Opinion

Frank Shiers cartoon

This year, it’s not about what he steals … | Frank Shiers

Frank Shiers cartoon… Continue reading

  • Dec 16, 2021
Frank Shiers cartoon
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at thebrunells@msn.com.

Our recovery hinges on people returning to work | Brunell

To “Build Back America,” people must return to work. In a U.S. Chamber of Commerce poll released in early December, the findings spell trouble for… Continue reading

  • Dec 13, 2021
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at thebrunells@msn.com.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Inside Politics

Message to Sound Transit: Not in my backyard | Roegner

It is easy to oppose something you don’t like – particularly if it is expensive – but also hard to think objectively if a project… Continue reading

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Inside Politics

2022 Legislature is on the horizon – here’s what to expect | Roegner

The upcoming session of the Washington state Legislature will be the short session, but it will also be very political because each side will bring… Continue reading

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Rich Elfers, “In Focus”

Do we take our neighboring nations for granted? | In Focus

Does the United States take Canada and Mexico for granted? The United States is in a unique geopolitical position, a position never before enjoyed by… Continue reading

Rich Elfers, “In Focus”
Guest columnist Greg Asimakoupoulos is chaplain at Covenant Living at the Shores in Mercer Island.
Greg Asimakoupoulos

It’s time to talk turkey about turkeys | Guest column

So how do you feel about turkeys? When I was 12 years old, turkey was not my favorite food. Since it was typically only served… Continue reading

Guest columnist Greg Asimakoupoulos is chaplain at Covenant Living at the Shores in Mercer Island.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Inside Politics

Not much changed from what we knew on election night | Roegner

This column was due before the election was certified. However, not much changed from what we knew on election night, as the ballots had slowed… Continue reading

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at thebrunells@msn.com.

Honoring heroes goes beyond lowering flags to half-mast | Brunell

Lowering our flags to half-staff seems to be an all too familiar sight these days. It is a solemn act that recognizes our fallen heroes,… Continue reading

  • Nov 17, 2021
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at thebrunells@msn.com.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Inside Politics

Public safety takes centerstage in local elections | Roegner

In Seattle and most suburban cities, the overwhelming message was that the public was scared and wanted to feel safe. That was most obvious in… Continue reading

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Inside Politics

Washington’s secretary of state leaves big shoes to fill | Roegner

Secretary of State Kim Wyman recently announced she will leave her state job to go to work for President Joe Biden’s administration as senior elections… Continue reading

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Dr. Jayendrina Singha Ray serves as Faculty of English at Highline College. Her research interests include postcolonial studies, spatial literary studies, British literature, and rhetoric and composition. Prior to teaching in the U.S., she worked as an editor with Routledge and taught English at colleges in India.
Jayendrina Singha Ray

What the Afghan wants to say: A story of resettlement | Guest column

The wind is strong. It carries the colored leaves of fall to our doorsteps — leaves that bear the first creases of winter on the… Continue reading

  • Nov 5, 2021
Dr. Jayendrina Singha Ray serves as Faculty of English at Highline College. Her research interests include postcolonial studies, spatial literary studies, British literature, and rhetoric and composition. Prior to teaching in the U.S., she worked as an editor with Routledge and taught English at colleges in India.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Inside Politics

The rest of the story: Sound Transit, Rolovich and Lambert | Roegner

All of the reporters I know are ethical and trustworthy. But I have learned frequently there is more to a story than what you read… Continue reading

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at thebrunells@msn.com.

When it comes to power, Washington may be falling behind | Brunell

For years, Washington state masked its high business and regulatory costs with low priced, reliable electricity — lots of it. However, Tennessee packages low cost,… Continue reading

  • Nov 3, 2021
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at thebrunells@msn.com.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Inside Politics

A look at city council races around the region | Roegner

I have been following elections in King County for close to 40 years. But I still rely on local sources who may know more about… Continue reading

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at thebrunells@msn.com.

Why should the threat to Taiwan concern us in WA? | Brunell

Unfortunately, what happens in Taiwan doesn’t just stay in Taiwan — it impacts us. So, when President Xi Jinping announced China’s plan to step up… Continue reading

  • Oct 16, 2021
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at thebrunells@msn.com.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Inside Politics

Election 2021: Closer look at King County races | Roegner

The race for Mayor of Seattle will dominate the regional media, but for most of the suburbs, it is the King County Executive and the… Continue reading

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at thebrunells@msn.com.

Our economy works when consumers pick winners | Brunell

Poland and America are like two trains passing each other in opposite directions. That is becoming increasingly clear as President Biden rolls out his progressive… Continue reading

  • Oct 9, 2021
Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at thebrunells@msn.com.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Inside Politics

Big-time politics: Redistricting for 2022 elections | Roegner

Based on new census data, which shows Washington state has grown by close to 1 million people, the Redistricting Commission is at the beginning of… Continue reading

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Inside Politics

Questions surround vaccine exemptions for state workers | Roegner

With about 4,800 state employees in 24 agencies requesting vaccine exemptions, which is 8% of all state employees, and with the list growing, oversight of… Continue reading

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn. Contact bjroegner@comcast.net.
Dr. Jayendrina Singha Ray serves as Faculty of English at Highline College. Her research interests include postcolonial studies, spatial literary studies, British literature, and rhetoric and composition. Prior to teaching in the U.S., she worked as an editor with Routledge and taught English at colleges in India.
Jayendrina Singha Ray

What the Afghan wants to say: Arezo’s journey to America | Guest column

In our little Zoom room, I hear my interviewee break into sobs. Her part of the Zoom room is engulfed in darkness, and I have… Continue reading

  • Oct 1, 2021
Dr. Jayendrina Singha Ray serves as Faculty of English at Highline College. Her research interests include postcolonial studies, spatial literary studies, British literature, and rhetoric and composition. Prior to teaching in the U.S., she worked as an editor with Routledge and taught English at colleges in India.