McDermott's Effort To Breach Snake River Dams Threatens Jobs, Economy

Once again, Rep. Jim McDermott, D- Seattle, has called on Congress to remove four Snake River dams. Here's how Les Blumenthal frames its prospects for McClatchy.

... for the fifth time, the Seattle lawmaker has introduced legislation that likely will go nowhere, put his Democratic colleagues from Washington in an awkward position and sharpen the focus on Snake River dam breaching just as the Obama administration prepares its salmon-recovery plan.

I like that "go nowhere" part. AWB president Don Brunell explains the consequences in his weekly column. 

Without the dams, thousands of jobs would evaporate and an important food producing region would dry up, along with state and local government revenues. Power bills would jump again with the loss of additional hydropower facilities, which supply 70 percent of our state's electricity.

Thankfully, Gov. Chris Gregoire opposes McDermott's effort to remove the dams. She realizes that without the Snake River reservoirs, the region would become an arid wasteland.

What a strange distraction as the region continues to struggle with job creation and investment.