Laundering through Election Contributions? Editors Note: An initial study by the Fourth Corner Editor Group appears to show that there is something odd going on with donations to candidates and organizations that are normally monitored by the FEC (Federal Election Commission). This Federal level commission responsible for tracking Contributions and Expenditures for Federal Candidates (In Washington State: Congressional and Federal Senator offices and President) By following the link here to the FEC ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2023-04-24T11:22:03-07:00April 24, 2023|Advice, Opinion & Guest Writers, Beyond the Fourth Corner, Elections, Government & Politics, Fourth Corner News, The Fourth Corner|2 Comments

Justin Matheson on the Opioid Threat and Government Reaction…

Editor's Note: Bellingham Councilman reveals that drug overdoses increased by 20 (87 to 107 this year) in two weeks in the city... The following is a letter to the editor from Justin Matheson, a fire commissioner in Jefferson County: Justin Matheson is a Fire Commissioner and Chairman for Jefferson County Fire District #4, President of Jefferson County Fire Commissioners and Secretaries Association, a Firefighter/EMT-IV for Brinnon Fire Department, an EMT for the Jefferson County ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2023-04-05T19:00:27-07:00April 5, 2023|Advice, Opinion & Guest Writers, Beyond the Fourth Corner, Fourth Corner News, The Fourth Corner|0 Comments

Proposal to Raise Property Tax Rates in Legislature moves forward

Commentary by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia Republican Leader Sen John Braun For many Washingtonians, the 2023 property tax statements that came in the mail this month produced the same “sticker shock” they’ve felt when buying things like groceries and fuel. Those who are taken aback by the sharp increases in their property-tax bills need to know majority Democrats at the state Capitol are setting the stage for even higher property taxes. They ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2023-03-06T09:05:47-08:00March 6, 2023|Advice, Opinion & Guest Writers, Beyond the Fourth Corner, Fourth Corner News, The Fourth Corner|1 Comment

Election 2022: In Whatcom County: the Tax Man wins (by 20 Votes)

42nd District turns away new "Kids" property tax. In a vote counter to the Republican/Democrat vote in the 42nd the so called Kid's initiative was turned back by a 56% to 44% NO vote. The NO vote in the 42nd was more than the Democrat Senate race Candidate: Sharon Shewmake by about 6000 votes! Generally its Democrats associated with the policies of higher taxes and also voting for regressive taxes like the property tax. ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2022-12-29T15:16:26-08:00December 29, 2022|Advice, Opinion & Guest Writers, Beyond the Fourth Corner, Elections, Government & Politics, Fourth Corner News, The Fourth Corner|5 Comments

Water and the Nooksack Flooding solution

Whatcom farmers share Whatcom mayors’ concern over Ecology’s misleading statements, stalled collaboration... (LYNDEN, Wash.) Whatcom Family Farmers agrees with the mayors of five Whatcom cities, who are expressing their concerns about the Washington Department of Ecology’s troubling efforts to promote a harmful legal action against local water users, rather than support an inclusive, collaborative process to reach comprehensive solutions. In a June 14 letter to Ecology director Laura Watson, the local mayors suggest the ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2022-06-22T14:00:40-07:00June 22, 2022|Advice, Opinion & Guest Writers, Beyond the Fourth Corner, Fourth Corner News, The Fourth Corner|0 Comments

Snake River Dam Insanity Will Destroy Washington Prosperity

Inslee: On the one hand destroy our dams... on the other hand manage "our fragile grid" While energy prices are reaching new highs, Governor Inslee is continuing his bipolar and ill-conceived efforts at “transforming” the energy grid in Washington state. On one hand, he appears to support destroying the Snake River dams and removing eight percent of our hydroelectric power. On the other hand, in a campaign email, he predicts a summer of blackouts, ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2022-06-22T10:56:20-07:00June 22, 2022|Advice, Opinion & Guest Writers, Beyond the Fourth Corner, Fourth Corner News, The Fourth Corner|1 Comment

County Executive plans to bring Gun Control Resolution before Council in Coming Weeks

Executive Report for Council Meeting of June 7, 2022 Satpal S Sidhu Good Evening Council and Whatcom County Residents, I would like to talk about sensible gun laws. Today Mathew McConaughey addressed this very issue to our Federal lawmakers asking them to honor their moral obligations instead of party affiliations. We all want gun laws that make sense and will make it very difficult for sick people to obtain military style assault weapons. The current ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2022-06-14T11:44:40-07:00June 14, 2022|Advice, Opinion & Guest Writers, Beyond the Fourth Corner, Fourth Corner News, The Fourth Corner|11 Comments

New WA Building Codes Will Deepen the Housing Crisis

Got Housing? New Building Codes will deepen the Housing Crisis. Last week, in “Welcome to the Board”, we discussed boards, their duties and responsibilities (what do boards do). In addition to the common boards that you are familiar with, like school boards, there are many administrative boards that have been given rule or code making responsibilities by the state legislature. The Washington State Building Code Council (SBCC) is one of these powerful unelected ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2022-06-14T10:13:41-07:00June 14, 2022|Advice, Opinion & Guest Writers, Beyond the Fourth Corner, Fourth Corner News, The Fourth Corner|0 Comments

Welcome to the Board by Nancy Churchill Dangerous Rhetoric

Welcome to the Board Last month, in a column titled “Blow the Battle Horn!” I encouraged readers to get involved in the culture war and push back against the rule of “experts”. I wrote “You can give in to ‘the experts’ or you can exercise your civic duty to fight for the liberties defined in our constitution. This is a war of ideas, of words, of conversations, of education, of culture.” (https://bit.ly/38S2SMR) In ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2022-06-09T10:12:01-07:00June 9, 2022|Advice, Opinion & Guest Writers, Beyond the Fourth Corner, Fourth Corner News, The Fourth Corner|0 Comments

Assault Weapons Ban, the icing on the cake to further render Americans unprotected.

An Essay from Local Author Ralph Myers... A note on the Author: Ralph Myers Ralph Myers lost his son to murder in California 30 years ago. He is a long time proponent of victim's rights and writes here about disarming America as NOT being the answer... The outrage is deafening. The call to disarm Americans is moving at a fevered pace. As, a father of a murdered son, I identify with ...

By Charlie Crabtree|2022-06-09T09:58:59-07:00June 9, 2022|Advice, Opinion & Guest Writers, Beyond the Fourth Corner, Fourth Corner News|2 Comments