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Oh Sweet Wheat!Written By: Jim Boldt | Washington State Wire | March 2, 2010As the House Democrats roll out their economically-counterintuitive tax increase in the middle of a the great recession, it could be praised by advocates as a simple little tax. There is nothing much complicated or new about it. The proposed substitute bill for HB 3191 raises a lot of money, and from what I read none of it is temporary!
So the first issue is that, if and when our state’s economy climbs out of the recession, I guess we just get to keep paying these new taxes as a hangover kind of thing. Of course adding these taxes to our businesses and citizens will slow our climb out of the recession.
But they are simple taxes: B and O taxes are increased, B and O tax exemptions are repealed, sales taxes are added, liposuction taxes, candy, water, and a make-believe new long-arm’s-reach of a “nexus” definition. (If you are an out-of-state business and you think, hope, or wish for business in Washington, you soon will pay taxes on your “nexused” sales.)
It’s the candy tax that becomes complicated. Oh yes, the candy. What is candy? The tax law tells us candy is any bar, drop or piece that contains a sweetener, sugar or otherwise except…and listen up, candy eaters…preparations that contain flour, and do not have to be refrigerated. Anything with real or make-believe sweeteners in bar, drop or piece form that has no flour and can sit on a shelf for ever due to its inordinate concentration of preservatives is TAX FREE. (What about gluten free stuff? Well, anyway…)
How nice. Just dabble a little flour and plenty of preservative into any chocolate bar and there you have it—tax-free candy. Flour, preservatives, wow, Twinkies are tax free!!!
You’ve gotta wonder if the flour thingy was a provision put forward by the Washington Wheat Growers Association. Comments On This Article- no comments yet.
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By: Erik Smith | Washington State Wire | Sept. 8, 2010
In a decision that could change campaign strategies for this year's initiatives, a federal judge has ruled that the state's limits on last-minute contributions are unconstitutional. It's another victory for James Bopp, Jr., the conservative attorney who has been picking away at campaign-finance restrictions nationwide. And in the state's biggest-spending year for initiatives ever, that means the enormous contributions can keep right on coming until election day.
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By: Erik Smith | Washington State Wire | Sept. 3, 2010
A lawsuit to overturn the results of the Senate race in the 38th Legislative District became a probability Friday. Phil Talmadge is on the case. He gave notice to Attorney General Rob McKenna and the Snohomish County prosecutor that if they don't sue, he will. All because of a phony Republican mailer from the left that did exactly what it was supposed to -- destroy incumbent Sen. Jean Berkey in the primary.
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By: Bob Keefe | Washington, D.C.
In this "Letter from Washington," Bob Keefe says America's military involvement in the Near East remains at the forefront of everyone's mind in the nation's capital. Meanwhile, Joe Miller's election as senator from Alaska portends trouble in Republican ranks.
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| By: Jim Boldt | Washington State Wire | Sept. 3, 2010 |
It’s a shame Washington citizens, and particularly voters, don’t take the time to look behind the curtain at think-tank reports. Do they actually know it is a word game, or cooked-up findings?
Yes, it comes from both sides. The conservative think tanks take a data set, twist the numbers, and shape the findings. The liberals do the same thing.
So today’s announcement by the Washingto...
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| By: Melvin G. Ashton | Washington State Wire | Sept. 2, 2010 |
It’s back to school time, and as a parent of children in our public school system, I’m shocked and dismayed by the “Not the WASL” test scores just released by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. And the most disturbing thing is not the performance of our kids, but the behavior and beliefs of the ‘adults’ running the show.
So, pop quiz. Don’t worry, it’s open book, and you can find a...
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| By: Jim Boldt | Washington State Wire | Aug. 25, 2010 |
1. The head of the Port of Seattle gave us all a moment of relief when he announced he would not accept a raise this year. He went home, sat down at the table and realized he could get by with his meager $334,000 a year. That of course is just the salary, the monthly nut. I feel better knowing he won't have to miss, what? A trip to Asia? No, the port sends him there for free. Maybe a new Lexus or ...
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| By: Melvin G. Ashton | Washington State Wire | Aug. 25, 2010 |
We are all cognitive misers – that means our brains are lazy. We like things to follow a pattern, and we don’t like to spend time reviewing the data looking for the exception. So when we develop a ‘truth’, we tend to stick with it even when the data doesn’t support our lazy view of the world.
In reading the comments on the latest Seattle Times “Truth Needle” article, plenty of people mad...
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Democrat Heck Faces Surprising Uphill Battle in Congressional Race
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Appeals Court Denies Stay -- Friday is Big Day
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Reverses Previous Gallup Poll Showing Republicans 10 Points Ahead
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| By: Seattle Post-Intelligencer |
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Editorial: Best Chance for Tax Reform in Four Decades
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| By: Seattle Post-Intelligencer |
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Would Make it Difficult to Compete With National Drug Chains
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Insurance Commissioner Claims I-1082 is Ploy to Refill Organization's Coffers -- Hogwash is Rejoinder
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A Bit Too Secretive, Admits Report
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Holds Firm on Demands -- Republicans Hope He'll Disappear
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Says West Virginia Town Name Violates Code of Conduct -- City Fathers Outraged
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Health insurers say they plan to raise premiums for some Americans as a direct result of the health overhaul in coming weeks, complicating Democrats' efforts to trumpet their signature achievement.
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In recent years, cognitive scientists have shown that a few simple techniques can reliably improve what matters most: how much a student learns from studying.
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The waiver is only valid for one year, and plans must reapply annually "in accordance with future guidance from HHS."
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About half a dozen states have banned BPA in children’s products, and U.S. Senator Feinstein hopes to accomplish the same nationwide, with an amendment to the food safety bill scheduled for a vote in the Senate next week.
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One in five Americans lights up regularly. If all states had prevention programs like those in California and Utah, 5 million fewer people would be smoking, the agency says.
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When generics first come on the market, the rebates on brand-name drugs may still make them less expensive.
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Double-digit rate increases are hitting most individual health-insurance plans in Washington state, hurting jobless workers and worrying insurance regulators.
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Nonetheless, the Washington Federation of State Employees, which is bargaining on behalf of about 40,000 workers, has rejected the governor’s offer.
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There is good reason to be scared into action. Every year, 76 million cases of foodborne illness occur, leading to about 300,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.
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The researchers said their estimate includes $45.6 billion in what's known as defensive medicine costs -- when doctors prescribe unnecessary tests or treatments to avoid lawsuits.
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| By: U.S. News & World Report |
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Researchers have calculated that more than half of the 354 million doctor visits made each year for medical care, like for fevers, stomachaches and coughs, are not with a patient’s primary physician, and that more than a quarter take place in hospital emergency rooms.
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Newly installed Medicare chief Donald Berwick, keeping a low public profile after encountering controversy over his appointment, is moving quickly behind the scenes to seed the US health care system with 100 to 300 sites to test new models of caring for patients.
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