Sightline: Cleverness of the “Barrel Fee”

[Jan 26, 15:16 PT]  Sightline has some interesting information about the impact of Gregoire’s proposed "Barrel Fee", which would be the major revenue source for her proposed transportation package. If you’re out to raise money for transportation projects, one of the more clever methods is the so-called “barrel fee” that is the... read more

[Jan 26, 14:41 PT]  [Image] The Sightline Institute’s Eric de Place digs into some little-known aspects of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s proposed "barrel fee"—a $1.50-per-barrel fee on oil refined in Washington State, which she proposed as part of a ten-year, $3.6 billion transportation package earlier this month. Specifically, de... read more

[Jan 26, 10:30 PT]  [Image] If you’re out to raise money for transportation projects, one of the more clever methods is the so-called "barrel fee" that is the centerpiece of Governor Gregoire’s new transportation package. It’s structured in such a way that it minimizes impacts on Washington by effe ctivelyoff-loading the... read more

[Jan 26, 06:15 PT]  [Image] Photo by Oran The Republican Presidential candidates on urban issues. Don’t attack your bus driver. Don’t spit on the ferry. Seattle Council closely watching Gregoire’s transportation plan moving through the legislature. Seattle releases shortlist of pilot greenway corridors. This Mercer Island... read more

[Jan 24, 17:23 PT]  Trustees and regents from the state’s colleges and universities spent Tuesday at the Capitol urging lawmakers to prevent further cuts to higher education. Twenty-eight regents and trustees met with members from the House and Senate higher education committees and Marty Loesch, Gov. Chris Gregoire’s chief of staff, among... read more

[Jan 24, 10:26 PT]  [Image] On Monday, goaltender Tim Thomas of the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins became just the latest high profile athlete to snub President Obama by refusing to attend a White House ceremony honoring his team. Nevertheless, Thomas' insult to the presidency is unique. After all, Thomas is the first to use the language... read more

[Jan 19, 13:12 PT]  Governor Chris Gregoire proclaimed a winter storm emergency this morning, following a series of events that have forced schools and offices to shut their doors and made many roads impassable. “This is purely a precautionary measure,” Gregoire said in a news release. “So far, we haven’t received any requests for state... read more

[Jan 27, 09:21 PT]  [Image] State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen: Love her. According to insiders, there was no horse trading or strong-arming to get Mary Margaret Haugen's decisive 25th vote in the senate to pass a same-sex marriage bill. Just sincere appeals. "I don't think this is an issue where you change hearts and minds by pounding on them,"... read more

[Jan 27, 08:59 PT]  Caffeinated News & Gossip. Your Daily Morning Fizz [Image] Laura Ruderman 1. The Metropolitan Democratic Club of Seattle held a congressional candidate debate at Seattle City Hall last night for the pack running in the newly drawn 1st Congressional District, which stretches from the Microsoft suburbs north to Canada.... read more

[Jan 26, 20:34 PT]  I imagine it is hard seeing other states and our neighboring state of Washington pass marriage equity laws while our liberal bastion of Portland still treats our LGBTQ community as separate. Actually, I know it’s hard. I watch dear friends committed and in love, wanting to be married. They can’t get married in Oregon. I... read more

[Jan 26, 16:24 PT]  Legislation legalizing gay marriage appears headed for a floor vote in the state Senate after clearing a key committee on Thursday. The Senate Government Operations, Tribal Relations and Elections Committee approved the measure after Democrats beat back several attempts to amend the bill. It's not clear when the full... read more

[Jan 26, 06:59 PT]  - Jay Inslee’s piece on marriage equality in Washington State. - Mitt’s Income vs. Your Income (h/t) - It’s time to move from a cop hating anarchist dogma centered occupation to what the actual occupy wall street movement was really about, i.e., love, compassion, understanding, a new way of thinking, ending... read more

[Jan 25, 13:53 PT]  Starbucks today joined a growing list of corporations, including Microsoft, that have endorsed gay marriage legislation in the state House and Senate. Gay marriage supporters have apparently secured the votes needed to pass a measure through both houses, and Gov. Chris Gregoire has said she'll sign it into law. Starbucks'... read more

