Seattle Times columnist writes about that mythical $8.7 billion tax break for Boeing: not a giveaway!
Erik Smith used our recent policy brief as a peg for an excellent column on tax policy in today’s Seattle Times. Though the Department of Revenue calculated it exactly as it was supposed to, a more realistic view is that the legislation costs taxpayers nothing. He summarizes, drawing on points we developed in the brief. […]
July 15 , 2014 - Kriss Sjoblom
New Policy Brief: About That Mythical $8.7 Billion Tax Break . . .
We have posted a new policy brief regarding aerospace tax incentives: About That Mythical $8.7 Billion Tax Break . . . Briefly: A competitive tax policy is not a “subsidy” that costs the state money. It is, rather, a pragmatic response to the marketplace, including the global competition for major industrial projects. Tax policies adopted […]
July 09 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Class size Initiative 1351 hides costs, consequences
My column today compares and contrasts Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1325 with the Washington Education Association’s Initiative 1351. The former failed to qualify for the November ballot; the latter apparently did. Eyman’s sales tax reduction would have cost the state about $2 billion over the two-year budget cycle without specifying what programs and services would be […]
June 19 , 2014 - Kriss Sjoblom
Loopholes? Really?
Over on the Taxgirl blog, Kelly Phillips Erb ponders press coverage of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s estate tax reduction strategies (Admit It: The Clintons Didn’t Do Any Tax Planning You Wouldn’t Do). Along the way, she discusses the misuse of the term “tax loophole.” We all want to criticize tax reduction strategies as somehow un-American […]
May 30 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Looking ahead: Minimum wage, fish consumption, data centers, and cap & trade.
The week ends with a few stories reflecting some changes ahead: Minimum Wage Puget Sound Business Journal asks, $15 minimum wage: What will Seattle restaurants with Eastside locations do? Some of the answers aren’t good. A Crosscut article, Seattle on verge of ‘historic’ action on minimum wage, closes with a curious quote from Seattle councilmember Sally Clark, who […]
May 27 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Seattle, nation's fastest growing city, and some bumps in the road ahead: business costs, housing affordability, and rising taxes
The Census Bureau reported last week that Seattle was the nation’s fastest growing city. From the Seattle Times story: From July 1, 2012 to July 1, 2013, Seattle grew by 2.8 percent — the highest rate among the 50 most-populous U.S. cities. Seattle added nearly 18,000 residents in the one-year period, bringing its population to about 652,000. The Times notes […]
May 20 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Seattle Times editorial board favors data-center tax incentives. Here's why they're right.
The Times editorial gets right to the point. When lawmakers return for business in January, they should reauthorize Washington’s server-farm tax break, and pronto. Our September 2013 report, Economic Impact of Data Centers on Central Washington (clever title, that), helps explain why. World class industries have located in Central Washington, providing stable, diversified em- ployment and expanded tax bases for […]
May 15 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Washington ranks No. 33 in Chief Executive magazine's 2014 "Best & Worst States for Business" report
The springtime business climate reports are beginning to appear. Chief Executive magazine is out with its annual “best and worst states for business” rankings. Washington comes in at No. 33 (No. 1 is best and goes to Texas). The Evergreen State moved up three places from last year’s No. 36, but is still well entrenched […]
May 14 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Filing week begins: Quiz candidates on education funding, transportation, and the skills gap
This is the filing week, when candidates declare their intent to run in the 2014 elections. This year’s ballot includes all 10 U.S. House seats, including the open seat in the 4th District in Eastern Washington where Doc Hastings is retiring, the secretary of state’s office said. Also on the ballot are all 98 members of […]
April 02 , 2014 - Richard S. Davis
Tax incentives for research and development are important to state economy
In my column today I address the state legislature’s failure to extend R&D tax incentives that have been in place since 1994. It’s a topic we’ve written on before, including this policy brief. Similar incentive programs are standard in most states, particularly those with a strong tech sector. I imagine their reinstatement will be a […]