Don Brunell | Lt. Dan Needs Lots of Helping Hands

Posted by on May 31, 2018 in All Content, Don Brunell, Special, Voices | Comments Off on Don Brunell | Lt. Dan Needs Lots of Helping Hands By Don C. Brunell Sinise’s organization also links high school students with World War II veterans for tours of the D-Day Museum in New Orleans. He believes it is vital for young Americans to understand what our veterans have sacrificed. That link is weaker today. Today, with no military draft, less than 2 percent of our population is defending the rest of us. “Freedom and security are...
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Don Brunell | Streamlining regulations makes more housing affordable

Posted by on May 24, 2018 in All Content, Don Brunell, Special, Voices | Comments Off on Don Brunell | Streamlining regulations makes more housing affordable By Don C. Brunell America’s supply of affordable housing is shrinking and a bevy of government regulations on residential construction only acerbates the homeless problem. As a result more people are now living “unsheltered” in tents along the freeway or beneath overpasses because they can’t afford to pay rent or a home mortgage. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)...
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Don Brunell | New Approaches Needed to Fight Super Wildfires

Posted by on May 17, 2018 in All Content, Don Brunell, Special, Voices | Comments Off on Don Brunell | New Approaches Needed to Fight Super Wildfires By Don C. Brunell   With western wildfires growing in size and destroying more homes, farms and businesses, there is a need for new tools and approaches. The infernos are spreading so fast they are outstripping our ability to fight them in traditional ways. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Chronicle reported last November: “Over the course of just a few weeks, a major fire can pump more carbon...
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Skilled trade jobs go unfilled in our robust economy

Posted by on May 3, 2018 in Agriculture & Business, All Content, Don Brunell, News, Special, Voices | Comments Off on Skilled trade jobs go unfilled in our robust economy By Don C. Brunell Millions of college graduates find themselves saddled with crushing debt and more than a third of them won’t be working in their chosen profession. Many will be working for low wages. Meanwhile, there are millions of high-paid jobs are available in the skilled trades — electricians, plumbers, manufacturing workers, pipefitters, mechanics, appliance repair, computer techs,...
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South Korea success goes beyond Olympics

Posted by on Mar 7, 2018 in All Content, Don Brunell, Voices | Comments Off on South Korea success goes beyond Olympics It was hard to get excited about the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, but give the South Koreans credit for overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles to pull the games off — and pull them off exceptionally well.
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John Spellman: Best leader for tough times remembered

Posted by on Jan 31, 2018 in All Content, Don Brunell, Voices | Comments Off on John Spellman: Best leader for tough times remembered Too often, virtues and accomplishments of quiet leaders go unsung. Such is the case with John Spellman, former Washington governor and King County executive, who died on Jan. 16 at the age of 91.
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Good manners still count in business

Posted by on Jan 17, 2018 in All Content, Don Brunell, Voices | Comments Off on Good manners still count in business Our parents drilled into our heads that saying “please” and “thank you” were not only part of everyday life, but were essential to operating a successful business.
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Railroads implementing Positive Train Control

Posted by on Jan 3, 2018 in All Content, Don Brunell, Voices | Comments Off on Railroads implementing Positive Train Control While the investigation continues into the deadly Amtrak derailment near DuPont, the clock continues to tick on the implementation of Positive Train Control (PTC). The deadline is Dec. 31.
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Keep the holiday spirit all year long

Posted by on Dec 20, 2017 in All Content, Don Brunell, Voices | Comments Off on Keep the holiday spirit all year long During the holidays, our thoughts naturally turn to giving — not just giving gifts, but donating our time and money to charities, disasters and community programs.
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Camas papermill may be harbinger

Posted by on Nov 29, 2017 in All Content, Don Brunell, Voices | Comments Off on Camas papermill may be harbinger By Don C. Brunell The announced shutdown of the communications paper arm of Georgia Pacific’s Camas pulp and paper mill maybe the harbinger of what’s to come. Consumers are buying less paper, production costs are increasing, and competition is fiercer. GP will lay off as many as 300 workers next year when it shifts production of paper used for printers and copiers elsewhere. The southeastern...
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