[Jan 25, 12:08 PT]  So, Washington state is set to make marriage equality law. Industry tends to support marriage equality, because it means that they can hire the talented gay people with families away from anti-gay areas, since they can treat them as employees should be treated. This makes perfect sense, and you'd think it would get... read more

[Jan 23, 21:43 PT]  Gingrich takes the lead, is the primary schedule helping him? SOPA & PIPA go down, does Big Content have other options? What Apple’s manufacturing decisions say about free trade Yemen’s president finds an escape hatch Egypt elects a parliament Quick hits: Gay Marriage appears headed for passage in WA, Obama... read more

[Jan 23, 18:16 PT]  The state Democratic Party is celebrating the advance of same-sex marriage legislation in Olympia, bashing Republican Attorney General Rob McKenna’s journey of conscience as part of its effort to fuel Jay Inslee’s gubernatorial campaign. "Rob McKenna believes that same-sex couples don’t deserve equal... read more

[Jan 23, 14:46 PT]  Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, said she supports gay marriage legislation in the Senate -- giving proponents the 25 votes needed for passage. The state House already has enough lawmakers in support of the measure to approve it. Gov. Chris Gregoire backs the bill, as well. Haugen issued announced her support... read more

[Jan 23, 13:48 PT]  Big news today: the 25th Washington state senator announced her support of a marriage equality law, meaning they have the votes to pass a bill, leading to a probable ballot fight. While six states have marriage equality laws, our friends to the north could become the first state to pass equality at the ballot. Senator... read more

[Jan 23, 13:46 PT]  More than an hour into the Senate hearing on gay marriage and, so far, both sides are playing by the rules. No outbursts, demonstrations or comments that the chairman considers out of bounds. Lines formed two hours before the hearing started. The main hearing room quickly filled, as did all three overflow rooms, including... read more

[Jan 23, 13:09 PT]  Great news this afternoon: We finally have the votes to pass marriage equality in the Washington State Legislature! Minutes ago, Senator Mary Margaret Haugen – who had previously said she was only willing to support putting the issue on the ballot for a public vote – reversed her position and decided to join... read more

[Jan 17, 22:04 PT]  …for the terrific trio from the 32nd Legislative District. Representatives Cindy Ryu and Ruth Kagi and Senator Maralyn Chase, have signed on to HB 2468 and its Senate companion, SB 6283, which would replace execution with life imprisonment without parole in our state. They're all likewise among the sponsors of SB 6239 and... read more

[Jan 27, 10:27 PT]  In Northeast Seattle this morning, staff at Eckstein Middle School had to distract two dogs to stop them from attacking a bus driver on school grounds, principal Kim Whitworth explained in voice message left with parents. Listen to her message here: [Embedded Object] . The driver "suffered puncture wounds to his hands,"... read more

[Jan 25, 15:00 PT]  [Image] Route 140 // Photo by Atomic Taco Tomorrow, from 6 PM to 8 PM, King County Metro is holding an open house at Renton City Hall, to share ideas and solicit public feedback about Metro’s future RapidRide F Line, an improved local bus service that will replace Metro’s Route 140 in 2013. If you can’t make it, see my... read more

[Jan 25, 11:51 PT]  [Image] Route 496 In the wake of voters rejecting a sales tax increase to preserve Pierce Transit service, outlying areas that voted heavily against the increase (and have lost most or all of their service) are trying to opt out of the Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA) entirely. Sumner is the latest casualty,... read more

[Jan 25, 05:36 PT]  [Image] Photo by Dave Honan There are few neighborhoods in our region that have as good transit service as the International Blvd area of Tukwila does. With that comes an opportunity to harness existing capacity and use it to stimulate development. Yet Tukwila is often overlooked when it comes to TOD and land use. Indeed,... read more

[Jan 24, 15:00 PT]  [Image] RapidRide A station at 176th St // Photo by Oran. Tomorrow, from 6 PM to 8 PM, King County Metro is holding an open house at Green Lake Presbyterian Church(64th & Linden), to share ideas about Metro’s future RapidRide E Line, an improved local bus service that will replace Metro’s Route 358 in 2013.... read more

