I had posted a story in another thread about ConocoPhillips being fined in the neighborhood of $500,000 but that they should instead be forced to pay for the entire cost, as it was their fault for the damage. Here's an interesting update to the story.

Olympian:ConocoPhillips to pay feds $2.3 million for oil spill:

SEATTLE - ConocoPhillips and a subsidiary that owns a tanker that spilled more than 1,000 gallons of crude oil that sullied 21 miles of Puget Sound shoreline have agreed to pay the federal government more than $2.3 million, the U.S. Coast Guard said Monday.

South Sound Project for Military Resistance and Justice and Veterans for Peace #109 presents...

AN EVENING IN SOLIDARITY WITH MILITARY RESISTERS AND THOSE WHO SEEK JUSTICE IN THE MILITARY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20TH 7-11PM EAGLES BALLROOM 805 4TH AVE. E. DOWNTOWN OLYMPIA

Featuring Speakers, Music, Food, and Beverages, Raffle, Silent Action $10-30 sliding scale (fundraiser for the local and regional cost to support military resisters). Tickets available at Traditions Cafe or at the door.

Come join us for an evening of music, refreshments, and conversation. With enlightening reports from those within the peace movement, a silent auction, delicious hors d'oeuvres and Olympia's famous Fish Tale Ale, this is a night not to be missed! All proceeds benefit the local campaigns for Suzanne Swift and Ehren Watada (both of whom are facing upcoming trials.) We are a non-profit working to promote and foster friendship and understanding between the South Sound peace movement and those brave soldiers and others seeking solidarity.

South Sound Project for Military Resistance and Justice is working with Media Island and contributions are thus tax-deductible.

Lt Ehren Watada is the first commissioned officer to bravely refuse to deploy to Iraq because the war is illegal under domestic and international law. For more information on his case see http://www.thankyoult.org/.

Spc. Suzanne Swift was command raped by her superiors in Iraq. After she refused to return to Iraq under some of the same officials and she went AWOL, she was captured and in now facing trial. For more on her case see http://suzanneswift.org/index.html.

Join the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace (OMJP) for a panel discussion concerning the political economy of US/Iranian relations both historically and currently, and how racism and stereotypes are used to justify US intervention, and what can be done to stop aggression against Iran.

SPEAKERS:

Zoltan Grossman- Political Economy of US/Iranian Relations Historically and Current

Simona Sharoni- How the Position of Women is Used to Justify US Intervention in the Middle East

Larry Mosqueda- Boeing's Role in the Military Industrial Complex

Free and open to the public. For more information 360-280-6198

Thurston County is inviting local businesses to join Waste Free Holidays (www.wastefreeholidays.com), a program that encourages holiday shoppers to give “experiences” instead of stuff in turn reducing the amount of waste that goes to the landfill. Waste Free Holidays is a partnership between Thurston County, Cities of Tacoma and Seattle, Pierce, King and Kitsap Counties and businesses that provide discounts on experiences or services  such as movies, restaurants, spa treatments, memberships, lessons and more. 

Benefits To local business

· Increased visibility for your business

· Potential to gain new customers

There's a story on The Olympian's website right now about dropping the "SayWA" slogan.

At any rate, there's a quote near the bottom of the article that made me laugh and think about the Churchill "Young-Not Liberal-No Heart/Old-Not Conservative-No Brain" quote, given that the individual providing the comment in the article is a perfect example.

''Thirty-five years ago I smoked dope and probably could have come up with something like that,'' Darrell Bryan, general manager of Victoria Clipper, the region's largest tour operator, told The Associated Press in March.

I never could understand how the government is justified in not only taxing you to die but also taxing money that has already been taxed.

The Olympian:

Business owners take steps to avoid hit from estate tax:

But that preparation [of ownership transfer to the next of kin] - which [Lew Rents owner Dean] Eklund said can cost $50,000 to $60,000 including legal, accounting and appraisal costs - is pricey and additional costs mount up if insurance is purchased to help the next generation deal with the tax bills. Then, Eklund said, there are questions or uncertainties- for instance, would the company's banker continue offering lines of credit to the next generation?

And a bill for estate taxes, when combined with a federal estate tax of up to 47 percent for enormous estates, adds stress at a time the business already is under tremendous pressure to survive, Eklund said.