Blog

New Pew Center on the States report evaluates evaluations of tax incentives

In my column today, I comment on a recent report by the Pew Center on the States. The study, Evidence Matters, examines how states evaluate tax incentives. From the column: Pew identifies Washington as one of 13 states “leading the way” in the systematic evaluation of tax incentives. Washington’s review process does a good job […]

Time to shed some light on the overhyped income inequality debate

It’s spring and soon the fair weather protesters will take to the warming streets to denounce income inequality once again. The chants of the 99 percent, however, should fade in the face on an increasing body of economic research that reveals the hollowness of their fundamental premise. The rich have not gotten richer at the […]

Lawmakers leave Olympia with balanced budget and structural reforms

Although it took a few hours of a second special session (consider it stoppage time), the state legislature adjourned this morning with a balanced budget and some important structural reforms. Rachel La Corte has a good, brief report for AP on the session’s final hours and accomplishments. Here’s the governor’s statement. Acknowledging the difficult challenge […]

Why pension reform matters

Kriss’s post below neatly lays out the argument for reforming the state pension system, one of the remaining issues under discussion in the 11th hour discussions in Olympia today. The Research Council has paid close attention to pension issues over the years, for example in the 2011 policy brief, Reforming Public Pensions. The Seattle Times today […]

Continuing to compete for aerospace work

In today’s Everett Herald, Troy McClelland and Richard Cooper present a strong case for continued work on our state’s competitiveness. McClelland is president of Economic Alliance Snohomish County and Cooper, CEO of The Everett Clinic, serves as the Alliance’s board chair. They point out that, while it’s great for our economy that Boeing decided to build […]

Budgets & Accounting

In a post at the New York Times' Economix blog, Bruce Bartlett discusses a recent staff discussion note from the International Monetary Fund: "Accounting Devices and Fiscal Illusions."  It is about the budget tricks or gimmicks or stratagems that governments use to get around cutting spending or raising taxes.  Or, as the discussion note puts […]

WSJ: "States Keep Axes Sharpened"

Yesterday marked the beginning of a special session of the legislature, in which legislators must balance the 2011-13 budget.  In today’s Wall Street Journal, a reminder that Washington is not alone in this: State governments are confronting a combined $47 billion gap between projected revenue and costs for the fiscal year that starts in July, […]

Budget negotiations must include Senate Rs, centrists

That’s the thrust of my column this morning. While Democrats may want to ignore the Friday vote, the bipartisan coalition that passed the Senate budget must be included in the final resolution. For those of us for whom sustainability is a top priority, the Senate budget sets the state on the right path. …Reconciling the […]

Billions of dollars in new taxes if preferences are repealed

HB 2762, the subject of an earlier blog post today, would repeal tax preferences worth $3.7 billion in the current biennium. Small businesses, farms, corporations, nonprofits, churches, transit agencies, cities and counties … too many groups to list here .. would all face tax increases. For some, the increases are fivefold. See this 8-page list for scheduled repeal […]

Bill to repeal tax preferences threatens jobs and investment

In the closing days of the legislative session, a HB 2762, a bill “to periodically expire all nonconstitutionally required tax preferences that are not already subject to expiration” may be getting new life. It passed out of House Ways and Means Committee March 3, on a party-line vote. What “to periodically expire” means is that on […]