Thurston County regulations snare business owner

Linda Reichel realized her life-long dream of owning a restaurant when she opened The Ranch Cafe 2 months ago. She needs to sell food—as well as coffee—so she can make enough money to keep her doors open.

Thurston County has been on the lookout for what they call “menu creep”—that’s when business owners like Linda increase their menu without Thurston County’s permission.

Now, Thurston County will not work with Linda and let her add menu items. She has already been forced to layoff her only employee and faces the real possibility of losing her business.

Linda Reichel Ranch Café owner

Obama Speaks, Dow Falls

President Obama has been spewing venom towards Wall Street the past few days, and now he is working to cripple business by supporting labor unions. Today he said, "Organized labor is not the problem, it is the solution."

It is the solution to get us moving towards Socialism, not the solution to rehabilitating the economy.

The market reacted. The Dow Jones closed today at about 8,000 points, a strong psychological support. I predict that we are ready for another big slide especially if Obama keeps up his current policies and rhetoric. His legacy may be single-handily destroying a crippled US economy.

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R. Scott Roberts : Political Activist

Rising Fuel Costs Force Choices

About the only thing I can agree with Robert here is that the rising fuel costs are causing Americans to make choices.

You can do two things: 1. cry about it like the woman and her two children suffering between the choices of renting a video and putting fuel in their car, or 2. you can get your household budget in order.

Of course I feel for a single mother and her two children. However, I cannot fall prey to a heartfelt logic that tries to lure a George Bush conspiracy theory.

The high prices of oil aren't some conspiracy at the white house and George Bush. It is simply a matter of supply and demand. The solution is for America to become energy independent. We can do this by drilling our own vast oil reserves and at the same time develop new, sustainable technology.

My only question is, "Why is this taking so long?"