Editorials – The Columbian

Editorials – The Columbian https://www.columbian.com Wed, 03 Jun 2026 23:43:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://www.columbian.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/columbian-insignia-2025-1-150x150.png Editorials – The Columbian https://www.columbian.com 32 32 In Our View: Americans must learn to embrace unity https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/jun/03/in-our-view-americans-must-learn-to-embrace-unity/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:03:31 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2776624 Like it or not, we’re all in this together.

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]]> In Our View: WSUV cuts reflect out-of-whack priorities https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/jun/02/in-our-view-wsuv-cuts-reflect-out-of-whack-priorities/ Tue, 02 Jun 2026 13:03:15 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2776340 Washington State University Vancouver is facing a $15 million budget cut for fiscal year 2027. While the reduction will impact students, prospective students, faculty and staff at Southwest Washington’s only four-year college, it also triggers questions about how our nation approaches higher education.

]]> In Our View: Cheers & Jeers: Transformation; nuisance sites https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/jun/01/in-our-view-cheers-nuisance-sites/ Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:03:09 +0000 Cheers: To a transformation. Vancouver officials have broken ground on a greenbelt project along MacArthur Boulevard near Mill Plain Boulevard. The project serves as an unofficial launching point for an ambitious Heights District development that is scheduled over the next two decades.

]]> In Our View: Community wants answers in Longview tragedy https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/30/in-our-view-community-wants-answers-in-longview-tragedy/ Sat, 30 May 2026 13:03:54 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2775431 Tuesday’s disaster at a Longview paper mill is a reminder of the workplace dangers that many Americans face every day. And while we share in the grief over the loss of workers at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co., we also must look ahead out of a desire to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.

]]> In Our View: Washington’s specialty crops deserve attention https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/29/in-our-view-states-specialty-crops-deserve-attention/ Fri, 29 May 2026 13:03:30 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2775343 It is no surprise that Washington ranks first in the United States in apple production. But even longtime residents might not be aware that our state also is first in blueberries, hops and sweet cherries; second in potatoes and raspberries; and 13th in overall agricultural production.

]]> In Our View: Investing in jail promotes top priority: public safety https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/28/in-our-view-investing-in-jail-promotes-top-priority-public-safety/ Thu, 28 May 2026 13:03:15 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2775008 Once upon a time, The Columbian wrote editorially that “Clark County officials and residents need to have a serious discussion about the Clark County Jail.” Nearly a decade has passed since then, and the need for a serious discussion remains.

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]]> In Our View: Tolls for new I-5 Bridge fair; how much is the key https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/27/in-our-view-tolls-for-new-i-5-bridge-fair-how-much-is-the-key/ Wed, 27 May 2026 13:03:43 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2774747 As planning for a replacement Interstate 5 Bridge inches forward, tolls on the bridge are once again in the spotlight. And while the issue is a contentious aspect of the proposal, we are reminded that user fees are an important and equitable part of the plan.

]]> In Our View: Focus efforts on families to reduce homelessness https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/26/in-our-view-focus-efforts-on-families-to-reduce-homelessness/ Tue, 26 May 2026 13:03:10 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2774548 The difficulty in effectively addressing homelessness in our community is demonstrated by the difficulty in quantifying it. Yet while assessments of the issue are imperfect, the latest numbers are encouraging.

]]> In Our View: Cheers & Jeers: Safer roads; Hanford cuts https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/25/in-our-view-cheers-hanford-cuts/ Mon, 25 May 2026 13:03:45 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2773943 Cheers: To safer roads. Clark County is mirroring statewide and national trends with a reduction in traffic fatalities. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reports 35 fatal collisions in the area during 2025, a drop from a record 41 the previous year. Throughout Washington, there were 659 deaths last year, down from 809 in 2023 and 737 in 2024.

]]> In Our View: Memorial Day a tribute to our military’s sacrifice https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/23/in-our-view-memorial-day-a-tribute-to-our-militarys-sacrifice/ Sat, 23 May 2026 13:03:35 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2773720 As Americans observe Memorial Day this weekend, we once again find our nation involved in an overseas conflict. The occasion is a reminder of the sacrifices that have built the United States and defended her interests, with Americans consistently answering when their nation has called.

]]> In Our View: Oregon voters decisive about gas-tax increase https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/22/in-our-view-oregon-voters-decisive-about-gas-tax-increase/ Fri, 22 May 2026 13:03:00 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2773530 The demise of a proposed gas tax in Oregon was predictable. With gas prices having ballooned in recent months and with affordability being a major issue this campaign season, voters are more reluctant than usual to approve new taxes.

]]> In Our View: Car-free zones are worth talking about https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/21/in-our-view-car-free-zones-are-worth-talking-about/ Thu, 21 May 2026 13:03:20 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2773192 The idea is something out of a progressive utopia. And while the thought of car-free cities might be far-fetched, there are benefits to promoting pedestrian spaces and public transit and multimodal transportation in urban areas.

