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Odds and Ends on Hump DayWritten By: Jim Boldt | Washington State Wire | Aug. 25, 2010
Odds and Ends on Hump Day
- 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 something.
- Publicola got it wrong mentioning the the Port CEO was the highest paid public employee in the state. Just this summer Energy Northwest signed up a new CEO and he gets $470K a year to run one nuclear plant and round up some wind power for the agency's PUD members. We don't even want to look into the U of W, or the public hospitals.
- Berkey: Gone like a freight train. There will be a lot of finger pointing. Especially if she wiggles back in on Thursday during the next vote count. But most folks are saying goodbye to the senator who tried to stay in the middle of the road, and became, you guessed it, Roadkill!
- About the Berkey race. Bloggers and whiners are getting all fussed up about a stealth PAC called Cut Taxes PAC. They did a mailing in the Berkey race, against her, from the right. Reports are that the PDC has told folks that Cut Taxes PAC has reported no income, has contracted with a PR firm for a mailing, that was sent out, and no money has changed hands? So is it a loan from the PR firm? An in-kind from the PR firm? An unpaid bill to Cut Taxes PAC? Someone bought the paper, paid the staff for time, and gave the U.S. postal service a check, and if it wasn't greenbacks, Visa or PayPal, then someone is floating the bill. But don't come down on Cut Taxes PAC for slipping by the watchful eye of the PDC, or the public. Looks to us like the laws or the rules allow this “pay you when I can” thingy. So go whine at the right place. As Melvin Ashton said to us, “You show me a loophole and I'll show you an opportunity.” Or relax -- maybe Cut Taxes PAC is just a little slow on paying bills. We may find out someday where they got their money. Stop whining, it's politics! Or ask the PDC what's going on. Remember, there seldom are any angels in this politics business.
- My old friend Jake Fey may get the task of opposing Laurie Jinkins in the general election to fill the seat vacated by Flannagan down in T-Town. If Ms. Jinkins wins, the local papers tell us she will be the first lesbian legislator. She also is a public employee, working for the county health department. This post and the news reports just reminded me how we love to put folks into little boxes, and then hold them up. As the comments in some of the blogs and newspapers point out, this is how we end up with very few independent legislators. Oh, oh -- Roadkill again!
- Hydroelectric power, from our dams, the ones that burn no hydrocarbon fuel, nor biomass, nor split or fuse any element, are still not considered “renewable” under Washington State Law!
- And finally, in his post about the primary election where he rightly worries about the state's fiscal mess, Dick Davis of the Washington Research Council writes: “Perhaps the strangest thing about the Aug. 17 legislative primaries is this: A lot of mature, sane and responsible people want to go to Olympia next January. Not exactly first responders rushing to the sound of gunfire or heat of flames, they are, nonetheless, heading for trouble most of us would avoid.” Does this mean first responders are immature, insane, and irresponsible? Now Dick -- come, come. The Washington Research Council better let us know if part of their “research” involves psychiatric evaluation of first responders.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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...
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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?
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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.
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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.
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Editorial: Use Gavels to Doom Promising Legislation on Charter Schools and Teacher Evaluations
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Gregoire Drops By Brown's Office for Frank and Open Exchange of Views
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| By: Jerry Cornfield/ The (Everett) Herald |
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After Chairwoman McAuliffe Blocks Vote, Blames Committee Members For Balking on Everything Else
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Measure Will Close Liquor Stores June 1
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Former Lawmaker Running for Thurston County Superior Court Vacancy
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Editorial: What a Proud Moment!
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Would Allow Public Agencies to Challenge Burdensome Requests -- Pam Roach May Cast Deciding Vote
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National Organization for Marriage Gets Set to Run Repeal Referendum
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Measly $200K Given From Washington State -- PACs Are Reshaping Presidential Politics
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| By: Jim Brunner/ Seattle Times |
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| By: Jim Camden/ Spokesman-Review |
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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."
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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.
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Washington State is ranked last in the nation for having the fewest psychiatric beds for patients.
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Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco argue that sugar is toxic and needs to be taxed and controlled.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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| By: New England Journal of Medicine |
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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.
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"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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