Opinion | The Daily Chronicle

Sen. John Braun of Centralia serves the 20th Legislative District, which spans parts of four counties from Yelm to Vancouver. He became Senate Republican leader in 2020.

John Braun: Need more reasons to support I-2117 and end the hidden gas tax? Try these

Well, there they go again. Opponents of Initiative 2117, which would repeal Washington's costly cap-and-tax law, are repeating the lie that passing the initiative would put our state's roads and … more

Commentary by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia | 9/13/24

Commentary: Facts on I-2109, the possible repeal of income tax on capital gains

Washington voters will soon have an opportunity to have their say on an unusual and corrosive tax the Legislature passed in 2021. The controversial tax imposes a levy of 7% on capital gains income … more

By Paul Guppy | 9/11/24

Chad Taylor is publisher and co-owner of The Chronicle. He can be reached at chad@chronline.com.

Publisher's Note: History of federal income tax and why it’s important to know

The history of federal income tax in the United States is a telling example of how temporary government measures, often introduced during times of crisis, can evolve into permanent and far-reaching … more

Commentary by Chad Taylor | 9/11/24

Richard Stride is the current CEO of Cascade Community Healthcare. He can be reached at docrs53@gmail.com.

Richard Stride: Folk wisdom, right or wrong, is intended to help us navigate life

Have you ever thought about those things that were told to you by your parents or grandparents? Those gems of wisdom they made sure to share not knowing if we were listening or not? These … more

Commentary by Richard Stride | 9/11/24

Ashlee Shirer speaks during a meeting of the Lewis County Association of American University Women chapter’s meeting on Thursday.

Julie McDonald: Ashlee Shirer lives her dream as a wife, mother and bakery owner

Although I had nibbled on her scrumptious cookies and read about her store in the newspaper, I’d never heard the story of nationally award-winning baker Ashlee (Christman) Shirer’s … more

By Julie McDonald / For The Chronicle | 9/9/24

Guest commentary: Lewis County Public Utility District rate increase necessary

The Lewis County Public Utility District (PUD) is a public entity and its expenditures are ratepayer funded. Unlike other government entities, the PUD does not tax nor have government income to cover … more

By David Plotz, Lewis County PUD general manager | 9/9/24

Tiger alumni players celebrate a point during Centralia’s non-league game versus a Centralia High School alumni team at Centralia High School on Thursday, Sep. 5.

Brian Mittge: Beautiful bridging of the generations

When old and young mix, both sides win. That’s true even if the “old folks” officially defeat the kids, as happened Thursday during the Centralia High School alumni vs. … more

9/9/24

The Capitol building in Olympia, home to the Senate and House chambers, is lit up on the evening of Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023.

Commentary: There’s a lot at stake for employers in this year’s election

We often hear that an upcoming election is the most important one in years, maybe even decades — possibly ever. It’s easy to dismiss this as election hype, but there are good reasons why … more

By Kris Johnson | 9/9/24

Letters to the editor can be submitted to letters@chronline.com.

Letter to the editor: Vote ‘yes’ on Lewis County 911 tax measure

My wife and I support the sales and use tax measure to support our 911 center that will be on the November ballot. It is 2 cents added onto a $10 purchase, which is a tiny amount to help fund our … more

9/9/24

Letter to the editor: Damage not unfixable, but it is easy to see our republic is in grave danger

Please join me in sending the current socialist political regime into disgraced retirement. Never before have we seen such an assault on our republic’s system of governance or our moral fabric. … more

9/9/24

Letter to the editor: Please consider joining Team Centralia

The Centralia School District Board would like to thank Mike Stinkeoway for his perspective and insight. Our board was strengthened by his contributions. Unfortunately, he found it necessary to … more

9/9/24

Letter to the editor: Trump didn’t cause mob violence of Jan. 6

Once again, letter writer Marty Ansley has trotted out the old, tired anti-Trump rhetoric. Jan. 6! Trump is no more responsible for the Jan. 6 riots than Trump or Vice President Harris are … more

9/9/24

Downtown Centralia is pictured in this Chronicle file photo.

Commentary: Building Centralia’s future together

Last weekend at an end-of-summer barbecue, I was asked an interesting question: “How do you revitalize a city like Centralia?” It made me think about the work we’ve done so … more

By Centralia Mayor Kelly Smith Johnston | 9/6/24

Sen. John Braun in Olympia on Friday, Feb. 15, 2024.

John Braun: Say no to lies and economic injustice by voting yes on Initiative 2117

There’s a school of thought that says people don’t start paying close attention to election campaigns until after Labor Day, when summer family activities are brought to an end by the … more

Commentary by Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia | 9/6/24

A helicopter flies to a drop point during the DNR aviation exercise in the Capitol State Forest on Wednesday, April 17.

Commentary: Record national debt harms forest restoration efforts

Our national debt is spreading out of control like a raging wildfire. Among other things, that added liability impacts our ability to fight those fires and reforest those scorched woods and range … more

By Don Brunell | 9/4/24

Letter to the editor: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has a track record of working hard for her Southwest Washington constituents

Every law, ordinance and regulation that governs my life is implemented almost exclusively by an elected official. I want a say in who speaks for me, so I am supporting candidates with a history of … more

9/4/24

Letter to the editor: MGP listens to what her constituents want

I want a congressional representative who works for us and takes that work seriously. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is a serious congresswoman. Rather than voting along party lines, Marie votes … more

9/4/24

Letter to the editor: Constitutional safeguards are worthless when not enforced

The Chronicle published two letters recently in which the authors claimed constitutional rights to make their points. You need a little lesson on the real value of those documents. Indeed, … more

9/4/24

Letter to the editor: The uninformed overreacted to commissioner endorsement

People who overreacted to the Centralia Police Association’s (CPA) endorsement of Sean Swope for Lewis County commissioner are utterly ignorant of government association and union political … more

9/4/24

Letter to the editor: We need to stop inventing facts or spreading half-truths just to win an argument

Facts always seem to be malleable in questions about gun violence. However, often these “facts” are just opinions in wolves’ clothing. The debate touched off by letter writer … more

9/4/24