From a Political Junkie: Abstaining from Abstinence-Only
Riley Sweeney examines facts vs beliefs and comprehensive sex education
Riley Sweeney examines facts vs beliefs and comprehensive sex education
Riley Sweeney examines facts vs beliefs and comprehensive sex education
Riley Sweeney examines facts vs beliefs and comprehensive sex education
Citizen Journalist • Member since Aug 10, 2009
Riley Sweeney, raised in the Pacific Northwest, moved to Bellingham during the Bush years, worked on a cross-section of political campaigns during the Obama years, and then fled to the [...]
Riley shares some thoughts, concerns, and observations on the uncommon phenomenon of mask-wearing during this pandemic.
7 comments, most recent 3 years agoRiley shares some insight into the national political parties
5 comments, most recent 9 years agoThe Herald gave us their top 10 stories, Riley gives you his top 5
Riley dives into the data with precinct maps and historical perspectives
Riley does a local political comedy show
1 comment, most recent 9 years agoRiley files a full report of the Tea Party debate for State Leg candidates
1 comment, most recent 9 years agoRiley and John share the short list of who might replace Cathy Lehman on the Bellingham city council on January 5.
8 comments, most recent 9 years agoSome Context for the Primary Results
Northwest Citizen has conducted a phone poll of likely voters, with some surprising results!
9 comments, most recent 9 years agoRiley takes a closer look at the Charter Review Commission candidates
2 comments, most recent 9 years agoThe value of a Precinct Committee Officer …
1 comment, most recent 9 years agoA simple explanation of the Charter Review and analysis of District only voting
City pushes for Alabama Street improvements, residents speak out
3 comments, most recent 9 years agoRiley digs into the county’s plan to buy the county morgue
3 comments, most recent 10 years agoRiley catches State Rep. Vincent Buys for soliciting funds during session
Riley digs into an unusual hiring decision at the County Planning Dept
1 comment, most recent 10 years agoRiley digs through court data and discovers the real impact of privatization and legalization
The county takes two big steps forward on the new jail, while still missing the point
Riley crunches the numbers on Renata and McAuley’s races to find answers
2 comments, most recent 10 years agoRiley uncovers how the Coal Industry is funding conservative candidates in Whatcom County
11 comments, most recent 10 years agoRiley examines who is donating to which candidates
Riley whole-heartedly urges Doug Ericksen to run for Congress in 2014
2 comments, most recent 10 years agoAfter attending the public hearing on the marijuana ban, Riley breaks down the good, the bad and the ugly
4 comments, most recent 10 years agoRiley Sweeney examines Sen. Ericksen’s legislative methods
Riley attends Tea Party training and runs afoul of Rep. Overstreet
1 comment, most recent 10 years agoRiley details upcoming merger between PeaceHealth and a much more conservative entity
1 comment, most recent 11 years agoRiley looks into Ericksen’s legislative efforts this session
1 comment, most recent 11 years agoRiley examines why the new jail site was selected without public input
1 comment, most recent 11 years agoHere’s your shot at fame and glory as a political pundit
4 comments, most recent 11 years agoRiley talks about the Seattle Times, Newsweek and the future of Print Media
Riley pores through Rep. Jason Overstreet’s legislative record
7 comments, most recent 11 years agoRiley examines Rep. Vincent Buys’ legislative record
1 comment, most recent 11 years agoRiley patiently explains to the Whatcom Excavator what a flowchart should look like
Riley sits down with Matt Petryni with Power Past Coal to get the latest scoop
Riley gathers quotes, video footage and pictures from the recent tea party forum
1 comment, most recent 11 years agoRiley interviews judicial candidates, reviews campaign tactics, and discusses fireworks
A short plea for public involvement from Riley
Riley attended the Whatcom GOP Convention and reports back
1 comment, most recent 11 years agoRiley gets to the bottom of this in a NWCitizen Exclusive
4 comments, most recent 11 years agoRiley at The Political Junkie attends a forum of Congressional Candidates, and a town hall meeting in Lynden
Riley updates us on the latest facts coming to light about City of Bellingham employee moonlighting
2 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley visits the local WorkSource center and interviews the regional director
Riley discusses the Jail, Jack Louws, and an impartial council with our new Council Chair
1 comment, most recent 12 years agoLatest from the Political Junkie on a variety of subjects
7 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley questions Pike’s timing, and Occupy’s choice of tactics
2 comments, most recent 12 years agoWhere Riley provides more info on the City of Bellingham employees moonlighting issue and Crawford’s ethical troubles
Local blogger Shane Roth files ethical complaint over Crawford’s sweetheart deals
3 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley has a conversation with Rick Perry
2 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley discusses his love of board games and some good gift ideas
2 comments, most recent 12 years agoPlease take my reader’s survey, I’m planning 2012
Riley attends a public meeting on equality
More on the city employee moonlighting issue
The Political Junkie breaks a story of employee moonlighting within city of Bellingham
7 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley examines Maginnis/Crawford and Kremen/Larson
Riley looks at Lynden and coins some new phrases.
