News & Stories

The Seattle Times editorial board has praised the state Democratic leadership for ‘holding the line’ on a sales tax increase in yet another ‘gloom and doom’ op-ed. I think we all can sympathize with the argument against higher sales taxes on a visceral level – Washington’s sales tax is already one of the highest in […]

A new analysis released by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) today on Equal Pay Day shows that men out-earn women in nearly every occupation for which data are available. Of the more than 500 occupational categories for which sufficient data are provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in only 5 occupations do […]

With all of the recent new coverage surrounding the ‘swine flu’ and its potential to become a pandemic, paid sick days are once again in the limelight. As of this morning, there have been only 20 confirmed cases of swine flu in the U.S., but its size and scope is not yet known. Keeping a […]

The other shoe drops: Senate and House Democrats have made final budget proposals, Governor Gregoire has promised to sign off, and everyone in Olympia gets to go home. Meanwhile, billions in cuts are fast approaching, and it for now it looks like voters won’t be weighing in. The opportunity to ‘buy back’ cut programs and […]

While Americans are seeing their savings diminish, their jobs disappear, their kids’ education going down the tubes, and environmental priorities buried under bad economic news, the global giant Exxon Mobil keeps on piling up the profits. Exxon Mobil brought in $442.85 billion in revenue in 2008 and made over $45 billion in profits, capturing the […]

Washington Policy Review is EOI’s bi-monthly update with commentary, news and perspective from Washington state and around the country. This week’s issue is focused on the recent debate over funding higher education (read: tuition increases), and also takes a closer look at ‘new revenue streams’ and what they mean for our state’s already regressive tax […]

Reprinted from the Everett Herald: “Education is the single most important investment we can make for our children, our state, our economy and our future.” That’s Gov. Chris Gregoire introducing the final report of Washington Learns in November 2006. Included in its recommendations were a cap on annual tuition increases of no more than 7 […]

I have to wonder whether the Seattle Times editorial board did its homework before writing this editorial condemning bipartisan state legislation to increase unemployment benefits. Did they run the numbers before printing: “High benefits also encourage recipients to be choosier about a new job and slower to look for one.”? Because here’s a look at […]

Governor Bill Richardson today signed a bill that increases the damages that low-wage workers are entitled to collect when they are not paid the minimum wage.  In enacting the legislation, New Mexico joins seven other states that allow underpaid workers to collect their back wages plus twice that amount in damages or “treble damages.  “New […]

In the face of impending budget cuts to higher education, Washington policymakers are considering adopting a “high-tuition/high-aid” model that significantly increases tuition, partly offset with more financial aid. The assumption of this approach is that students who can afford it pay more; those students who cannot, benefit from larger financial aid packages. But the experience […]

A new report from the Washington Employment Security Department shows firms in Washington state are offering employees fewer benefits than in the past. A few notable statistics: Full-time workers were much more likely to be offered benefits than part-time employees; Medical coverage for both part-time and full-time employees was down 10% from 2007; Dental coverage […]

Washington is facing a budget deficit of historic proportions, and legislators are trying to deal with the shortfall while protecting Washington’s quality of life and building a strong future for our kids. Now you can try your hand at balancing Washington’s budget with a new online tool called YouBudget — and if you’re successful, you […]

Recent legislative dialogue and a bill introducing a tax on high incomes have injected new life into state budget discussions. It’s a welcome change from the debate so far. Tough times call for creative thinking about our public investments, not a slash and burn approach that endangers our quality of life. Public structures like health […]

With the economy forcing layoffs and making employers reluctant to hire new employees, thousands of Americans are losing their employer-sponsored health insurance. Those who look to the market for individual private plans often find co-pays and deductibles are unaffordable, or medical underwriters are unwilling to cover them because of previous or existing medical conditions. This […]

Reprinted from the Everett Herald The big banks have just gotten another steroid injection from the federal government, courtesy of us, the taxpayers. The feds want to make sure that the private banks which got us into trouble will not go bankrupt. So we are left holding the bag for these banks’ losses, while creating […]

Gregoire finds $6 billion in pants pocket, vows to go ahead with budget cuts anyway: At a hastily convened news conference this morning, Governor Gregoire announced she had found $6 billion in a pair of old jeans. Pressed by reporters for a plan regarding the newly-found funds, Gregoire cited her pledge to pass a fiscally […]

By Dean Baker Originally published in TPM Cafe In the movie Lars and the Real Girl, the main character imagines that a female blow-up doll is his fiancé. To humor Lars, his brother and sister-in-law go along with the charade. Over the course of the movie, more people are drawn into the circle, until eventually […]

Women’s earnings are essential to economic security for the majority of families in Washington State. Women comprise about half of the state’s workforce. As job losses mount in the second year of the national recession, women’s support of family incomes is more important than ever. However, women continue to earn far less than men. On […]

As our state legislators put the final tweaks on what promise to be very ugly budget proposals, it’s worth thinking about the kinds of investments that save money and improve lives. Legislators should face down the soda pop lobby and add a 5 cent per 12 ounce can of soda. That would raise $277 million […]

Guest blogger: Stan Sorscher, Seattle, WA Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Inequality We should look at one other consequence of these policies. Trickle-down economics works very well for the top segments of our population. See Figure 5. Every economic policy will have winners and losers. Economists say that the winners could compensate […]

Family Values at Work: A Multi-State Consortium View the original fact sheet here Keeping the nation’s workers employed is a key priority in these difficult times. Especially during a recession, losing a job can be catastrophic for employees and their families, and can add demands on already strained state services. That’s why a policy such […]

Reprinted from the Everett Herald I woke up this morning, made the coffee and walked out to get the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. And I walked back in, empty-handed. The P-I is no more. As of today, thousands of P-I readers are victims of the latest out-of-state corporate cost-cutting decision. And who knows which will be the […]

Guest blogger: Stan Sorscher, Seattle, WA Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Households adjust Households have made a series of accommodations to stretch limited resources to maintain our standard of living. At least three major adjustments can be counted: additional wage earners, reduced savings, and tapping into housing equity.