|
Numbers Don’t Lie, and Reporters Can’t ReadWritten By: Jim Boldt | Washington State Wire | July 13, 2010Recent reports in Seattle’s news/blogs show us that 65 percent of people polled trust state-run stores to sell booze “responsibly,” and 55 percent trust privately owned stores. What? One hundred and ten percent of total responses? Must be a smart group of folks. Actually, it is two questions, not one. So some trust so strongly they answer different ways to the same question. Then if we go to the seventh question on the USAsurvey/King5 poll, about 70 percent of the folks think that with private sales, underage drinking would stay about the same.
The numbers can be confusing until you realize two questions can produce apparent conflicting answers, but the point is it is polling/campaign/obfuscation time in Washington.
Here are the only questions that need to be asked. Do you want to be able to buy liquor where you get groceries or not? Do you want to be able to pick up booze when you want, where you want?
The other animal floating around out there is the question of whether the people of Washington even know about the monopoly of the distributors, and whether it should be kept. For what reason should it? What purpose does it serve?
Both the state monopoly sales and the distribution monopoly of liquor should end in November.
|
By: Erik Smith | Washington State Wire | Feb. 4, 2012
A decision by a Democratic chairwoman to kill a pair of high-profile education bills has triggered an all-but-unheard-of standoff in a Senate committee and a backroom blowup among the Senate Democrats. And it demonstrates this year, as last, that the moderate Roadkill Dems hold all the cards.
|
|
By: Erik Smith | Washington State Wire | Feb. 3, 2012
Gov. Christine Gregoire’s proposal for a $1.50 tax on oil-by-the-barrel to pay for road construction and environmental projects is looking like it has a dead battery, as three key senators say the governor’s plan just isn’t clicking. Meanwhile, a pair of influential House lawmakers have introduced a constitutional amendment that would block the green lobby's efforts to tax "Big Oil" once and for all.
|
|
By: Erik Smith | Washington State Wire | Feb. 3, 2012
House Republicans show what they mean when they say "Fund Education First," unveilling a partial budget plan that deals only with K-12 education. Everything else can come later. Democrats say it's no way to write a budget.
|
|
By: Jim Boldt | Washington State Wire | 01.31.12
Newt is not going to quit. He is going to continue to try and hold his cool, not go off on someone or about some issue. He is as smart as any one of them, continues to talk of solid experienced realignment of our government...
|
|
By: Jim Boldt | Washington State Wire | 01.26.12
Do we have to continue to talk about what's going on in the real world, the demands being placed on future generations of students, the drag on success created by 20th century education unions, the desire of most educators to do the right thing, and the current lack of courage by Washington's elected to step up?
|
|
By: Jim Boldt | Washington State Wire | 1.19.12
SB 6369 simple states that where there are “gaps” in the evidence don't worry about it, just go ahead with the plan. In a world of DOE staff looking for every opportunity to prove their worth to certain constituencies this is a free pass.
|
|
By: Jim Boldt | Washington State Wire | 1.18.12
Next, do we need a bill to modernize a statute? Probably, because...you guessed it, modern words for modern technology. Excuse the word functionality. The drafters and advocates must think that the state EPA actually works, you know, functions.
|
|
Editorial: Use Gavels to Doom Promising Legislation on Charter Schools and Teacher Evaluations
|
|
Gregoire Drops By Brown's Office for Frank and Open Exchange of Views
|
| By: Jerry Cornfield/ The (Everett) Herald |
|
After Chairwoman McAuliffe Blocks Vote, Blames Committee Members For Balking on Everything Else
|
|
Measure Will Close Liquor Stores June 1
|
|
Former Lawmaker Running for Thurston County Superior Court Vacancy
|
|
Editorial: What a Proud Moment!
|
|
Would Allow Public Agencies to Challenge Burdensome Requests -- Pam Roach May Cast Deciding Vote
|
|
National Organization for Marriage Gets Set to Run Repeal Referendum
|
|
Measly $200K Given From Washington State -- PACs Are Reshaping Presidential Politics
|
| By: Jim Brunner/ Seattle Times |
|
| By: Jim Camden/ Spokesman-Review |
|
Steve Forbes and Rob McKenna write, "What does it mean for you? You will pay more – not less, as promised – for your health care coverage."
|
|
A bill working its way through the Legislature has triggered something of a bizarro world in Olympia, with liberals lambasting a government takeover of health care and two of the state's most powerful unions fighting each other.
|
|
Washington State is ranked last in the nation for having the fewest psychiatric beds for patients.
|
|
Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco argue that sugar is toxic and needs to be taxed and controlled.
|
|
About 47,000 Medicaid patients in Clark County are about to be thrust into turmoil -- as will the health care plan that has served them for 18 years -- if the state Health Care Authority has its way.
|
|
A federal judge is expected to rule this month whether Washington state can require pharmacies to sell the Plan B contraceptive, even if the druggists object on religious grounds.
|
|
Whereas inadequate medical care accounts for 10% of premature deaths in the United States, behavioral patterns, social circumstances, and environmental exposures have a far greater effect, accounting for roughly 60% of deaths.
|
| By: New England Journal of Medicine |
|
A report released today by the actuarial firm Milliman Inc. said the new tax in 2014 will cost the Medicaid program between $36.5 billion and $41.9 billion over 10 years. At least $13 billion will be borne by states.
|
|
"Open enrollment has to be ready to go by Oct. 1, 2013, so in January of 2013 we have to submit our products and rates for [state] approval," said Alissa Fox, senior vice president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
|
|
|
RSS Links
Comments On This Article
Doesn't exactly require a calculator...
All in how you ask the question, Jim, so let's cut to the REAL impacts of these initiatives.