Recent NWCitizen Articles

The Way I See It - The gift that keeps on giving
By Ham Hayes · Wed Dec 2, 2009
A news article appeared just before Thanksgiving on banning land mines. The Obama administration has decided not to sign the Mine Ban Treaty after recently completing a policy review according
4 min read · 1 comment
The Way I See It - Healthcare, A New Lesson
By Ham Hayes · Wed Nov 11, 2009
We certainly do need healthcare reform. The “debate” in the House has been a fascinating and conflicting mix of ideology, political power, idealism, facts, pragmatism and occasiona
4 min read · 21 comments
The Way I See It - The State
By Ham Hayes · Wed Nov 4, 2009
Few of us advocate for the suppression of the human spirit. In fact we would be shocked if others characterized us as miserly, mean spirited or oppressive. Yet today we find ourselves in a so
4 min read · 1 comment
The Way I See It - Protect the Net
By Ham Hayes · Wed Oct 28, 2009
We are looking at the all but certain demise of printed newspapers, and the conversion of TV and cable news into entertainment. Our last, best hope for getting hard news is the Internet. Or is
3 min read
The Way I See It - Compassion, Dead or Alive?
By Ham Hayes · Wed Oct 21, 2009
Compassion: We get it, and then we don’t get it. Merriam-Webster defines compassion as the “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.&#8
3 min read
The Way I See It - Port Reform
By Ham Hayes · Wed Oct 14, 2009
It is time to change the guard at the Port Commission. Our two incumbents running for re-election just don’t get it. Commissioners Walker and Smith have been in office for 18 and 15 yea
4 min read · 1 comment
The Way I See It - The Elephant in the Room
By Ham Hayes · Wed Oct 7, 2009
Healthcare and other socio-political dueling monologues are beginning to wear thin. Not because the topics aren’t worthy of our consideration. Far from it. What is discouraging is how
4 min read · 3 comments
The Way I See It - Hoofing through France
By Ham Hayes · Wed Sep 30, 2009
One good way to better understand our society and culture is to visit another country. Many questions and a little bit of trepidation can arise before and during a trip, even for seasoned trav
3 min read
The Way I See It - Lessons from Children
By Ham Hayes · Wed Sep 9, 2009
You know you’ve failed when your action of last resort is to attack. Attacking is, in fact, a defensive response to the inability to persuade others to a particular course of action comb
2 min read
The Way I See It - The Tsunami Is Here
By Ham Hayes · Wed Sep 2, 2009
There is a sense that in recent years our political and social discourses have become meaner. Our political system is increasingly seen as being more about gaining or retaining power than abou
4 min read · 2 comments
The Way I See It
By Ham Hayes · Wed Aug 26, 2009
The challenger for the Port Commissioner District 1 seat, John Blethen, has an uphill race ahead of him.
John is certainly to be congratulated for an excellent showing in the primary. And
2 min read · 1 comment
Update on Port & Council Public Process
By Ham Hayes · Fri Apr 24, 2009
Posted Thursday, April 23, 11:25 pm

This last Wednesday I reported my observations of the Monday, April 20 joint Port-City Council meeting. I expressed my concern that some council memb
4 min read · 7 comments
An American Poem
By Ham Hayes · Tue Feb 3, 2009
Tax cheats, lobbyists and crooks
Lined up at your door.
Struggle, struggle, cook the books
How ya gonna get off the floor

Come on Prez
Toss the bums out
Clean up this mess
Sho
1 min read · 4 comments
If Darwin Rode a Bike
By Ham Hayes · Sat Jan 10, 2009
There is a lot of grit and fortitude on Bellingham’s streets this winter. Not the grit deposited by COB sanders, but the dedicated bicyclists who ride in rain and snow and dark of night. Some
2 min read
Politically Incorrect
By Ham Hayes · Fri Dec 19, 2008
You probably can’t be anymore politically incorrect than this. I would like to thank ALL of our elected officials for their efforts this year. I know, I know….it is a lot easi
1 min read · 2 comments
Waterfront Triple Bottom Line - Lose, Lose, Lose
By Ham Hayes · Tue Nov 11, 2008
OK, citizen readers…what’s going on here? Are we witnessing a new war, right here in our backyard? It would appear so, and of course, we citizens are funding both combatants with our tax mo
1 min read · 2 comments
A Time to Choose?
By Ham Hayes · Tue Aug 19, 2008
Obama’s campaign may have reached its zenith. The emerging story about his position on partial and live-birth abortion could be the unraveling of his reach for history. A problem he has is th
1 min read · 12 comments
Sue Me, Sue You, Soufle
By Ham Hayes · Thu Jul 17, 2008
At the Port of Bellingham meeting this week, the Commissioners voted to sue the City over failure to resolve a water connection issue at the airport. It would appear that the Port has strong a
1 min read · 7 comments
20 times 1.5 is?
By Ham Hayes · Mon Jun 9, 2008
I had to travel a long way to become mindful of the importance of math. Not calculus nor trig nor geometry….just math. With grandkids in tow this week, we rented a row boat on Lake Hume, high
1 min read · 3 comments
Is It Soup Yet?
By Ham Hayes · Fri Apr 25, 2008
Do you feel that you are a part of the waterfront redevelopment? If you are among the small group of folks who have gone to Port presentations and public hearings, you might feel that you are.
1 min read

Ham Hayes

Citizen Journalist · Writing Since Jan 21, 2008
Ham moved to Bellingham in 1999 and wrote for NW Citizen from 2007 to 2011. He died in October 2022.

Total number of comments: 65

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