As it turns out we could have one of the richest mineral deposits ever discovered in Washington State, right in our backyard here in Southwest Washington. Mount Margaret is located in the Saint Helens Mining District of Skamania County, about 22 miles southwest of Randle. The Mount Margaret deposit holds the potential for tremendous economic opportunity for Southwest Washington and

It seemed such a simple idea – hire a part-time handyman to help out around the ranch on a regular basis. I started blogging about the experience of one small business creating one small job as a way to stay motivated to get the paperwork done. I had no idea how much motivation it would take. Here’s how the experience

We’ve been hearing about green jobs for more than three years. Growing jobs by growing the green economy was a centerpiece of President Obama’s first jobs plan. But just what is a green job? And why am I having such a hard time creating one? The Washington Employment Security Department (link here) defines the green economy as “rooted in the

As Washington’s muddle-through economy limps on and the public need for better job prospects continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly clear that the people of Washington will have two types of job stimulus programs from which to choose. One is economy-driven. The other relies on government. A statement released October 24 by the Washington State House Republicans, spearheaded by

There’s a story about the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) enforcement inspector who comes to a ranch to check on the working conditions. He walks up to the rancher and says, “I need to talk to your staff.” The rancher replies, “There’s only one fellow who works on the ranch. He’s on duty seven days a week, is up