Riley takes a look at Louws/Ericksen in the search for moderate Republicans
1 comment, most recent 12 years agoMitt Romney is darn lucky
Riley examines WHEN people turn in their ballot, as opposed to who they voted for
3 comments, most recent 12 years agoCheck it out at www.sweeneypolitics.com
Riley plans on stumbling around, occasionally writing on election night
4 comments, most recent 12 years agoRemember, remember the fifth of November …
Riley takes a look at some local political mailers
Riley tells you who he is voting for and why
6 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley makes a pitch for Steve Harris as your next sheriff
3 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley continues his examination of Ericksen’s anti-working people values
1 comment, most recent 12 years agoA deceptive campaign piece passed out by the Pike campaign
8 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley provides an update on the redistricting process
Riley reports on the Occupy Bellingham Rally
11 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley looks at Florida cutting in line
1 comment, most recent 12 years agoMy Man Godfrey and the Forgotten Generation
4 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley finds an oddity in Republican plan
3 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley examines the legislative and congressional redistricting.
1 comment, most recent 12 years agoLook at the title, it spells it out.
6 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley writes for the local Dems about Labor Day
3 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley attends a flashmob tossing water balloons
Riley overhears Doug Ericksen discuss his plans
10 comments, most recent 12 years agoTune in to the Political Junkie for an election night liveblog!
Riley interviews Clayton Petree about his view of Downtown Bellingham
6 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley shares what he is reading to help decide in this primary
16 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley talks about the sobering reminder of our fallen soldiers at the Old Settler’s Parade
2 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley tackles “Entitlement Reform” as a bad frame
8 comments, most recent 12 years agoThe Political Junkie interviews Christina Maginnis
4 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley rants about the economy, and the solutions to our ills
6 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley offers his second endorsement this cycle: Cathy Lehman for Bham City Council
It says it all in the title
3 comments, most recent 12 years agoWhatcom Dems Endorsement report, part two
Riley Sweeney reports from the June Endorsement Meeting of the Whatcom Democrats
4 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley Sweeney takes on a false narrative pushed by Pike supporters
13 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley will be liveblogging from the County Auditor’s office
1 comment, most recent 12 years agoPatti Brooks’ war on gophers shows how she is a socialist
3 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley Sweeney outlines the three storylines defining Obama’s Re-election Campaign
2 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley Sweeney endorses I-1149
1 comment, most recent 12 years agoRiley Sweeney does a public records request on Sam Crawford
5 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley Sweeney shares video of Jay Inslee’s speech to the Whatcom Dems
1 comment, most recent 12 years agoRiley Sweeney reports on the April 15th Tea Party Rally
10 comments, most recent 12 years agoTeaser for Riley Sweeney’s article on Rally
1 comment, most recent 12 years agoRiley Sweeney highlights some Old School Politics
1 comment, most recent 12 years agoRiley Sweeney reports on April 2nd Labor Rally
9 comments, most recent 12 years agoNorthwest Citizen is now on Facebook
1 comment, most recent 13 years agoAt the mid-session townhall meeting, Doug Ericksen would rather threaten the press than have his words recorded
17 comments, most recent 12 years agoRiley Sweeney gives a brief history of Comic Books
2 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney gives a short post about Harry Reid’s old school politicking
2 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney talks about why it is time for legalization of hemp
1 comment, most recent 12 years agoRiley Sweeney compiles several local writings about the County Council breaking the law
1 comment, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney talks about the Jail Meeting
5 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney urges you to go to jail … meeting
12 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney briefly shares his thoughts on the State of the Union Address
1 comment, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney examines what sort of people regularly seek out public service
4 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney expounds upon the changing ways we consume television and movies
3 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney talks about his 2011 Legislative Wish List
10 comments, most recent 13 years agoSweeney explains how President Obama bought off his opponents and scored a solid victory.