[Jan 23, 10:08 PT]  [Image] Kyoto In the Seattle suburb where I grew up, the main transportation choice most residents face is what kind of car to buy. I moved to Seattle after college and, inspired by the “car-lite” lifestyles of several friends, decided to give cycling a try. I fell in love with it. Urban cycling freed me from slow buses,... read more

[Jan 27, 11:05 PT]  [Image] "President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union speech." Matt Taibbi:I think it’s impossible to know what any of this means yet. There is a lot to sort out and a lot that will bear watching in the near future. MORE... [Image]

[Jan 26, 13:33 PT]  A lot of smart, entertaining stuff has been written about what Obama said in hisState of the Union speech(yay corporate tax cuts! Hooray for fracking!) Monday night. Here’s some of the stuff he didn’t talk about. Women. In a speech that lasted 65 minutes, Obama saw fit to mention women just five times: Three... read more

Everything You Need To Know About The Mortgage Fraud Task-Force And Why It May Be Design To Fail

[Jan 26, 10:43 PT]  David Dayen of firedoglake and Sam Seder discuss President Obama's State of the Union Address, the overall problem with underwater and foreclosed properties and whether New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will sell out on mortgage fraud. [Image]

Obama coming to Seattle on Feb. 17

[Jan 25, 22:54 PT]  President Obama is planning a visit to the Seattle area Feb. 17, a White House official said Wednesday. The visit will include an official event, although details were not immediately available. Obama may hit on the themes of Tuesday's State of the Union address, including jobs, green energy and tax reform. Obama last... read more

Goldy on Rep. McDermott on Obama's SOTU: "Obama Was a Monster Tonight"

[Jan 25, 16:38 PT]  Goldy (David G oldstein):Squeezed into a loud bar, feebly attempting to out-duel Cienna with live-Slog witticisms, it was hard to get a good feel for President Obama's State of the Union speech last night. But US Representative Jim McDermott (D-The Part of Seattle I Don't Live In), sitting (and often standing) in the House... read more

"Sen. Sanders Reacts to Pres. Obama's State of the Union Address" (video)

[Jan 25, 16:26 PT]  SenatorSanders, video (04:21). [Image]

Joel Connelly: 'No Drama Obama' puts his presidency on the line

[Jan 25, 15:37 PT]  Joel Connelly:The president labeled "No Drama Obama," often in frustration by supporters, laid it on the line Tuesday in an election year State of the Union speech that left friends and foes in no doubt about the message. By his own definition a skilled wordsmith, Obama mixed conciliation and optimism -- "America is back"... read more

The GOP Misstate of the Union

[Jan 25, 12:39 PT]  The least surprising element to Barack Obama's 2012 State of the Union address was the Republican talking point that the President's policies have "made our economy worse." Speaker John Boehner regurgitated that point five times during his pre-buttal on Fox News Sunday before concluding last night that Obama's "policies... read more

[Jan 24, 22:23 PT]  The “It” here being perhaps one of the greatest political hoaxes of all time, the question of jobs and the creation and responsibility for them. Republicans, especially Boehner, Cantor, and others keep asking where are the jobs, inferring that President Obama has failed to provide them. Thus they hope to make people... read more

Liveblogging the 2012 State of the Union

[Jan 24, 22:06 PT]  Welcome all to NPI’s 2012 coverage of the State of the Union address. We’ll be updating this post periodically throughout the President’s speech. Various dignitaries are currently filing into the House chamber, and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) just entered the chamber to a standing ovation. Giffords... read more

Gregoire in D.C. to attend State of the Union

[Jan 24, 15:22 PT]  Gov. Chris Gregoire is in Washington, D.C., to attend the State of the Union address, The Associated Press reports. Gregoire is attending as a guest of House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California, her spokeswoman Karina Shagren says. President Obama will deliver the annual address at 6 p.m. PST Tuesday. Gregoire is... read more

[Dateline Unknown]  If I'd hung in for more of Mitch Daniels' Debbie Downer routine after the State of the Union speech on Tuesday, I see from Paul Krugman's latest column that I would have heard him extol the accomplishments of Steve Jobs as a job creator. He was that, but as Krugman points out, most of those jobs (by a factor closer to 20... read more

