Economists wrangle over $10.10 minimum wage, CFOs say increase will slow hiring
Among the challenges faced by policymakers (and that includes voters) trying to determine the effects of raising the minimum wage is sorting through the flood of conflicting information. Much of the conflict comes because people who are supposedly talking about the same thing are not, really, talking about the same thing. There’s a difference between […]
March 06 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Regional economist sets a low bar. Says a $15 minimum wage is "not outrageous." It's also not a good idea.
Regional economist Dick Conway told KPLU that a $15 minimum wage is “really not that outrageous.” Conway has been on record before; he was the economist Gov. Inslee cited by name at AWB’s legislative day (about 41 minutes in). As a benchmark for setting public policy affecting thousands of businesses and tens of thousands of employees, […]
March 06 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Seattle's $15 minimum wage debate heats up; Jordan Royer article in Crosscut provides needed perspective
The Seattle City Council and the Mayor’s Income Inequality Advisory Committee held a joint public hearing last night on the $15 minimum wage proposal. The Seattle Times has the story. It sounds like quite a show. About 700 people, many wearing red T-shirts with “15” on the front, cheered calls to enact a pay increase […]
March 05 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Today's column on a swift budget resolution and on-time end to the legislative session
In my column, I speculate that the legislative session will end on time as lawmakers are very close to agreement on the basic contours of the budget. Few legislators want a repeat of last year’s marathon. A special session is unnecessary and unlikely. The side that wants the least typically prevails in these negotiations. By […]
March 05 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
A look at why Texas reinstated R&D tax incentives demonstrates why Washington should not let them expire
Effective January 1, 2014, Texas once again offers tax incentives for research and development. An article in Texas CEO magazine last fall celebrated their return. The R&D tax break is back in Texas. …Before passing this law, Texas was one of only a handful of states that did not offer some sort of research and […]
March 03 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and Rep. Eric Pettigrew make the case for extending R&D tax incentives
Today’s Seattle Times carries a convincing op-ed by Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and state Rep. Eric Pettigrew arguing for an extension of a pair of R&D tax incentives scheduled to expire this year. They point out the significance of the tech sector to our state and the economic contribution of the sector. The tech industry […]
March 03 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Warren Buffet says $15 minimum wage would hurt jobs, Speaker Chopp says no vote on $12 minimum this year, and more
Warren Buffett weighs in on the federal minimum wage. “If you could have a minimum wage of $15 and it didn’t hurt anything else, I would love it,” he said. “But clearly that isn’t the case.” However, he added, he wouldn’t argue with President Obama’s proposal for a more modest increase, to $10.10 an hour […]
February 28 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Putting the proposal to tax recycled refinery fuels in context – the exemption makes sense
As we have written, the governor, Senate Democrats and House Democrats have all proposed new or increased taxes (generally characterized as repealing preferences) to fund education. The House and Senate Democratic plans propose …applying the sales tax to bottled water, ending the sales tax exemption for out-of-state residents, taxing recycled fuel (“extracted” or “hog fuel”) […]
February 27 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Minimum wage, the cost of living and the cost of doing business, even nonprofit businesses
As Mark Perry, AEI scholar and University of Michigan economist, points out, there’s no science to setting a minimum wage. But where does a minimum wage of $10.10 (or $9) per hour come from? Economic theory? Economic reasoning? Economic logic? Regression analysis? No. It comes from….. well it comes from….. OK, to be really honest, […]
February 27 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
House and Senate base budgets are close; that's before you get to House-proposed new taxes and school spending
Yesterday House Democrats proposed their 2014 supplemental budget (documents here). It’s the time of year when things happen quickly; the Appropriations Committee hearing was last night at 6:00 In addition to a base budget, which closely resembles the plan introduced earlier by the Senate Majority Coalition, the House rolled out a proposal to increase taxes […]