Joel Connelly

I worked for Seattle Post-Intelligencer from 1973 until it ceased print publication in 2009, and SeattlePI.com from 2009 to 6/30/2020. During that time, I wrote about 9 presidential races, 11 Canadian and British Columbia elections‎, four doomed WPPSS nuclear plants, six Washington wilderness battles, creation of two national Monuments (Hanford Reach and San Juan Islands), a 104 million acre Alaska Lands Act, plus the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area.

How my Mom Learned about the Advantages of Diversity

My mother garnered a close-up appreciation of affirmative action. Not as a racial quota system, but as a way to provide opportunity that would otherwise be lost.

How an Eco-warrior Learned to Compromise

The book correctly points out the insular righteousness of some in the environmental movement: “Just because an idea fits on a bumper sticker does not mean it solves problems in the world.”

So Here’s a Strategy: Seattle-as-Hellhole

Nowadays, right wing media and Trump are sullying our reputation and depicting the Emerald City as a crime-infested hellhole.

In Chaotic Hearing, Senators Grill Robert Kennedy Jr. on Chaos in America’s Healthcare Agencies

“You’re interrupting me, sir, and you are a charlatan, that’s what you are,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell. “You’re the ones who conflated chronic disease with the need for vaccines.”

Are we Finally Ready for the Olmsted Brothers’ Seattle Plan?

Who says we can’t accomplish a future that balances growth, greenery, and getting around? It’s time to get juiced about planning the future.

What if Both Factions of the Democratic Party Prevail?

The party, out of power, is seeking a direction: It is likely to wind up with two.

Could Seattle be Trump’s Next Takeover?

The authoritarians have us in the crosshairs, and we’re a target-rich environment.

Tariffs are Killing Eastern Washington’s Agricultural Export Business

The heartland of our state’s multibillion-dollar crop and orchard export economy is in the crosshairs of Trump Administration's trade and tariff policies.

Remembering Mike Lowry: Theatre of a Rich Career

A key to Mike Lowry was that he was skilled both on stage and in the trenches.

Climate Changing Like it’s 1988

In 1988 the heat from global warming was widely predicted to be a major fall campaign issue. White House hopeful Gov. Michael Dukakis made a photo-op stop at Yellowstone. But the urgency never took hold.

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