There are a variety of special local elections on April 23, 2013 around the state.  The Secretary of State calls these "Special Elections" and many of them are indeed very special.  Here are a few worth watching regardless of where you live.

Do we really need tree ordinances crafted by Central Planners in order to grow trees and manage landscaping? Why spend the money, staff time, and hundreds of pages of ordinances when trees have been planted, grown, and proliferate just fine in our neighborhoods without the Nanny State?...Read more here

Free enterprise gets a bad wrap these days. It seems to be part of our economic problem rather than part of the solution. 

Small business owners often set out to pursue dreams and make a difference. They never imagine that government regulation will be one of the greatest challenges they will face. Misti Chastain's story is just one example. 

This morning on Tax Day, the Freedom Foundation delivered thousands of petition signatures to legislative leaders and Gov. Jay Inslee. The message was clear: respect and restore the 2/3 requirement for tax and fee increases.

The City of Olympia believes that it must pay outsiders over $100,000 to discover, find, and invent blight because nobody in Olympia can do this. Of course, nobody knows exactly what "blight" really is. However, a lot of money can be spent to discover some blight...Read more here

The Freedom Foundation is pleased to introduce our newest team member, Maxford Nelsen. Max joined the Freedom Foundation as the Labor Policy Analyst and will help create the awareness necessary to end union officials’ ability to overcharge for representation and to take advantage of...Read more here

It sounds like a sleazy advertisement: earn over $10,000 for life ... without working! Yet it's real for some retired government employees thanks to a practice called "pension spiking."

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died this morning. She left a legacy. Rising from obscurity, she challenged the assumptions of her time and place. She changed both Britain and the world, not merely by being right, but by working and thinking hard about how to defend freedom and free...Read more here

Should taxpayers be forced to pay more and get less when it comes to public works? That's the current policy choice made in both Washington and Oregon. It's called "prevailing wage," but what it is is a "super minimum wage" that artificially inflates the pricetag for public works.