#85 Jan/Feb 2007
The Washington Free Press Washington's Independent Journal of News, Ideas & Culture
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TOP STORIES

Instant Runoff Voting OKed in Pierce County
The same ballot reform wins in every contest nationwide
by Steven Hill

Is it safe to buy a home in Washington?
Home inspectors are not required to report toxic mold
by T. McCormick

15 myths about global warming
by Doug Collins
cartoons by George Jartos

FIRST WORDS

READER MAIL
Bushco Propaganda, Mountain Time, Impeachment
cartoon by David Logan

Oops!
defects corrected from last issue

NORTHWEST & BEYOND
Mass die-offs of alpine trees; American businesses protest labor rights in China

FREE THOUGHTS

Should we save or spend?
Politicians tell us to spend, economists tell us to save
by Jim Sullivan

Viaduct Politics
Seattle needs a "Transit + Streets" option
opinion by Cary Moon and Julie Parrett

War abroad, crime at home
Just why do crime stats rise when the country is at war?
by Doug Collins
cartoon by Andrew Wahl

HEALTH

The contaminated cigarette cartel
The major health risk is not tobacco, but industrial substances in cigarettes
article and cartoons by John Jonik

Medical Marijuana Scores Major Win
Court upholds California measures
from the ACLU
cartoon by John Jonik

MILITARY

Watada hearing tackles free speech for soldiers, relevance of truth
article and photo by Jeff Paterson, Courage to Resist

NASA plans moon base to control pathway to space
from Global Network

Keeping America safe
Themes from the Federal Register
by David Ortman

ENVIRONMENT

Reducing Extravagance
There are many ways--some surprising--to address climate change
by Doug Collins

Glaciers: coming or going?
by Doug Collins

FILM REVIEW
An Inconvenient Truth
review by Demian

TRASH TALK
Wintertime savings
by Dave & Lillian Brummet

MEDIA

MEDIA BEAT
Is the USA the center of the world?
by Norman Solomon
cartoon by George Jartos

Chavez wins Time reader vote, but is shunned by editors
by John Jonik

POLITICS

Let's have public funding for public elections in WA
opinion by Robert Stern, Washington Public Campaigns

Immigration reform: finally?
by Domenico Maceri
cartoon by George Jartos

RIGHT BRAIN

BOOK REVIEW
Spanning Washington
Historic Highway Bridges of the Evergreen State
review by Robert Pavlik

Two poems by Bob Markey
The Old Man and the Tree; Waiting for Bush's Other Shoe to Drop

Poems for progressives
Empire of the Senseless; Stomach Ache

NOTABLE QUOTES
from Bill Maher, Dwight Eisenhower, etc.

TOON-O-PHOBIA
Assorted cartoons from Scott Breeze, John Jonik, George Jartos, John Ambrosavage, Andrew Wahl, and David Logan

What is the Washington Free Press?

This paper is an effort--by many individual writers, artists, and editors--to bring to you information that often goes unreported in the corporate media (to see examples, just read this issue!). In a sense, this paper is a sort of childhood dream-come-true of what journalism should be: news in the public interest and opinion from the heart. This paper is a volunteer operation in which no one is making a profit or bowing to commercial pressures. It is not distributed in newsstands, but is instead distributed by volunteers who want to get underreported news out to their neighborhoods. This paper is not aligned with any political party or other specific interest, and you'll probably find articles written by middle-of-the-road muckrakers, by Chomskyites as well as traditionalists, and by generally unclassifiable individuals, as long as they write accessibly and with a spirit of public and planetary betterment. This paper is almost entirely dependent on you--the appreciative reader--for its existence, as there are always bills to pay for printing, mailing, and supplies. We thank those who continue to help over the years, and we ask that others please also help us get the news out by subscribing and donating to the paper, in order to help spread commitment and best wishes for a better world and a better region.

Doug Collins, coordinating editor

Should We Save or Spend?

by Jim Sullivan

 

I'm confused. To be patriotic Americans today, are we supposed to save our money or spend it? Since 9/11, various political leaders, including President Bush, have encouraged us to "go shopping" in order to help the economy. I'd have to interpret that to mean we should spend more money.

On the other hand, I understand that all the former chairmen of the Federal Reserve, and the current one, Ben Bernanke, have said that Americans' savings rate is not only extremely low, but below zero. And the chairmen have all strongly recommended that for this country to do well financially, its citizens must save more.

I know that saving money can do good things for us. It can provide funds for a rainy day, such as when we get sick, lose our job through layoff or company relocation, or have to pay a fire, storm, car, or flood insurance deductible. Saving helps us accumulate investment and retirement funds, have more available for our children's college tuition, afford a down payment on a home of our own, start our own business, buy goods without incurring debt, and much more.

Then, there's spending, like the President suggests: we go out and buy one thing after another. Using up our available cash, we then have to borrow money to pay for what we buy, often at high interest rates.

All that spending on our part is certainly good for for corporate profits, and for creating jobs (if they're not outsourced or given to illegal immigrants). But it keeps us working a lot, just to pay off our debts and interest. It often takes two or more jobs to do that. Moreover, we now have no money with which to purchase a home, pay for the kids' education, or buy a newer car. Such spending can't last forever.

Consumer debt may stimulate the US economy in the short-term, which could help politicians get re-elected. But all our spending might not be so good for us individually and in the long-term. Besides what's been mentioned above, the money we owe will keep us toiling well past retirement age.

In short, then, it would seem that saving is more beneficial to us Americans than spending. What about that, President Bush?*


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