News & Stories

Without large-scale health reform, rising unemployment could push the number of uninsured people under 65 to over 50 million by 2010 The health insurance most Americans depend on, employer-sponsored insurance (ESI), has declined every year since 2000, currently leaving 45.7 million people under 65 without coverage. As Congress debates the future of health care reform, […]

Find out on TVW’s Inside Olympia, when host Austin Jenkins interviews representatives from five Washington state think tanks – including EOI’s very own policy director Marilyn Watkins. I recommend you start the video at 00:29:44

Tables are filling up fast for What Price is Right? – our very own “showcase showdown” of public policies to improve women’s economic security. If you haven’t RSVP’d, now is your chance to join us for an evening of game show contests, drinks, dinner and program. After all, no one knows more about the dollars […]

From the Everett Herald: A couple of weeks ago I was speaking to a group of employees at the Everett Labor Temple. One woman raised her hand and asked how we were going to protect ourselves from the government taking our money for taxes. I asked her where she worked, and she responded that she […]

Nafzblog -> The Big W Recovery: The nature of unemployment has changed. The percentage of the unemployed who are considered by employers “permanently unemployed” is the highest in history. This combined with a lack of political will for a second stimulus package could be the second V in the “W recovery”. | More Daily Kos […]

With public funding for state higher education at a 30-year low, how will tuition hikes affect family economic security, workforce development, and Washington’s long-term business climate? What new sources of public revenue could increase public investment in higher education, to build a more competitive workforce and improve our business climate? Sponsored by the University of […]

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 […]