]]> In Our View: Local water efforts lauded amid federal erosion https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/20/in-our-view-local-water-efforts-lauded-amid-federal-erosion/ Wed, 20 May 2026 13:03:54 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2772915 It is a disappointing sign of the times that Americans cannot take clean water for granted. After decades of embracing protections for water that we drink, play in or use for irrigation, the past decade has seen an erosion of this foundational national concern.

]]> In Our View: Ease permitting, restrictions to boost housing https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/19/in-our-view-ease-permitting-restrictions-to-boost-housing/ Tue, 19 May 2026 13:03:15 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2772739 It is no surprise that relatively few starter homes are being built in the United States. Still, a recent article by Columbian reporter Mia Ryder-Marks includes some eye-opening facts.

]]> In Our View: Cheers & Jeers: Charter review; a newt low https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/18/in-our-view-cheers-a-newt-low/ Mon, 18 May 2026 13:03:29 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2772295 Cheers: To improving county government. The Clark County Charter Review Commission, a 15-member board that was elected last year, is reaching out to the public. Four remaining town halls are scheduled to discuss amendments that might land on the ballot this November. The next session is at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Columbia Room at the Vancouver Community Library in downtown Vancouver.

]]> In Our View: Data centers must pay their own way in Wash. https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/16/in-our-view-data-centers-must-pay-their-own-way-in-wash/ Sat, 16 May 2026 13:03:33 +0000 Thus far, according to people who track such things, there are no major data centers in Southwest Washington. But as the giant warehouses with rows of computer servers continue to pop up across the American landscape, and with more than 100 of them in Washington, they create issues for policymakers.

]]> In Our View: Our state depends on reliable trade policy https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/15/in-our-view-our-state-depends-on-reliable-trade-policy/ Fri, 15 May 2026 13:03:20 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2771605 President Donald Trump’s trip this week to China has broad implications for our region. Washington is the nation’s most trade-dependent state, making it particularly susceptible to the president’s mercurial approach to international relations.

]]> In Our View: Clarity, accuracy from start of project critical https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/13/in-our-view-clarity-accuracy-from-start-of-project-critical/ Wed, 13 May 2026 13:03:59 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2771062 Among the biggest frustrations for taxpayers is the inability of government to accurately estimate the cost of infrastructure projects.

]]> In Our View: Transformation damages charitable giving network https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/12/in-our-view-transformation-damages-charitable-giving-network/ Tue, 12 May 2026 13:03:26 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2770831 As a recent Columbian article details, nonprofits throughout Southwest Washington are feeling the impact of cuts in federal funding.

]]> In Our View: Cheers & Jeers: The arts; lack of transparency https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/10/in-our-view-cheers-lack-of-transparency/ Sun, 10 May 2026 13:03:06 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2770397 Cheers: To a potential performing arts center. Friends of Center for the Arts, a local nonprofit, has released architectural renderings for a proposed center at Columbia Palisades in east Vancouver. “This is no longer a wish or a dream …” one organizer said. “It’s not a matter of ‘if.’ It’s a matter of how quickly we can get this to fruition for Southwest Washington.”

]]> In Our View: Mothers’ love shapes our lives and the world https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/09/in-our-view-mothers-love-shapes-our-lives-and-the-world/ Sat, 09 May 2026 13:03:31 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2770305 Among his many memorable quotes, ancient Greek philosopher Plato reputedly said, “Give me a different set of mothers, and I will give you a different world.”

]]> In Our View: To help teenagers, first ask how they’re doing https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/08/in-our-view-to-help-teenagers-first-ask-how-theyre-doing/ Fri, 08 May 2026 13:03:38 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2769994 How are the kids?

]]> In Our View: Legislature responsible for state’s income tax https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/07/in-our-view-legislature-responsible-for-states-income-tax/ Thu, 07 May 2026 13:03:48 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2769627 Washington residents who oppose a tax on millionaire earners are understandably dismayed by a ruling this week from the state Supreme Court. But frustration should be directed toward legislators, not the jurists.

]]> In Our View: Street racing proliferation calls for action https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/06/in-our-view-street-racing-proliferation-calls-for-action/ Wed, 06 May 2026 13:03:14 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2769317 Street racing is nothing new. Since the advent of motor vehicles, people have been trying to make them go faster and tested their ability against other thrill-seekers.

]]> In Our View: Perez banana bill peels back stifling regulation https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/may/05/in-our-view-perez-banana-bill-peels-back-stifling-regulation/ Tue, 05 May 2026 13:03:03 +0000 https://www.columbian.com/?p=2769037 Congressional legislation can be complex, with omnibus bills bringing together conflicting interests to ensure their passage. In cliché terms, politics can make for strange bedfellows.

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