[Dateline Unknown]  Mitch Daniels got stuck with the rebuttal, I guess because he gave up on the run for president so early? Starts with the positive for the little bits he liked. Then the mind-reading: "When President Obama claims the state of our union is anything but 'grave', he must know in his heart that it's not true." He went on, I... read more

Jon Stewart on Gingrich's Space Plans

[Jan 27, 10:48 PT]  Sorry, this is the third Daily Show clip in three days—but it can't be helped. His best Gingrich joke yet is at the end of this clip. [The Daily Show Video] The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook [ Comment on this story ] [... read more

Sarah Palin: They’re out to "crucify" Newt

[Jan 27, 10:41 PT]  Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has weighed in to defend Newt Gingrich just as establishment Republicans in office and the media direct fire at the insurgent Republican presidential candidate. "Look at Newt Gingrich, what’s going on with him via the est ablishment’s attacks," Palin, the 2008 Republican vice... read more

[Jan 27, 09:14 PT]  [Image] How fucking jingoistic-ly arrogant is it of Newt Gingrich to say he wants to turn the moon into the 51st US state? No wonder the rest of the world thinks we've lost our minds. Maybe he should check out the legality of that first. Here's the international treaty language on the uses of outer space: "Outer space,... read more

[Jan 26, 16:23 PT]  Ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, speaking by phone Wednesday to Faith Coalition supporters, described same-sex marriage as an example of "the rise of paganism" in America. The thrice-married Gingrich, a covert to Catholicism, pledged to support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage as the union of... read more

[Jan 26, 15:25 PT]  Matt Osborne reminds us...Newt Gingrich is the only Speaker of the House ever to be sanctioned in office. [Image]

[Jan 25, 16:08 PT]  Ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich told a Florida audience on Wednesday he will reach for the Moon if elected, and get there if America’s voters reward him with two terms in the White House. "By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the Moon and it will be American," [...]

[Jan 24, 20:34 PT]  In an Idaho Statesman piece, Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter, who’s co-chair of the Mitt Romney campaign in Idaho, remarks that "I would have bet you a month ago that this would have been over with by the first of February. But things have changed." He’s certainly not alone in that, or in moving to the [...]

[Jan 24, 11:56 PT]  [Flash Object] Dylan Ratigan with video (10:13):Former Ronald Reagan OMB director David Stockman joined us on The Dylan Ratigan Show today to explain explicitly why both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are incredible offenders and beneficiaries of corporate communism or, as he likes to call it, “crony capitalism.” MORE...... read more

[Jan 23, 09:13 PT]  [Image] Here's a t hought-experiment: If the GOP were willing to sacrifice the White House in 2012 in order to guarantee they captured the Senate, could they find a candidate much better suited to the job than Newt Gingrich? Minute's up. [Image]

[Jan 22, 21:41 PT]  [Image] Dr. Keith Ablow, who commentates for America's tee vee channel, says Newt's marital history provides proof that he'll be a great president: So, here's what one interested in making America stronger can reasonably conclude -- psychologically -- from Mr. Gingrich's behavior during his three marriages: 1) Three women... read more

[Jan 22, 13:23 PT]  It is snowing right now at fairly low elevations to the southeast of the O lympics--something that happens a few times every winter. For example, here is an image from Dale Ireland's home above Hood Canal [Image] At the same time it is raining and in the upper 30s and lower 40s in much of the rest of the area. How can this... read more

[Jan 21, 09:51 PT]  animalstown.com with video (01:35):The newt is found naturally in North America, Europe and Asia and the newt is thought to be a subspecies of the salamander. There are thought to be around 15 different species of newt found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and many of these newt species contain toxins in their skin... read more

[Jan 20, 08:11 PT]  [Flash Object] Alex Alavarez (MEDIAite), with video from MSNBC (03:57):"Newt Gingrich is the kind of man,” said Hughley, “who will lie when the truth will do.” He then circled back to Gingrich’s characterization of questions about his affair and marriage as “despicable:” MORE... Howie P.S.: VIDEO BONUS -Lawrence breaks in... read more

