May Report on State Tax Collections
Economic and Revenue Forecast Council issued its monthly update on revenue collections and the economy today, and while the headline number looks very good, revenue for the month $157.7 million higher than had been forecast, the underlying story was not positive. The good headline number was entirely due to the tax amnesty program, which ended […]
May 04 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
NLRB complaint against Boeing unwarranted
In my column today I consider the NLRB complaint against Boeing. The NLRB acting general counsel filed the complaint, asserting that the company’s decision to open a new production line in South Carolina was impermissible retaliation against the machinists union. I write: The NLRB’s charges are factually inaccurate, unprecedented and contrary to precedent. To support […]
April 25 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
What's wrong with the NLRB complaint against Boeing's S. Carolina expansion
Plenty. We’ve spent at lot of time at the WRC looking business decision-making and considering how public policies shape the competitive environment for employers. A fundamental premise: Investors and employers have choices. Last week, the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against the Boeing Company, alleging that the decision to open a second 787 […]
April 20 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
Moderate Democrats get workers' compensation reform bill moving again
Yesterday’s move by moderate Democrats in the House to amend the bipartisan workers’ compensation reform bill passed by the Senate has revived prospects for legislative success in the waning days of the legislative session. This is an issue the Research Council has followed closely for a long time. Most recently, we published The Time Has […]
April 15 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
Tax Day column on assessing the tax burden
In my column in the Puget Sound Business Journal today I look at Tax Freedom Day, the level and distribution of the tax burden and how our state’s revenue structure compares with other states. It’s behind the firewall, so access is limited to subscribers. Here’s a sample. The tax discussion generally comes down to the […]
April 11 , 2011 - Kriss Sjoblom
Revenue Collections for March 11–April 10 Period Exceed Forecast by $5.1 Million
The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council issued its monthly Economic & Revenue Update today. Here are the key takeaways:
March 26 , 2011 - Kriss Sjoblom
Four Charts on Washington Personal Income
The Bureau of Economic Analysis updated its estimates of state-level personal income on Wednesday, with numbers through the 4th quarter of 2010 (BEA press release). Here are 4 charts using the new data.
March 21 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
More thoughts on the revenue forecast and budget shortfall
Kriss posted the WRC policy brief on the March revenue forecast. Today, Crosscut ran my article on the forecast and budget gap. A couple of excerpts: Lawmakers facing a multi-billion dollar shortfall will want to spend everything Raha has identified for them. They shouldn’t. Remember, he also said downside risks are twice as high as […]
March 18 , 2011 - Kriss Sjoblom
Brief on March Revenue Forecast
We have posted a Policy Brief on the March revenue forecast, which can be downloaded through this link.
March 14 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
Perspectives on public pension problems…
Over the last week, we’ve seen some conflicting reports on the status of state and local plans nationally. A McClatchy story carried in several local papers suggested that the widely cited problems have been overblown. Quick dissent followed, but let’s allow the no-problem voices to go first. From McClatchy: There’s simply no evidence that state […]