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Category Archives: Economy
Labor leaders upset with state Democrats
Upset with what they see as an increasingly pro-business tilt to the Democratic Party in Washington state, labor leaders have formed a new organization to keep a tighter grip on who gets their campaign dollars.
Democratic lawmakers disingenuously target employer retro pools
Democratic lawmakers should abandon their effort to interfere with how private employer groups spend their refunds from work-injury premiums. Senate Bill 6035, which affects retro pools that handle work-injury claims, is really about silencing political opponents, including the Building Industry Association of Washington and other industry concerns.
Also posted in Business Comments closed
UPDATE: State Patrol formally hands "Email-gate" case to a detective
Union leaders would send a message to the State Democratic party and to the Truman and Roosevelt funds from the House and Senate that "not another dime from labor" until the Governor signs the Worker Privacy Act.
Also posted in Business Comments closed
Stimulating our state economy — It’s time for legislators to listen to business leaders
A true stimulus package is about empowering employers. For example, local business leaders have told me they want to utilize tax increment financing options to drive economic development. I agree with them. The focus must be on creating family-wage jobs that are sustainable and lead to future economic growth.
'Cap and trade' plan too costly
The cap and trade legislation is an idea put forth by the Western Climate Initiative, which currently includes seven Western states and four Canadian Provinces. The idea is to cap the amount of carbon emitted from businesses producing over a certain amount.
Companies will have to purchase "allowances" from the government for the right to emit greenhouse gasses. If companies don't have enough allowances to cover their emissions, they will have to pay a fine up to $10,000 per day or try to purchase unused emission credits from other companies.
While this doesn't sound too menacing so far, a closer look reveals questions and uncertainty that are job-killers for our businesses that compete on a global scale.
Also posted in Business, Environment Comments closed
Washington Legislature hostile to business
Washington state leaders should do everything it can to make sure that Boeing and other major employers won't leave for other states where its easier to do business, argues Sen. Mike Hewitt, leader of the state Senate Republican Caucus. While Gov. Chris Gregoire has established the Washington State Aerospace Task Force, the Democrat-controlled House and Senate have enacted bills that drive costs higher.
Also posted in Business Comments closed
9.2% unemployment in state — and expect worse
More than 344,000 Washingtonians reported being unemployed and looking for work last month — almost twice as many as a year earlier.
Also posted in Unemployment Comments closed
New state budget includes job cuts, tuition increases
After months of behind-the-scenes negotiations and speculation, the state Senate on Monday proposed a two-year plan to bridge Washington’s $9 billion budget shortfall. As predicted, it includes some dramatic cuts.
Also posted in Budget, Education, Environment, Finance, Healthcare, Higher Education, Taxes, Unemployment Comments closed