“A BILLION HERE, A BILLION THERE, AND PRETTY SOON YOU ARE TALKING REAL MONEY”

“A BILLION HERE, A BILLION THERE, AND PRETTY SOON YOU ARE TALKING REAL MONEY”

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That’s what Senator Everett Dirksen, the Republican Senate Minority Leader from Illinois, said about government spending sixty-four years ago at a  Republican leadership press conference. It has been pointed out that “A government that spends more than it takes in eventually discovers that math doesn’t vote.” Our federal government and the Democratic Party in the state of Washington will experience the reality of that quote unless they change their approach to government spending & taxation. As a lifelong Democrat, it…

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THE ROBERTS COURT EXPOSED FOR THEIR NONJUDICIAL POLITICAL OPINIONS

THE ROBERTS COURT EXPOSED FOR THEIR NONJUDICIAL POLITICAL OPINIONS

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My firm’s partner, David Beninger sent me an article from The Bulwark https://www.thebulwark.com/ an independent media company featuring good-faith, fearless journalism and committed to defending liberal democracy. Kim Wehle, in the August 3rd edition, wrote a piece entitled “A Blistering Critique of the Roberts Court, From Hawaii’s Supreme Court.” Excerpts will give a flavor of this excellent article: “THE HAWAII SUPREME COURT issued a stunning opinion last month that said explicitly something that many other judges across the country have been thinking:…

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MORE PERSONAL MEMORIES FROM THE PAST

MORE PERSONAL MEMORIES FROM THE PAST

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I’ve decided to avoid writing as much as I can about the Trump administration after the outrageous lies excusing the Reflection Pool total fiasco. Probably due to my age, I have been thinking about some past memories that give me pleasure to recall. I’d like to share a couple of them as I remember them.  Northern State Hospital in Sedro Woolley was an important part of Skagit County for sixty-one years until its closure in 1973. After graduating from Gonzaga law…

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MARY THELMA BABAROVICH LUVERA 1905 – 2000 & NICOLA LUVERA 1860 – 1956

MARY THELMA BABAROVICH LUVERA 1905 – 2000 & NICOLA LUVERA 1860 – 1956

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Two people I loved died in the month of July. My mother, Mary Babarovich Luvera, and my paternal grandfather’s father, Nicola Luvera. One on the 4th of July and the other on the 7th. Here is a brief summary of both these unique people  MARY THELMA BABAROVICH LUVERA  On an early Friday morning, July 7th, 2000, my mother, Mary Thelma Babarovich, died in her sleep at the San Juan Care Center. Her death was not unexpected. After all, she was…

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OBSERVATIONS ABOUT MOTIVATION

OBSERVATIONS ABOUT MOTIVATION

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Life can be difficult. We are all faced with trials and challenges. It’s helpful to study other people’s life experiences in order to be encouraged to continue on with perseverance through all of what life throws at us. Here are a few thoughts about that subject, which might be of help. In 1954, Roger Bannister became famous for becoming the first person at a sanctioned track meet to run a mile in under four minutes. That was one of the…

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NY TIMES: “There Has Never Been an Example of Presidential Corruption Like This”

NY TIMES: “There Has Never Been an Example of Presidential Corruption Like This”

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The editorial board of The New York Times recently published an opinion that is worth reviewing. The subject is that the President of the United States sued the United States for $10 billion dollars for his alleged wrongful treatment. The Justice Department was intended to be an independent judicial body that enforces our laws, but he removed the Justice Department head and staff with his own appointees. He appointed his own personal attorney as head of this department and then…

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A BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT MY EARLY YEARS OF BEING A LAWYER

A BRIEF HISTORY ABOUT MY EARLY YEARS OF BEING A LAWYER

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My career as a lawyer began at the Fox movie theater in downtown Spokane on a Sunday while the theater was closed for movies. The law school graduates proceeded into the theater as diplomas were presented by Gonzaga Law School. The diplomas were written on large parchment paper in Latin with a huge ribbon & seal. Except, that is, the fellow sitting next to me. When he unrolled the paper, he found it was a blank page with a note…

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TRUMP’S “KILROY WAS HERE” ADDICTION & OTHER PECULIAR BEHAVIOR

TRUMP’S “KILROY WAS HERE” ADDICTION & OTHER PECULIAR BEHAVIOR

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Donald Trump has many upsetting quirks and idiosyncrasies. Two are particularly noticeable. One is his obsession with putting his name on anything that is available. The other is his habitual use of threats, intimidation, reward, or punishment to get his way. The most annoying one is, however, his obsession with self-aggrandizement. TRUMP’S “KILROY WAS HERE” OBSESSION His name obsession reminds me of the historical phenomenon “Kilroy Was Here.” That history is one of graffiti from World War II.   This simple…

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THIS PRESIDENT THINKS CRITITIZING HIM IS “TREASON” WHILE PUNISHING THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH

THIS PRESIDENT THINKS CRITITIZING HIM IS “TREASON” WHILE PUNISHING THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH

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The First Amendment prohibits the government from “abridging the freedom of speech.” It also prohibits retaliation against people for speaking out, even if the speech is critical of the government. The Constitution is meaningless when our Supreme Court is in President Trump’s hip pocket and ignores its mandates. It has issued frequent “shadow docket” rulings, critics informally label as “ghost decisions” because they carry legal effect but lack full, transparent reasoning for challenge. At the same time,  Congress has been…

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“WAR AND TAXES: THE PRICE OF UNRESTRAINED POWER

“WAR AND TAXES: THE PRICE OF UNRESTRAINED POWER

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The Scourge of Irresponsible Government Economics This state legislature is demonstrating another failure to apply economic common sense. The government is expected to spend only the money it has available and not go into economic debt. When the government spends more than it has, a budget deficit is the result. To cover that difference government doesn’t cut back, but instead raises more money through taxes. This Democratic state legislature has been an economic failure in the face of serious economic…

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