FRIDAY, MAY 19  ■  Governor's Safety & Health Conference is Sept. 27-28 in Spokane

Foster Parents' Organizing news:
■  In today's Seattle Times -- Foster parents move toward joining union -- In recent months, foster parents quietly worked on a plan to join the Washington Federation of State Employees and make Washington the first state in the country where foster parents will be part of a union.
■  In today's Olympian -- Foster parents say union would help most-troubled kids -- Foster Parents Ass'n: “We are seeking to organize a collective voice in our relationship with the state. We will work toward a... system in which foster parents are supported and valued for the important work they do, and in which foster children have a future of positive outcomes and productive lives.”
■  Today from AP -- Foster parents in state are nation's first to join a union
■  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Foster parents to join state union -- The WFSE says it can bring its lobbying skills to bear on behalf of the foster parents: "We have common interests and we can advocate for each other's issues."

Other local news:
■  In the King Co. Journal -- Hiring for military program slows, but Boeing sees many years of work
■  In the PS Business Journal -- Steelworkers authorize strike at Alcoa plants (brief) -- The 250 union employees at its Wenatchee plant and USW members at Alcoa's 14 other master contract local unions voted to authorize strikes if negotiations are not successful in reaching agreement.
■  In today's Kitsap Sun -- Donations down for Letter Carriers' food drive -- This year’s collections in Kitsap County netted about the same or a little less than last year -- 150,000 pounds for local food banks -- not exactly exhilarating news for organizers, sponsors and recipients.
■  In today's Seattle Times -- No Brightwater? Put a cork in it (Dickey column) -- The $1.6 billion price tag is huge. It's a damn big number. And the annoying, easy-to-mock part is the $140 million for mitigation. Depending on which side of the table one is sitting on, it translates as either bribery or extortion... But short of a pledge to quit going to the bathroom, Brightwater happens.
■  In today's Yakima H-R -- State sales tax deduction a matter of fair play... again (editorial) -- We would like to see renewed and aggressive support from U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings (in convincing his peers not to kills this deduction)... After nearly 12 years in Congress, he should be able to get attention in the White House and on the Republican side of the aisle in the House.

Part D is for Disaster:
■  In the Seattle Weekly -- Medicare I can't afford (Geov Parrish column) -- The Medicare prescription drug plan is ghastly expensive for taxpayers, doesn't cover a lot of what it needs to, isn't serving and is actually penalizing half the population it's supposed to serve, and is confusing as hell for anyone who tries to navigate it. It's a disaster.

Political news:
■  In the new Stranger -- Lynne Dodson earns State Labor Council endorsement in 43rd (brief)
■  In yesterday's Columbian -- Rep. Richard Curtis is lone local Republican given labor endorsement -- The WSLC uses no litmus test in making its endorsements, but did give considerable weight in this year's endorsements to whether candidates support the so-called "Fair Share" bill.
■  In the new Stranger -- The war on Jim McDermott -- Republican leaders in D.C. want to destroy Seattle's defiantly liberal congressman. In the process, they may destroy the First Amendment.

Immigration news:
■  In today's Washington Post -- Poison pills (editorial) -- An immigration bill that creates millions of second-class citizens would be worse than no bill at all.
■  In today's Spokesman-Review -- Guest status unAmerican (Ellen Goodman column) -- "Americans are bound together by our shared ideals, an appreciation of our history, respect for the flag we fly, and an ability to speak and write the English language," said Bush. We are also a pluralistic society and it's hard at times to define those "shared ideals." But an " appreciation of our history" will tell you that we were built and constantly renewed by newcomers who came to call the United States "my country" and defined themselves as citizens. Not as guests.
■  In today's NY Times -- The day an immigrant refugee can say, "I'm an American" (op-ed) -- Why the path to citizenship is so important.

National news:
■  In today's Washington Post -- Homeland Security turnover hurts morale, officials testify
■  In today's LA Times -- Gov. Schwarzenegger seeks $1 minimum wage increase to $7.75 -- But he opposes indexing it for annual inflationary adjustments, as the Democrats propose.
■  In today's NY Times -- No sign yet of Hoffa's body, but FBI cites "credible" tip