12 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney briefly discusses faith
3 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney explains what he does during his downtime between campaigns, and how you can waste time too.
2 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney and his brother, Devlin, take a look at the 2012 Republican Candidates
Riley Sweeney examines facts vs beliefs and comprehensive sex education
4 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney makes the case for investing and supporting local campaign managers
4 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney takes a look at the GOP’s love of the executive branch, the Dems love of the legislative…and where that leaves us.
Riley Sweeney returns from a drunken stupor to determine why Tuesday was so painful for the Dems
Riley Sweeney’s predictions for the Federal House and Senate
9 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney examines the primaries in PA, KY and AR and what it means for 2010.
6 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney discusses the discomfort of religious and cultural differences among friends
1 comment, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney asks for plot ideas for a local radio drama
Is the referendum/initiative process about being a citizen legislator, or more like voting to put something on the ballot?
Riley Sweeney shares his passion for board games and a few of his favorites games
4 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney explains the difference between a political hack and a political wonk
2 comments, most recent 13 years agoRiley Sweeney talks about his favorite justice and who the President should appoint
Riley Sweeney shares his humorous personal definitions for Whatcom County politics.
In case you missed it, Rob McKenna, our Republican attorney general, joined several other Republican attorneys general
1 comment, most recent 13 years agoLast November, after the election, Bob Kelly decided to resign his seat so he could take a leadership role with the Nooksack tribe.
3 comments, most recent 14 years agoSupporting the proposed sales tax increase for the WTA - by new writer Riley Sweeney.
3 comments, most recent 14 years ago
Comments by Readers
David Camp
Nov 29, 2010Ham - excellent essay. I would sum up your main point as: “Prohibition doesn’t work”. It didn’t work in the Garden of Edne where there were only two humans and one prohibition enforcer, it didn’t work for alcohol in the twenties, it doesn’t work for sex, nor does it work for cannabis. It is indeed a fact that cannabis use among teenagers is lower in Portugal, where it is completely de-criminalised, than in the USA, where 800,000 people are arrested every year for non-violent cannabis “offenses”.
Dogmatic approaches to anything don’t work. When I hear the words “zero-tolerance policy” I cringe becasue here is yet one more example of people taking a cowardly and stupid dogmatic approach and abdicating from using human judgment and wisdom.
Perhaps we should put a giant condom over Washington DC and protect the rest of the country from the corruption that emenates from there.
Riley Sweeney
Nov 29, 2010Hold on there David, I wrote this one, not Ham Hayes. I agree that prohibition does not work for many vices (sex, booze, weed) and that the best option is always better education.
Putting a giant condom on the Washington monument might help prevent the spread of Pentagonorrhea . . . the disease you get when you have screwed too many countries.
BaDUM BUM CHING!
Thank you folks, I’m hear next thursday, tip your servers
David Camp
Dec 01, 2010Sorry Riley, for mistaking you for a ham!
Riley Sweeney
Dec 01, 2010You were just getting into the holiday spirit early.