News & Stories

News and Views, October 21, 2009: I-1033 could hit higher ed especially hard: While the full impact of I-1033 isn’t known, it almost certainly would make it more difficult for the state to crawl out of its existing budget hole. And short of lawmakers seeking, and receiving, voter-approved tax increases, the measure likely would increase […]

Cross-posted from National Partnership for Women and Families: As schools reopen and cooler, drier temperatures return here to Washington, D.C., the nation waits for the second wave of the H1N1 flu to hit us. Meanwhile, we are bombarded by information on the Internet, in the news and through our email inboxes. Google, too, is in […]

As others have already noted, Washington State has one of the healthiest unemployment insurance systems in the nation. But such is not the case in many other states. This summer, ProPublica explored what’s at stake for millions of unemployed workers across the U.S.: Unemployment Insurance Buckles After Years of Underfunding: Skyrocketing unemployment has left our […]

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News and Views on health insurance reform: Health reform will help young people avoid brushes with the law: Youth crime and access to health care and mental-health treatment are intertwined, argue the police chiefs of Renton, Auburn and Burien. They make a case for reform that will help young people stay out of trouble. | […]

The trends described in this special report paint a picture of an economy that was in trouble long before the current recession took hold — at least from the standpoint of the American worker. Whether their distress is measured by stagnant wages or contingent jobs or violations of core labor laws, today’s workers face a […]

From the Everett Herald: As our ballots arrive in the mail, we can all weigh in on one issue central to our health, well-being and future. Our economy is in the tank, unemployment is rising, and health coverage is being cut back. The private sector, led by the major financial institutions, including the now-defunct Washington […]

Swine flu — and no paid sick leave: As the H1N1 swine flu virus starts its second major sweep through the U.S., business owners are bracing for the impact of a worse-than-usual flu season on their workforces. That’s reviving debate on a contentious issue: What kind of sick leave should companies offer employees — and […]

From the Everett Herald: Last Sunday I was bicycling by the University of Washington and practically had to stop because of all the people mobbing the path. Dawg Days had begun. So what are Dawg Days? That’s what’s called “orientation” in non-Husky language, for the incoming freshman. The fun ends and the work begins for […]

On the heels of a $65 million revenue gap in the King County budget comes news that state legislators may have to re-write the Washington State budget to cut spending by another $1 billion (that’s after $4 billion in cuts last year) because of declines in tax collections and a greater demand for services. Tim […]

Reprinted from the Everett Herald: Last week the deputy mayor of Helsinki, Finland, was a guest at our home. As soon as he and his wife arrived, we hopped in the car and went to the opening high school cross country meet in Seattle. They didn’t have a choice — I am an assistant coach […]

In the aftermath of 9/11, the Social Security Administration went into action to protect the economic security of thousands of spouses and children. Within days, Social Security staff were reaching out to grieving spouses to make sure they knew the money their loved one had earned through Social Security would be there for them, and […]

During the debate over health insurance reform, you’ll occasionally run into the idea that health insurance should be provided more like auto insurance. After all, in most states everyone has to have auto insurance, so everyone’s covered. If you have a decent driving record, you’ll have lots of choices among providers; and most people can […]

The Real News About Jobs and Wages — An Ode to Labor Day: Bottom line: almost one out of six Americans who need a full-time job either can’t find one or is working part-time. Meanwhile, wage growth among people who have jobs has just about stopped. Robert Reich On Labor Day and Every Workday, Single […]

Reprinted from the Everett Herald: Stevens Hospital in Edmonds — is that government health care? Well, actually it is. Stevens, Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington and Valley General Hospital in Monroe are part of a system of public hospitals throughout our state. They are funded in part by local property tax levies. They are governed […]

People may disagree about whether Washington’s ship of state should tack to port or starboard. But Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1033, if approved by voters this fall, is the equivalent of drilling holes in the hull and going down with the ship. I-1033 would cap state and local revenue growth according to a rigid formula based […]

Investing in technology is essential to building a robust educational infrastructure that can adapt to a crisis like the H1N1 flu virus, but it is really just one piece of the puzzle. After all, even if little Jimmy or Sally is on the mend enough to pay attention to math problems, we can’t really expect […]

Education leaders have plenty of free advice for local schools about how best to prepare for what disease control experts say could be a serious flu outbreak this fall – but schools have precious little money to follow up on those recommendations. With the Center for Disease Control projecting a severe outbreak of the H1N1 […]

From the Everett Herald: If you happened to be in Arlington, Lake Stevens or Snohomish on Friday, you most likely ran into a bunch of bicyclists. In fact, a whole lot, as the annual Ride from Seattle to Vancouver was wending its way through Snohomish County. I was one of those cyclists, and I want […]

California’s budget-by-initiative process has helped decimate the state’s public transportation, education, health care…you name it. And while Washington’s budget problems aren’t as bad as California’s, if Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1033 passes this fall, we’ll know what it’s like to live in the Golden State without even moving across state lines. Just take a look at […]

Why has college tuition been rising so high and fast? Will college costs ever drop back to more affordable levels? According to a report issued by the Delta Cost Project, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C.: The main reason tuition has been rising faster than college costs is that colleges had to make up for […]

Universal Voluntary Retirement Accounts provide a simple, easy solution to the retirement savings dilemma facing today’s workers. The program offers a convenient way for individuals to save for retirement and enables small businesses to remain competitive by offering a retirement savings program for their employees. UVRAs can provide IRAs for any individual worker who chooses […]

State government has an interest in supporting citizens saving for retirement; what’s more, the infrastructure to retirement investment much simpler for small and medium sized businesses and for employees is already in place, via the experience of running public retirement systems and existing mechanisms used to invest millions of public sector pension dollars. The first […]