Written By: The Beet: Stuff That Could be True | Washington State Wire Staff | Aug. 16, 2010
At approximately 9:05 a.m. west coast savings time, a van of Republican party legislative leadership members overturned on the freeway exit near the office of Department of Information Services (DIS) for Washington State. The headquarters is the office of over 200 underemployed, poorly managed people who understand 21st century technology. The building also contains the state's highest concentration of telecommunications equipment, including the servers handling 80 percent of all information and email for state government.
DIS officials have put the building on “lock down” in an attempt to block access by any surviving Republican leaders. Their concern is that the Republicans' ignorance of all aspects of 21st century information sharing and telecommunications may infect the state employees, and their requests for stamps and envelopes will squeeze an already strapped agency budget. Of the ten caucus leaders on the van, only six really are leaders, and of those, three are unaccounted for at this time.
Officials say they are concerned key DIS staff have returned from breaks outside of the building -- they take fourteen a day -- and are now mumbling about opportunities to impact public policy through snail-mail mailings and direct telephone conversation with voters. “Some of our people are now refusing to leave detailed messages when they make phone calls, refuse to acknowledge digital voicemail, and have shunned our email system completely,” DIS director Sara Hitek told reporters.
Even three elected officials can pose a threat to unsuspecting state employees, officials said, with their belief in old message delivery systems.
DIS officials emphasize that the public has nothing to fear. Even if their staff reverts to mimeograph machines, the Republicans' simple message -- “NO” -- cannot be strengthened by any delivery system.
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.
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...
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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