[Jan 19, 19:52 PT]  …from Tom Harper ... If Captain Francesco Schettino took Newt Gingrich's place on the campaign trail — could anyone tell the difference? [Image]

[Jan 19, 11:34 PT]  [ThinkProgress Video] paid only 14 percent of his total income in taxes. (It's no wonder Mitt opposes the "Buffett Rule.") As Time reported: Just how much Romney pays in taxes is, for the moment, a private matter. But his income is public knowledge. In August, Romney disclosed that in 2010 he and his wife made between $1.1... read more

[Dateline Unknown]  Michael Gerson has a pair of interesting columns about Newt Gingrich. On Jan. 12, before Romney's epic stumble on releasing his tax returns, Gingrich's epic beat-down of another journalist bringing up the Speaker's checkered past, and Gingrich's convincing win in South Carolina, describes the short-lived "respectful and... read more

[Dateline Unknown]  Thank you, Maurice Sendak (and The Colbert Report). Colbert: Newt Gingrich said it: children don't have a work ethic. Sendak: But Newt Gingrich is an idiot, of great renown, I'll give him that. Colbert: He's a historian. Sendak: Yes, but there is something so hopelessly gross and vile about him that it's hard to take him... read more

[Jan 27, 08:00 PT]  So, I know this is old news, but Rick Santorum is trying to ruin sweater vests. Oh sure, he’d say he’s just wearing them, sometimes. I’m sure he thinks he’s conveying a certain downhomieness, and campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire in winter, it makes sense to wear them. And who knows, he may... read more

Desperate Santorum Launches CUM Bomb

[Jan 22, 19:34 PT]  [Image] Hat tip to Pam Spaulding [Image]

[Jan 21, 17:19 PT]  On the basis of exit polling the media started calling the South Carolina Primary for Newt a couple minutes after the polls closed. With a third of the vote in it looks like 41 Newt, 26 Mitt, 18 Rick, 13 Ron. (50% in 40,27) So, in ascending order the GOP has: The Last Confederate Standing Frothy Blah People (Google is your... read more

[Jan 19, 22:20 PT]  It is hardly possible to believe that the Republican Party could have ended up with four worse candidates for the Republican nomination after the abomination that has been their ongoing selection process. Let me begin with Willard Mitt Romney, a Mormon who lies about something virtually every time he opens his mouth. Leave... read more

[Dateline Unknown]  Not sure why the WSJ let it out from behind their paywall (free ticket from Facebook, maybe?), but Bret Stephens' opinion that the Republicans deserve to lose is an entertaining, sly, vituperative lament. If his opening paragraph is really the litany of what the right wing finds so objectionable about the current... read more

[Jan 26, 16:00 PT]  Wednesday Gov Chris Christie had this to say about Civil Rights while referring to Gay Marriage, “People would have been happy to have referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets in the South.” I think there was a referendum at the time, Chris, and it involved little things like three kids in a... read more

[Jan 26, 11:26 PT]  Supporters of same-sex marriage in Maine, which narrowly rejected marriage equality in 2009, have submitted nearly twice the number of signatures required to put the issue to a vote in November. The likely vote in Maine could set up the prospect of coast-to-coast votes, and three northern states deciding the marriage issue... read more

[Jan 25, 13:40 PT]  The pastor of a large Catholic church on Capitol Hill, writing in his parish bulletin, acknowledges that a letter by bishops opposing same-sex marriage "will bring great pain" in his community. Rev. John D. Whitney, S.J., pastor at St. Joseph Catholic Church, published the bishops’ letter as well as a message from... read more

[Jan 24, 16:18 PT]  [Image] Actual headline from NPR's actual web site this week: State Bill Outlaws Use Of Fetuses In Food Industry The bill in question prohibits “the manufacture or sale of food or products which use aborted human fetuses.” You may or may not be surprised by the following: (1) This happened in Oklahoma. (2) The fellow who... read more

[Jan 23, 16:00 PT]  [Image]

