Archives
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- January 2011
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
Categories
- Activism
- Advocacy
- Agenda
- Budget
- Cities
- Comprehensive Plan
- Congress
- Council Meeting Report
- Crime
- Downtown
- Economy
- Education
- FAIL
- Federal Budget
- Gig Harbor
- Governance
- Housekeeping
- Ideas
- Infrastructure
- It's my blog and I'll write what I want
- Key Peninsula
- Land Use
- Lobbying
- Lodging Tax
- Marketing
- Open Thread
- Parks
- Peninsula School District
- PenMet
- Pierce County
- Pierce Transit
- Politics
- Public Employees
- Public Notice
- Regionalism
- Roads
- Rumors
- Sewer
- Stormwater
- Tacoma
- Taxes
- Tourism
- Transportation
- Uncategorized
- Washington State Legislature
- Web/Tech
- Youth
Meta
Category Archives: Washington State Legislature
Senate Majority Coalition budget eliminates Office of Aerospace
If governmental budgets are about priorities, the Senate Majority Coalition seems to be saying Boeing jobs aren’t high on their list. The budget they released on Wednesday has proposed elimination of the Governor’s Office of Aerospace. Think back a few … Continue reading
Regressive taxation linked to a wide range of social problems
When I’ve written previously about Washington’s awful tax code it’s mostly been about fairness, it’s impact on state finances, and economics. But I’ve overlooked another aspect of our policies, how it might affect other social problems we’re trying to correct. In today’s New York Times, … Continue reading
Makers and Takers: Transportation Edition
If you haven’t heard about the “Makers and Takers” meme by now, you’re probably not the sort that reads my blog. But in case I’m wrong, the idea is that the country is divided between decent, hard-working folk and shiftless … Continue reading
How to scrap Washington’s regressive tax system without an income tax.
Last week the Institute on Taxation and Economic policy came out with its annual “Who Pays” study and found that Washington has the most regressive tax structure in the country. To anyone who has paid much attention it shouldn’t come … Continue reading
Posted in Budget, Cities, Taxes, Washington State Legislature
Tagged Budget, Cities, Taxes, Washington State Legislature
Short term incentives in government & Wall Street are a recipe for disaster
Politicians, with short term election incentives, have always sought ways to deliver short term benefits at the expense of long term fiscal health. Continue reading
What’s the best way to fund Washington’s cities? Part III
This is part III of a multi-post series addressing the taxation puzzle in Washington cities. Part I and II can be found here & here. On Thursday we had the first of the Association of Washington Cities’ (AWC) Municipal Finance Ad Hoc committee … Continue reading
Posted in Budget, Taxes, Washington State Legislature
Tagged Budget, Taxes, Washington State Legislature
Local candidate & ballot measure forums this week
This Wednesday the 17th, 6:30pm at the University of Washington Tacoma – Philip Hall, the League of Women Voters and Associated Students of UWT are sponsoring a ballot measure forum. I’ll be representing the “Pro” side for Proposition 1, the Pierce Transit sales tax. Continue reading
Three thoughts on the Seaquist Richards debate
This morning at the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce’s Thursday morning Public Affairs forum, Rep. Larry Seaquist and Doug Richards had their debate. It was a great crowd and both candidates did a fairly good job giving concrete policy responses … Continue reading
Posted in Education, Politics, Taxes, Transportation, Washington State Legislature
Tagged Budget, Economics, Education, Politics, Taxes, Transportation, Washington State Legislature
What’s the best way to fund Washington’s cities? Part II
This is part II of a multi-post series on addressing the taxation puzzle in Washington cities. Part I can be found here. To know where we’re going, we have to know where we’ve been, and how we got here. In … Continue reading
Posted in Budget, Cities, Taxes, Washington State Legislature
Tagged Budget, Cities, Taxes, Washington State Legislature
What’s the best way to fund Washington’s cities?
Washington’s tax system is broken. It’s based on an economy that no longer exists, hyper-regressive, costly to administer for both business & government, and confused by layer upon layer of special purpose districts. For years I’ve been thinking about how … Continue reading
Posted in Budget, Cities, Taxes, Uncategorized, Washington State Legislature
Tagged Budget, Cities, Taxes, Washington State Legislature
