Tax Foundation releases state/local tax burden study: WA ranks 29th
The national Tax Foundation published its annual review of state/local taxes. Here’s the PDF of the report. And here’s the press release. TF uses a different methodology for calculating tax burdens than that used by some other familiar sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau. Here’s how TF describes it: For each state, we calculate the […]
February 18 , 2011 - Kriss Sjoblom
Minimum Wage Proposal Is Misguided
For 2011, Washington state’s minimum wage is $8.67 per hour. This is the country’s highest state minimum wage. Legislators are considering a misguided proposal to revise the manner in which the state’s minimum wage is indexed for inflation; this proposal would over time push the wage much, much higher.
February 18 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
Liberty Mutual CEO discusses U.S. inflation and more
I know a lot of folks who follow the WRC blog care about the economy, inflation trends, and the like. If you’re in that camp, I think you’ll enjoy this interview on Bloomberg with Liberty Mutual CEO Edmund “Ted” Kelly. Liberty Mutual is a good WRC member.
February 17 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
About Thrive Washington …
In the latest edition of AWB’s Washington Business magazine, I write about Thrive Washington, the research and communications partnership between the WRC and the Washington Roundtable. It’s seems wrong to quote myself. Please go to the column and let me know what you think.
February 14 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
Tax exemptions as economic stimulus…
Strange headline over this story in Stateline.org: Despite red ink, some governors push big tax cuts for businesses. A less skeptical editor might have written, “because of red ink, some governors use tax policy to stimulate investment and job creation.” Because, well, that’s what the story is about. Governors from New York to Florida, Idaho […]
February 11 , 2011 - Kriss Sjoblom
February Economic and Revenue Update
The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council's February Economic and Revenue Update was released today. The key number is $44.8 million. This is the cumulative shortfall in collections over the three months since the November update to the general fund revenue forecast. Today's report increases the likelihood that the next revision to the revenue forecast, which […]
February 11 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
Governor scheduled to sign UI bills this afternoon
A week of anticipation culminated in a welcome compromise on unemployment insurance legislation. The state Senate this morning concurred with the House, passing EHB 1091 (41 yea, 4 nay, 3 excused). The Wednesday, the House passed the measure, which provides permanent unemployment insurance tax relief to a reported 90 percent of employers and temporary extension […]
February 09 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
President's UI tax plan far from a done deal…kind of like the governor's better idea
Yesterday Emily wrote about President Obama’s plan to allow states to raise their unemployment insurance taxes and provide some temporary debt relief to states that have borrowed from the feds. Today that plan appears to be in a little trouble. The Wall Street Journal reports that Capitol Hill Republicans oppose the proposal, though states that […]
February 08 , 2011 - Kriss Sjoblom
Is Manufacturing Back?
John Talton had a column titled “Manufacturing Is Back, But It Isn’t Pretty” in the Sunday Seattle Times. He sure got the “it isn’t pretty” part right. Here are three charts to give some perspective on how manufacturing has fared in and after the Great Recession:
February 04 , 2011 - Kriss Sjoblom
Union Membership in Washington State, 2010
In January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its annual report on union membership, which shows that Washington remains the 4th most highly unionized state in the nation. In 2010, 19.4 percent of Washington workers were members of a union. This is down from the 20.2 percent reported for 2009. Nationally, 11.9 percent of workers […]