We saved the best for last ... I forgot to include in the Olympia roundup last week a failed bill that had to qualify as the most asinine of the session: West Seattleite (not to be confused with Seattle...) Mike Heavey's SB 5872, which would have reduced the permissible blood alcohol level for drivers from the new, more stringent .08 to an absurd .02. Essentially, it would ban driving after any alcohol intake at all. A companion bill, SB 5873, would have made alcohol servers liable for any damage done by alcohol imbibers no matter what the level (or lack of it). Again, one beer would do it. If nothing else, it proves that idiotic tough-on-crime legislation is not the monopoly of Republicans. And that the Prohibition Era ain't over yet.--Geov Parrish

Last week the bow section of the New Carissa was finally pulled off the beach at Waldport and hauled out to sea, where it took a Navy destroyer and a nuclear submarine (firing a torpedo) to finally sink it. No estimates are available of how much oil was released in the process. What we do know is that over 700 shore birds are dead and over 100 miles of coastline from Coos Bay, OR, north to Longbeach, WA, are fouled with fuel oil. So much for assurances that a winter oil spill would have a minimal impact on wildlife and the environment. Oregon is home to more nesting birds than Washington and California put together, and the area around Waldport is the home of three endangered species: bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and marbled murletts. Some of the other sensitive species include: harlequin ducks, loons, a variety of other sea ducks, and a nesting colony of over 100 great blue herons. Scoters and loons, in particular, were feeding in the Waldport waters right next to the Carissa, and they have made up a large portion of the dead birds found so far. Bald eagles and falcons feed on these smaller birds, and could easily become part of a chain of death caused by the oil spill. Moreover, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel were quick to point out that the "relatively small" size of the oil spill makes little difference to seabirds, because even a quarter-size spot of oil on a bird's feathers can be enough to kill it--especially in winter.--Maria Tomchick

Last week we got some great news regarding East Timor. Following is a selection from an East Timor Action Network press release:

Indonesia has agreed to allow the UN to create and implement a system of "direct ballot" to allow the East Timorese to vote on whether they want remain part of Indonesia as an autonomous province. If they reject this, Indonesia has said it will repeal the legislation by which it illegally annexed East Timor as Indonesia's 27th province, thereby clearing the way for East Timorese independence. East Timor will have its referendum on self-determination in all but name.

The East Timor Action Network/U.S. welcomes this development, but will monitor its implementation closely. The Indonesian military (ABRI) must be withdrawn and the militias disarmed before any vote takes place. The demilitarization of the territory must be a priority. Any balloting must be fully democratic with all adult East Timorese, both inside and outside the territory, able to vote. All remaining East Timorese political prisoners, including resistance leader Xanana Gusmao, must be released and free to participate. East Timorese inside the territory must be able to cast their ballots free of coercion, especially by the Indonesian armed forces and Indonesian armed militias and paramilitaries.

While progress is taking place in New York and Jakarta, conditions in East Timor are especially worrisome. Militia and paramilitary threats and violence continue. Foreign and East Timorese health care workers, aid workers, and journalists report serious food shortages and a mounting health care crisis with few doctors and limited medicines available. Outside relief has been obstructed by Indonesian government bureaucrats.

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have already endorsed self-determination for East Timor. We urge the executive branch to do the same, to stop supplying and training ABRI (the Indonesian armed forces), and to press the Indonesian government to live up to its international commitments by withdrawing its troops, disarming the militias, and allowing a free and fair vote on autonomy versus independence. The Indonesian government must allow the importation of basic necessities like medicines, fuel and food into East Timor, and international humanitarian aid organizations must be free to carry out their work in East Timor.

The U.S. should also assist the UN financially in carrying out the vote and providing emergency relief via UN agencies to alleviate the latest food and health crises in East Timor.ETAN/U.S. can be contacted locally at: 206-633-2836.

And we also got some very bad news last week. This is from a Reuters article by Julie Vorman, dated 3/11/99: "Food poisoning cases caused by a deadly strain of E. coli usually found in ground beef rose sharply last year, government researchers said Thursday. The preliminary data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is part of a project to calculate more accurately how many Americans are sickened and die each year from tainted meat, eggs, lettuce, milk and other foods ... The new CDC report found the rate of E. coli 0157:H7 rose 22 percent to 2.8 cases per 100,000 Americans last year ... Final figures collected by the CDC from physicians are eagerly awaited by industry groups who say that an often-used estimate of 9,000 U.S. deaths a year from bad food is too high. Consumer groups and some health officials contend the estimate may be too low, because most food-borne illness is mistaken for the flu or another ailment. The estimate was developed in 1994 from mathematical models by the nonprofit group Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. The group also estimated that as many as 33 million Americans are sickened by bad food annually." What the article doesn't discuss is the most likely cause for the spread of E. coli throughout the U.S. food supply: a recent move away from government health inspectors policing meat processing plants. Industry now self-inspects ... and only recalls tainted food when the liability from dead children becomes higher than its profit margins. Even more disturbing is the fact that vegetarians are also at risk: many vegetables and fruits (even food labeled "organic") are grown with the use of animal fertilizers (especially chicken manure) that can contain E. coli, a common bacteria in the digestive tracts of domestic farm animals. So even if you don't eat meat, you should still be concerned. And don't forget to wash your lettuce and scrub your carrots.--M.T.