Newspaper Columns

As a columnist with Tacoma's The News Tribune, I typically write about local, state and national affairs by examining and commenting on the underlying economic or public policy issues they raise.

Here are some recent columns. A more complete listing can be found by clicking here.

• "As the US heads for inequality, much of the world progresses", The News Tribune, March 27, 2012.
• "That rising tide seems to be missing a lot of boats", The News Tribune, March 14, 2012.
• "We can save much grief by getting ahead of social problems", The News Tribune, February 27, 2012.
• "State’s future tuition program caught in conundrum", The News Tribune, February 13, 2012.
• "Congress needs to engage in some real tax reform", The News Tribune, January 3, 2012.
• "Untreated mental illness raises the risk factors for violence", The News Tribune, December 19, 2012.
• "Leaders need to take a long-term look at budget crisis", The News Tribune, December 5, 2012.
• "It’s unfair to group the ‘welfare state’ into single lump", The News Tribune, November 22, 2012.
• "Misguided drug policies can create tragic, unintended consequences", The News Tribune, November 8, 2012.
• "Rising inequality partly to blame for stagnant economy", The News Tribune, October 25, 2012.
• "Op-ed: Approve Initiative 1240 to allow public charter schools", The News Tribune, October 22, 2012.
• "We must give our trust to educators, but we must verify the results", The News Tribune, October 11, 2012.
• "A citizen’s worth cannot be measured by simple arithmetic", The News Tribune, September 21, 2012.
• "Look to Europe to improve our educational system", The News Tribune, August 29, 2012.
• "To be better informed, state voters could use a little nudge", The News Tribune, August 15, 2012.
• "Court ruling could leave state's poor without access to health care", The News Tribune, August 2, 2012.
• "Everyone has an interest in getting a handle on student deb", The News Tribune, June 20, 2012.
• "In this upside-down world, public college means heavier debt load", The News Tribune, June 6, 2012.
• "How many homeless, hungry? Make statistics public", The News Tribune, May 23, 2012.
• "Ex-offenders face incredible odds against shaking their past", The News Tribune, May 9, 2012.
• "Solutions exist for Social Security’s long-term problems", The News Tribune, April 25, 2012.
• "When it comes to quality education, it’s the principal of the thing", The News Tribune, April 11, 2012.
• "No country for young (and undereducated, unemployable) men", The News Tribune, March 28, 2012.
• "Poor public policies send desperate people to dubious colleges", The News Tribune, March 14, 2012.
• "Safety net continues to shrink for those who need it most", The News Tribune, March 2, 2012.
• "Why should Lady Gaga pay a lower tax rate than Mitt Romney?", The News Tribune, February 14, 2012.
• "Loopholes for wealthy weaken fairness of income tax system", The News Tribune, February 1, 2012.
• "Veterans need strong connection to civilians to help transition", The News Tribune, January 18, 2012.
• "Lawmakers need to focus on structural problems with budget", The News Tribune, January 5, 2012.
• "All I want for Christmas is an improved health care system,", The News Tribune, December 21, 2011.
• "Trouble 6,000 miles away can shake our financial well-being", The News Tribune, December 2, 2011.
• "Let's be thankful that our problems are those of rich countries", The News Tribune, November 24, 2011.
• "Flat tax might simplify matters - but it wouldn’t be fair", The News Tribune, November 8, 2011.
• "Back to square one with end of federal long-term care policy", The News Tribune, October 25, 2011.
• "Gas tax would aid economy, fund state programs", The News Tribune, October 9, 2011.
• "Strike has been resolved, but many problems remain", The News Tribune, September 25, 2011.
• "9/11 wrongly lumped a whole group of people with terrorism", The News Tribune, September 9, 2011.
• "Maybe we really do get the politicians we unknowingly want", The News Tribune, August 31, 2011.
• "The solution to the debt crisis really isn’t a solution at all", The News Tribune, August 4, 2011.
• "Task for new UW President: Make college affordable", The News Tribune, July 8, 2011.
• "Unfair distribution of wealth has nation going to the dogs", The News Tribune, June 16, 2011.
• "State must not give up its role in affordable education", The News Tribune, May 26, 2011.
• "We need long term and short term debt strategies", The News Tribune, April 29, 2011.
• "We need long term and short term debt strategies", The News Tribune, April 29, 2011.
• "Unions not to blame for problems with pension mess", The News Tribune, April 15, 2011.
• "The case for energy taxes is even stronger now", The News Tribune, March 30, 2011.
• "Fiscal problems falling on the shoulders of children", The News Tribune, March 15, 2011.
• "Does the Tiger Mother allow for her Cubs’ Creativity", The News Tribune, February 23, 2011 (with Mary Hanneman).
• "Public sector at the mercy of one-size-fits-all model", The News Tribune, February 9, 2011.
• "Leaders must find creative answers to budget crisis", The News Tribune, January 25, 2011.
• "College cartel exploits football players’ talent", The News Tribune, January 7, 2011.
• "Government should help poor to save for retirement", The News Tribune, December 21, 2010.
• "We need better ways to raise revenue", The News Tribune, December 7, 2010.
• "State revenue picture is better than you might think", The News Tribune, December 2, 2010.
• "Health care reform repeal takes us in wrong direction", The News Tribune, November 14, 2010.
• "I-1098 neither targets nor discourages innovation", The News Tribune, October 27, 2010.
• "Paying twice for education: We’re spending a lot of money to help college students catch up", The News Tribune, October 10, 2010.
• "It might be counterintuitive, but more debt can help us", The News Tribune, September 16, 2010.
• "New education standards key to improving schools" The News Tribune, August 27, 2010.
• "Ballot measure gives us chance to fix budget for good", The News Tribune, August 15, 2010.
• "The erosion of higher ed Dollars are slipping away from teaching to sports", The News Tribune, July 25, 2010.
• "In economic terms, raising taxes better than budget cuts", The News Tribune, March 9, 2010.
• "Climate change likely to be costly for Washington residents", The Olympian (with Peter Dorman and Hart Hodges), March 12, 2009.
• "State should respond to climate changes now, not later", The News Tribune, Jan 23, 2007.
• "Trust-fund debate clouds real issues", The News Tribune, March 27, 2005
• "Debate over test data signals serious approach", The News Tribune, September 5, 2004.