Blog

Gauging the size of the next budget shortfall

Yesterday OFM released its outlook for the state budget through FY 2017. (Here’s a link to today’s slightly revised version, a tweak to footnote h). Kriss presented a biennial look at the outlook yesterday. There’s been some news coverage. I’m quoted in Washington State Wire. Richard Davis, president of the Washington Research Council, said the […]

Primary day thoughts on electing too many statewide office holders…

In my column this morning, I write that, by electing nine statewide executives, our state weakens the office of governor and dilutes accountability. Only a handful of states elect nine or more executives. Diluting executive authority, however, frustrates accountability. Moreover, it allows special interests an inordinate influence on offices that matter mightily to them, but […]

Medicaid expansion will add to state budget stress

In my column this morning I look at the costs of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Earlier, Emily and I have reported on the findings of the State Budget Crisis Task Force (here and here). Medicaid costs are one of the six major budget threats identified by the group and the one most […]

WA business taxes are 5.5 percent of private GSP; 14th highest in nation

The Council on State Taxation today released its new report on state and local business taxes. We watch for the annual updates of this comprehensive report, conducted for COST by Ernst and Young. While there’s a lot of good information in the report, we turn to Table 4, which reports state and local business taxes […]

More from the State Budget Crisis Task Force Report

On Tuesday, Dick linked to the State Budget Crisis Task Force report. As he noted, the report shows how states face structural budget problems that were only exacerbated by the recession. The report’s “major threats to fiscal sustainability” include Medicaid, underfunded pension promises, and state budget practices — topics that we’ve written about often. Although […]

Govistics on Taxes in Gold Bar

Our friends at the Center for Governmental Research in New York have a very handy product that helps users find and compare public finance data for U.S. states, counties, towns, school districts, etc: Govistics. In a blog post today, they link to a story about Gold Bar's decision to ask voters to agree to a […]

Good news: more online education coming to UW

Today’s Seattle Times report that the University of Washington has signed on with Coursera to offer online education represents good news and a welcome extension of a model designed to expand access to higher education. Coursera is “a huge experiment that is transforming the face of higher education,” said Daphne Koller, a Stanford University computer-science […]

Governors, economists tally the costs of Medicaid expansion under ACA

The New York Times reports today that the nation’s governors, meeting in Williamsburg, VA, are taking a cautious approach to the Medicaid expansion baked into the Affordable Care Act, but rendered voluntary by the U.S. Supreme Court. The initial reaction to the court’s ruling split along party lines. More than half a dozen Republican governors […]

New business climate ranking out: CNBC places Washington No. 21

Washington finishes the “best business climate” race in 21st place, according to a new report by CNBC. Texas comes in first, followed by Utah and Virginia. The full rankings are here. Our state does relatively well on the CNBC metrics for access to capital (3) and technology and innovation (5). We do not do so […]

WWU collective bargaining agreement and 16 percent tuition hike

Gov. Gregoire recently wrote Western Washington University president Bruce Shephard expressing grave concern with the school’s faculty collective bargaining agreement. Here’s the Seattle Times’ summary and context: …the governor criticized the university’s decision to raise salaries 5.25 percent this school year and 4.25 percent each of the following two years in addition to boosting department-chair […]