News & Stories

Recession or not, state lawmakers should be closely watching how they’re spending scarce tax dollars on economic development, to make sure those public investments really pay off. Here are four ways Washington’s legislators can make sure taxpayers are getting the most for their money. 1. More Sunshine: Let taxpayers see the costs and benefits of […]

We elect our state legislators with the hope that they will look out for the public. So it always is sort of a shock when legislators work to undermine government services which work best for people. It as if they want to say, “See, government doesn’t work.” And to emphasize their argument, they take apart […]

Cross-posted from the Washington Work and Family Coalition: The attack on Washington’s families and middle class by Senate Republicans and “Road-Kill” Democrats continued in full force yesterday. Conservative senators passed SB 5726, which waters down Seattle’s sick and safe leave ordinance and restricts similar laws that might be passed by other Washington cities in the […]

It’s no surprise that President Obama continues to make missteps on economic policy — such as returning again and again to the “Grand Bargain”, more apt to result in a “Grand Take-Away”. It’s no surprise because of the people he has surrounded himself with to discuss and design economic policy. Take Christina Romer, past chairwoman […]

Washington state lost an average 37,000 manufacturing jobs under Republican presidents, and gained almost four times as many – 141,000 – with Democrats in office. State-level manufacturing job growth has varied across the 16 presidential administrations since 1948, with significant gains in most states across the seven Democratic terms and significant losses under the nine […]

It was only a few weeks ago that President Obama surprised nearly everyone by announcing a push for universal preschool in his State of the Union address and then traveling to Georgia, home of a successful preschool system, to talk it up. The announcement kicked off a debate: Is the cost of universal preschool worth […]

Recently, Costco President and CEO Craig Jelinek joined other business owners in support of a proposal that would gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10/hour and peg future increases to inflation, much like we do here in Washington state. In a statement from Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, Jelinek said: “An important reason […]

The Paid Sick and Safe Days bill is one step closer to passage in the Washington state House after clearing the Rules Committee, its final hurdle before being scheduled for a floor vote. “This is a big deal,” said EOI Policy Director Marilyn Watkins. “Many good bills die in the Rules Committee, and to have […]

If you follow this blog, you already know the Chained CPI – a proposed change to Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) – is really just backdoor attempt to cut Social Security benefits. A retiree who lived to age 85 would see a cumulative benefit cut of nearly $14,000. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that […]

People get sick. That’s a fact of life. A few places around the country (Seattle, San Francisco, Washington DC, and Connecticut) have laws that guarantee workers can earn paid sick time to use when they become ill and can’t work. But that’s not the case in most of the United States. In fact, the U.S. […]

Given that millions of Americans are facing a very uncertain and risky retirement (53% of working households are at risk of financial insecurity in retirement, up from 30% in 1989), it’s troubling to see national leaders seemingly bent on making the problem worse. Leading Republicans have long backed cuts to Social Security, including raising the […]

Last night around midnight, House Bill 1313 – the Paid Sick and Safe Days bill – was added to the executive agenda of the Washington state House Appropriations Committee. Just this morning, the House Appropriations Committee passed HB 1313 by a vote of 18 – 13. The bill’s prime sponsor is Representative Laurie Jinkins. It was brought […]

The other day I needed some cash and went to the only ATM I could find. I took out $100 and got charged $3. Sort of an expensive way to access your own money, but the big boys at Chase have to get their slice of our pie. It got me thinking about the continuing […]

In a 6-3 decision this morning, the Washington State Supreme Court struck down the rule requiring a supermajority (two-thirds) vote of the legislature to pass taxes or close tax loopholes. The court found the measure, long backed by initiative promoter Tim Eyman, violates the state constitution’s “plain language” that “prohibits either the people or the […]

Legislators are dragging their heels on two bills that will help rebuild Washington’s middle class and save tax dollars. What gives? Two top Democrats are refusing to schedule votes on  Family and Medical Leave Insurance (HB 1457) and Paid Sick Days (HB 1313) bills being considered by their committees. Rep. Reuven Carlyle (D-36) chairs the House […]

A generation ago, just one-third of working Americans weren’t able to save enough for their future retirement. Today more than half of American workers over 30 are on track to be unprepared for retirement, and more reliant on family members and direct social support in the future. Things aren’t looking too dapper for soon-to-be retirees, […]

Op-ed from the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin  Our state Legislature is considering how to fund the Family Leave Act of 2007. Opponents of the law, citing costs, are attempting to repeal it. Their concerns are understandable, but misplaced. Family leave puts family first — where it belongs. And it does so by compensating our businesses’ greatest […]

Twenty years ago this month, former President Bill Clinton signed a bill into law aimed at helping parents take time off after the birth or adoption of a child. The reality, however, is that many Americans still can’t take time off, either because they’re not covered or simply don’t have financial means to do so. […]

If you weren’t able to attend the Social Security forum in Tacoma on February 20th, watch this short video about how we can address the long-term issues facing Social Security in a way that protects and improves our already great Social Security system. Featuring CEPR Co-director Dean Baker, EOI Policy Director Marilyn Watkins, and others. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=el8I_QmRLjI] Video edited […]

At $9.19 per hour, Washington state has the best minimum wage in the nation – and far better than the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour. Our state minimum wage is tied to inflation, increasing a little bit nearly every year. In January 2013, the minimum wage wage increased 15 cents – mostly driven by higher gas prices. […]

How can I say goodbye to Aubrey Davis – my friend, my mentor, my leader, and my role model? I can’t. Because the lessons and wisdom that I have learned from Aubrey remain with me, challenge me, inspire me, and make me a better person and better citizen. I was lucky to get to know […]

From an editorial in the Everett Herald To gauge the prudence and efficacy of public policy, the essential question is, “qui bono?” (Who benefits?) The question isn’t nuanced. Dress it up, spin it, recast a bill’s snooze-inducing language through a lobbyist’s lens. Facts are simply that. The selling point for Family and Medical Leave Insurance […]

The Washington State Senate Commerce and Labor Committee heard three bills on the issue of paid sick leave yesterday. One of the bills, Senate bill 5594 sponsored by Sen. Nick Harper, would ensure all workers in Washington state could earn paid sick and safe leave at work. Currently, only workers in Seattle are guaranteed the […]

New data is now available from top income researchers Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez. The data show that for 2011, 90 out of 100 Americans earned just half of the income in the United States. The other half was shared among the top 10% – with the plurality being funneled directly to the top 1%. In […]