[Jan 25, 22:27 PT]  Envy, one of the seven deadly sins, I guess Willard Mitt believes we are all sinners because we envy him his wealth. Somehow I think I can hear echoes of his parents telling him as a child, “If the other kids don’t like you it’s because they are just envious,” a belief that he seems to have internalized and carried forward... read more

[Jan 24, 15:10 PT]  Mitt Romney described himself as "unemployed" at one point in 2011 but the Republican presidential hopeful reports investment income of $42 million for the last two years. Under pressure from opponents, Romney disclosed his 2010 federal income tax return and estimates for what will be on his 2011 return. He long resisted... read more

[Jan 22, 10:39 PT]  [ThinkProgress Video] Scott Brown. Brown didn't merely call on Romney to release his tax returns (which he grudgingly announced he will do on Tuesday), but rejected any notion that the former Governor is like "you." "He's in a category, a lot of those folks are in categories that we don't really understand." Which is why... read more

[Jan 21, 13:59 PT]  This morning I watched a TV clip from a Romney rally, and considering the time difference it must have been mid-morning or so in South Carolina. The crowd started chanting, "We need Mitt," and MultipleMitt responded, "You're going to get me." OK, so far pretty standard election morning stirp the team stuff, right?... read more

[Jan 21, 12:03 PT]  [ThinkProgress Video] this prescription for the housing market crisis: "Don't try and stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom, allow investors to buy homes, put renters in them, fix the homes up and let it turn around and come back up." [Flash Object] It's no surprise Mitt Romney believes... read more

[Jan 20, 17:50 PT]  Mitt thinks the President is dividing America and that the alternative to the current plutocracy is ... North Korea??? Can we please harken back to the GOP mantra of class warfare? And, maybe, just who is actually waging it? Regarding taxes, SS/FICA on median income is nearly 16% total employee/employer and 15% as the... read more

[Jan 20, 10:54 PT]  Doghouse Riley ...SHORTER David Brooks: "Sure, Mitt Romney's character has been shaped by piratical capitalism and kooky theology. But only the good parts." [Image]

[Jan 17, 22:29 PT]  Jon Huntsman dropped out of the Republican circus, otherwise known as the quest to find the Republican candidate for President. He also announced he would support Willard Mitt Romney, thus prompting many to ask, how can he do that after having been attacking Romney for the last few months, saying Romney was a flip-flopper... read more

[Dateline Unknown]  The party out of power has never been enthusiastic about the President's annual address to Congress, but I can't remember one getting as much venom before it's even delivered as tonight's did. The Speaker of the House said on Sunday he thought it was going to be "pathetic," the Senate Minority leader was "disappointed"... read more

[Jan 25, 16:41 PT]  By Scott Moore of Portland, Oregon. Scott is the Communications Director for Our Oregon and was a political reporter and news editor for the Portland Mercury. Previously, he contributed "Trivial Pursuit: That's Some Har-ible Reporting" Just a day after having to do an embarrassing about face on a truly bizarre ruling,... read more

[Jan 24, 14:30 PT]  By Scott Moore of Portland, Oregon. Scott is the Communications Director for Our Oregon and was a political reporter and news editor for the Portland Mercury. Previously, he contributed Sorry, PolitiFact Oregon, but you need to check your facts. If I was the editor of the national PolitiFact enterprise, I’d be alarmed at... read more

[Jan 24, 10:00 PT]  By Jennifer Williamson of Portland, Oregon. Jennifer is an attorney and public safety reform leader running in the Democratic primary for HD 36 in West Portland. For more information, visit Jenn iferForOregon.com. Over the last several weeks, Governor Kitzhaber’s Commission on Public Safety has received a lot of attention... read more

[Jan 20, 15:28 PT]  Just last month, a group of labor leaders - including IBEW 48's Joe Esmonde - held a press conference to announce that they would not be supporting any of the announced candidates for mayor. Yesterday, IBEW Local 48 reversed course, announcing their endorsement of Eileen Brady for Mayor. From the statement: "We are... read more

[Jan 19, 09:42 PT]  [Image] John Burbank (The Stand): Back in the 1960s, there was a comic strip named Pogo. One of the most insightful strips was a distilled discussion of human foibles, in which Pogo announced, “We have met the enemy and he is us!” When it comes to the national debate over the 99% vs. 1%, we may not like the growing chasm... read more

