One Washington

I said from the beginning that we are one Washington, and we’ve torn down the Cascade Curtain.

- Queen Christine, "Major strides have been made in economy, education, health care," Tacoma News-Tribune, June 29, 2008

A collection of environmental groups is asking its supporters to thank Gov. Chris Gregoire "for standing up for our health, safety and our environment by raising concerns over nuclear wastes from a uranium enrichment plant," once proposed for Richland.

- "Environmentalists praise Gregoire for raising concerns about Areva plant," Tri-City Herald, July 17, 2008

Now we know which "one" the Queen was talking about.

Eastern Washington and the Queen: Myth and Reality

MYTH:

As the members of the [Eastern Washington Advisory] council and I discussed today, it is vitally important to Washington that the unique issues facing central and eastern Washington be addressed through state government.

- Queen Christine, press release, November 16, 2007

REALITY:

But rather than champion a project she feared would be controversial in some environmental circles, Gregoire deployed a "balanced approach" of not publicly promoting or opposing the project.

Gregoire repeatedly was invited by Areva supporters and her staff to consider an agreement with the company to restrict in-state storage of the plant's low-level waste of depleted uranium.

But that wasn't enough assurance for her to woo the company personally - as backers had hoped.

And while Areva, through the Tri-City Development Council, repeatedly sought Gregoire's personal engagement, the governor's office offered "a professional approach, not a political approach" that minimized her involvement.

The governor's office also refused to believe intelligence indicating the plant could be Washington's if Gregoire would embrace it.

[snip]

Gregoire's unwillingness to play a more active role in recruiting what would have been a major economic development score for the state, Eastern Washington and the Tri-Cities has left even some of her strongest supporters shaken.

- "Herald investigates: How Washington lost the $2 billion Areva plant and at least 400 jobs to Idaho, Tri-City Herald, June 29, 2008

Tri-Cities residents are worried, justifiably, that the loss of this plant will cost more jobs. Herald political reporter Chris Mulick has more on his blog (a regular stop of mine.)

That's right, in an election year, the Queen ignored the needs of Eastern Washington to kow-tow to the radical Seattle environmentalists clad in birkenstocks and frayed "No Nukes" t-shirts. Is there any chance we'll get our stormwater burden lifted with her in office? Only with Dino Rossi as governor do we have a chance of that.

Obama may not have known where Hanford was, but the Queen won't be able to forget.

Junk Science in America leads to Hunger and Human Trafficking in Asia

Sometimes the news just doesn’t keep up. Here is a letter I just received from people I work with in Thailand. I’ve mentioned before that the use of food for energy is such a bad idea (or at least poorly thought out.) What an incredible strain high food prices will have on the poorer countries of the world. Just for reference we Americans spend about 10% of our income on food. The ‘green revolution’ has succeeded wonderfully for us and now Thailand. But neighboring communist dictatorships just have not caught on. My man in Burma (pastor ‘P’, sorry I can’t mention his name for fear of him getting in trouble) purchased a rice field to help make his missionary services more self-sustaining. But it really didn’t work out so well – at first - then he got help from an American who did soil tests and bought the needed fertilizer. Now he is self sufficient in rice production.

HUNGER
Food prices are skyrocketing in Thailand. The price of rice alone has risen over 30% in the past month. The average worker spends over 70% of his income on food alone. With the price of rice and other necessities going up, the average lower income Thai has to choose between eating
and not eating. It’s becoming a crisis situation.

Thailand has put an emphasis on being self-sufficient in rice so we have not suffered the severe
shortages that other countries have faced. The situation is much worse in Burma and Cambodia. But the crisis is growing for the poor. Please keep Thailand and all of Asia in your prayers. We are focusing on providing rice to our homes for at Risk Children and orphans. But the frustration grows as there is not much we can do to solve this growing economic crisis without God.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING
At least 54 Burmese died in the South while being moved by human traffickers in a broken refrigerated container usually used to haul seafood. More than 100 people were packed into the truck and the 54 died of suffocation. Burmese, Laotians and Cambodians continue to be smuggled into Thailand in order to find jobs. With the food crisis growing so will the problem of Human Trafficking.

Please keep us in prayer as we start churches to minister to these workers in Thailand. We really need your prayers for our main Burmese Pastor. He is still trapped in Burma. He cannot get a visa to reenter Thailand and rejoin his family. We are trying every possible way to get him
back. Pastor Tommy is the man responsible for starting most of our Burmese churches in Thailand and those that minister to victims of human trafficking and abuse.