Nov. 21 Daily News editorial

All are heroes

Thumbs up: The night of Nov. 14, some brave citizens put themselves in danger to save the life of a stranger, a 35-year-old Longview man who tried to plunge off the Lewis and Clark Bridge into the ice-cold Columbia River.

Rainier High School freshman Evan Gleaves expressed what probably prompted all the rescuers: “I can’t just pass something up like that … I couldn’t drive away.”

Gleaves and three or four other unidentified people, including a woman who reportedly broke her rib, held the struggling man until the sheriff’s office took over. Sgt. Ryan Cruser said their use of a tow strap to bind the man to the bridge was “very resourceful.”

All of them are heroes.

Vandalism hurts young athletes

Thumbs down: Who would destroy thousands of dollars’ worth of kids’ football equipment?

Scott Radcliffe, president of Kelso Youth Football League, told reporter Leslie Slape that sometime last weekend unknown vandals poured paint over all the uniforms and gear stored in a building at Tam O’Shanter Park. They also wrote an arrogant message: “Catch me if you can.”

The $5,000-plus loss will make a dent in the league’s operating costs, Radcliffe said. The league keeps its playing fees low to make it easier for kids to participate.

Vandalism is always expensive, but this time it hurts kids and their parents.

Adding jobs, slowly

Thumbs up: Cowlitz County’s jobless rate edged down one-tenth of a point to 12.2 percent in October. That’s more significant than it might appear at first blush. It’s 400 additional jobs, and that’s worth a thumb.

Still, it’s hard to get too excited about an improvement of just one-tenth of a point. Daily News business writer Erik Olson reported that the county’s total employment in October was estimated at 35,300, which is 6 percent lower than a year ago. We’re still in a pretty deep hole — deeper than most counties. Cowlitz County’s October jobless rate was second highest in the state. According to Olson, it’s the highest October jobless rate since 1982, when unemployment hit 15.8 percent. But the numbers do seem to be heading in the right direction.

Stiffing taxpayers

Thumbs down: All of the political parties that tried unsuccessfully in court to deprive us of the voter-approved Top 2 primary made our list of sore losers. Now two of those parties — Republican and Libertarian — are reaching for a new low by stiffing Washington taxpayers for legal fees.

When the state lost in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, it dutifully paid the legal fees incurred by the political parties in their challenge. After the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the lower court’s ruling and upheld the Top 2, the parties were ordered to repay the state. The Democratic Party coughed up the $37,700 that it owed, according to The Associated Press. But the GOP and Libertarian parties have yet to ante up what they owe — $55,000 and $16,300, respectively. The Attorney General’s Office returned to federal court last week in an attempt to force the issue. That’s another unnecessary expense for Washington taxpayers.