Lars Larson: NW wildfires are a shinning light of our political failures

By Lars Larson,
NW and national radio host

I hope the lessons of the last few days sink in before voters here in the Northwest cast the ballots that arrive in the mail just over a month from now.

Smoke filled the air of cities and too many tens of thousands of people sat in the dark this weekend, watching their food thaw as utilities cut power.

The two ARE connected. Bad management has made our forests tinderboxes primed for fire…not global warming.

We can fix that with the right leadership.

Arsonists have already been arrested in too many of the fires. But criminals know the police and the prosecutors and the prisons have become much more crime friendly lately…so they do their deeds and put lives at risk.

We can fix that with the right leadership.

We have seen our region’s electric grid weakened by shutdowns of too many power sources. Utilities spend their time and money on wind and solar instead fixes that reduce fire danger.

We have state governments in Oregon and Washington that promise to prohibit gas and diesel cars and trucks…and overload the grid some more.

Please keep all of that top of mind when you cast your votes…whether it’s for Christine Drazan, Joe Kent, Jo Rae Perkins, Tiffany Smiley or Alek Skarlatos.