News & Stories

The following video story is from Abigail Echo-Hawk, mother of Noni. Several months ago, Abigail’s young son Noni son was involved in a hit-and-run bicycle accident, and was seriously injured. Abigail had difficulty taking time off work to care for him: “All I wanted to do was focus on you. Instead I began a maze […]

From the Economic Policy Institute (EPI): According to a report released September 16th, 2010 by the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of uninsured Americans under age 65 rose from 45.7 million in 2008 to 50.0 million in 2009. The overall rates for the entire population reached 50.7 million in 2009. While this country was already […]

Over 3 budget years from 2009 to 2011, Washington State has grappled with a $12 billion shortfall between the projected need for public services and state revenues – which have plunged because of the recession. Federal stimulus money and the rainy day fund made up some of the difference, and the state raised $918 million […]

In response to my earlier post about capital gains income and Initiative 1098, Kriss Sjoblom at the Washington Research Council writes: Capital gains income is not, in general, exempt from the I-1098 income tax. The only exception to this concerns the sale of a primary residence, where federal tax law excludes the first $250,000 in […]

Newspapers, blogs, TV, and radio ads are full of pronouncements and predictions about Initiative 1098. But what’s been missing — until now — is an in-depth, fact-based examination of the measure. EOI’s latest policy brief, Why I-1098 is right for Washington, shows how I-1098 will cut taxes for the vast majority of Washington businesses and […]

With new data on poverty and median income just released by the U.S. Census Bureau, along with a new state budget forecast, let’s take a look at the numbers and sketch out some of the policy choices Washington now faces in response. Poverty Washington’s poverty rate climbed to 11.7% in 2009 — up from 10.4% […]

Since the Great Recession began in 2008, more than $5 billion has been cut from Washington’s budget — and current forecasts show another $3 billion shortfall in tax receipts. The cuts have been particularly devastating to public education and health. Among the cuts: $479 million in voter-approved student achievement funding disappeared when tax revenues bottomed […]

UPDATE: The Washington Research Council critiques this post, and the Economic Opportunity Institute responds. We’ve had a number of readers send us questions about Initiative 1098 in response to the tax calculator we’ve created. Brian R., who works locally in real estate, asks: “Would there be an exemption for capital gains income, such as someone […]

From the Everett Herald: What’s all this talk about the deficit? Dino Rossi says “Congress is putting our economic future in jeopardy by continuing to spend money they don’t have,” and that “it’s very clear we’re on a fiscal edge.” We are on a fiscal edge, all right — one created by Wall Street. In […]

From The Columbian: Initiative 1098, the tax reform proposal offered by Bill Gates Sr., will be good for Washington, and particularly beneficial for Southwest Washington. I-1098 will result in new investments in education and health care, tax cuts for small businesses and property owners, and a modest new tax strictly limited to the richest 1 […]

The title says it all in a newly released report from the National Academy of Social Insurance, Economic Status of Elderly Americans. The report offers a look at the economic status of elderly Americans, comparing current median standards against younger generations. They find elderly people saw sharp gains in their incomes during the 1960s and […]

In honor of Grandparents Day on September 12, the National Partnership for Women and Families has released a new fact sheet to remind us of the impact grandparents can have in the lives of working families. Grandparents are often relied on as critical support systems to families with both parents in the workforce — to […]

Short Answer: The top 1% of taxpayers in Washington will have an average effective tax rate of 4%. That puts Washington’s ranking for this group of wealthy taxpayers at 27th out of the 44 states (including Washington, D.C.) that tax income. Households with income below $200,000 will not be affected – and neither will the […]

From the Everett Herald: Initiative 1098: That’s the one that Bill Gates Sr. has helped to write and promote, even though he is one of the very few people who will see his taxes go up, should this initiative pass. Or better said, he is supporting I-1098 for that very reason. Everyone else, and all […]

Ever wonder how Initiative 1098 would affect you? Now there’s an easy way to find out. We’ve developed an easy-to-use Initiative 1098 Calculator to determine how – if at all – your taxes will change if voters pass I-1098 this November. To use it, you just need to know your yearly adjusted gross income. If you […]

Since paying its first benefit check in January of 1940, Social Security has been a bedrock of economic security for millions of American seniors, children, widows and widowers, and disabled workers. Social Security represents the best of American values: rewarding hard work, looking out for family and community, and honoring the contributions retirees have made […]

By Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, from Huffington Post: It’s Women’s Equality Day, the date marked to celebrate women getting the right to vote in our nation 90 years ago today. It’s both hard (and easy in some sad ways) to believe that it was just 90 years ago that women got the right to vote in our […]

A report from ABC News examines the salary gap between working women with children and those without kids, finding that women with children earn just 75% of men’s wages (compared to 90% for women without kids) — on average, $11,000 less per year. The report includes an interview with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director of MomsRising.org […]

Social Security is the bedrock of economic security of millions of Americans. It represents the best of American values — lending a helping hand when a family breadwinner passes away, ensuring disabled Americans are able to live with dignity, and providing economic stability to millions of American retirees. And with the recent economic crisis, Social […]

This month, Social Security is celebrating it’s 75th birthday as a bedrock of economic security for millions of working, retired and disabled Americans. And what better way to celebrate one of the most successful federal programs in history than with a birthday party? Held on Monday August 16th, the 75th birthday party for Social Security […]