[Jan 19, 07:17 PT]  When a group governs according to their ideology, that is to be expected. Voters elect representatives who reflect their values and concerns (okay, maybe not the last part so much). Once elected, those representative can promote the values and address the concerns, or they can just flail away at the ideology. Guess which... read more

[Jan 18, 06:42 PT]  Over the last 3 years, Idaho's revenues have declined, and the budget has shrunk with them, on account of the constitutional requirement for a balanced budget. Rather than seek new revenue sources, the legislature and Governor have chosen to simply cut the budget. Now that revenues are growing again, what will be the... read more

[Jan 25, 08:27 PT]  The Tax Foundation has released its latest Business Tax Climate rankings and once again, Oregon comes out looking pretty good. The Tax Foundation considers Oregon to be the 13th best in the country, an improvement of two spots from its 2011 ranking. [Image] According to their metrics, Oregon does particularly well in sales... read more

[Jan 23, 22:02 PT]  A week ago there was an article in the Seattle Times describing a large drop in applicants to the UW this year. Considering that other WA State schools have not seen a similar decline and all state colleges are experiencing essentially the same tuition increases, why are UW applications down? Could it be the incessant... read more

[Jan 23, 08:53 PT]  [Image] The Foundation for Child Development and the Annie E. Casey Foundation have compiled a host of measures of child well-being and use them to rank states. They have produced a report about these metrics, but here is their map showing the relative position of states according to their metrics. Nancy Folbre has an... read more

[Jan 18, 11:53 PT]  Oregon added 2400 jobs and the unemployment rate dropped to 8.9% in December. Good news, but clouds loom on the horizon... Off to class, more thoughts later. [Image]

[Dateline Unknown]  A Fox News contributor lists six reasons Keystone XL was a bad deal all along and "deserved to be rejected," so... does that mean it was actually a good idea? Now I'm confused. But the favorite talking point of the decriers was that see, Obama's not serious about creating jobs! because he got sucked into the sped-up... read more

[Jan 20, 16:36 PT]  As we reported earlier today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has scrapped plans to hold a vote on the "Protect IP Act", also known as PIPA, next Tuesday. PIPA is one of the two MPAA and RIAA-backed bills that would permit major media conglomerates to indirectly censor the Internet, using the long arm of the Department... read more

[Jan 20, 12:11 PT]  Another victory! From Senator Harry Reid’s office: In light of recent events, I have decided to postpone Tuesday’s vote on the PROTECT I.P. Act. There is no reason that the legitimate issues raised by many about this bill cannot be resolved. Counterfeiting and piracy cost the American economy billions of dollars and... read more

[Jan 20, 09:13 PT]  [Image] Yesterday my blog, p3, in solidarity with Wikipedia, BoingBoing, and numerous other websites, went dark in protest of the proposed SOPA/PIPA legilslation that would kill intellectual freedom on the American Internet in defense of the outdated business models of Hollywood and the music recording industry, dinosaurs... read more

[Jan 19, 10:29 PT]  [Image]

[Jan 19, 08:49 PT]  CURRENT with video ( 02:50):“Countdown” contributor and Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas reveals why the Daily Kos joined the roster of sites protesting the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House and its Senate companion, the Protect IP Act (PIPA). Moulitsas salutes Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) for being “the first person... read more

[Jan 18, 22:12 PT]  Because I’m utterly clueless about what goes on under the hood of my website, instead I’ll just send you to any of HorsesAss or the Northwest Progressive Institute (locally) or Wikipedia, Reddit, or Google (nationally) for such actions. Why are you being asked to oppose these bills?  Aren’t online... read more

[Jan 18, 21:43 PT]  BLACKOUT NO PIPA! NO SOPA! NO CENSORSHIP! [Image]

[Jan 18, 07:55 PT]  [Image] Join today's online protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) & the Protect IP Act (PIPA) by signing this petition to join the strike or contact your legislators. For more information on these pieces of legislation, both Google and Wikipedia, who are participating in the strike, have placed SOPA/PIPA on... read more