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New COVID workplace restrictions, issued by Washington State Labor and Industries (L&I) late last Friday, May 21st, require employers to check employee vaccine documents before allowing relaxation of social distancing and mask requirements in the workplace. The new state rules require an employer to confirm, and have employees prove their vaccine medical status. The process used to verify vaccination, and the medical status of the employee’s vaccination record, including t...
It's time to decide if you want a COVID vaccination. If you want to take a precaution to help you avoid contracting COVID, then you can accept a free vaccination. If you don't want a new COVID vaccine, you can turn down the free vaccination. It's that simple. You are free to decide what you want to do with your body. The ugliest side effect of the COVID vaccinations is the nasty, bullying attitude affecting some people. I keep speaking with people and business owners about how...
Very seldom do I agree with Rep. Liz Cheney on policy. I disliked her father making too many decisions for George W. Bush, and usually disagreed with them. But right now, Liz Cheney is my No. 1 hero and I’d gladly vote for her for U.S. representative — not President. Why? Because she may become most instrumental in saving our democracy. A few Congressional Republicans publicly agree with her, including southwest Washington’s U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler. But Cheney may best understand the danger we’re in, be most courage...
Masks are coming off. Most residents wanting a coronavirus vaccination have gotten one. Sports are on and students are back in the classroom. It’s not a coronavirus emergency that’s keeping Washingtonians from going back to work. Over the past several weeks, I’ve had numerous conversations with owners and managers trying to get their small businesses back on solid financial ground. Given residents’ frustration of being pent up for more than 14 months, you’d think that would be...
When Congress established the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) in 1935, it was intended to provide temporary and partial income replacement for workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. It was supposed to be a “bridge” to a new job and not “in lieu of compensation” to remain jobless. The coronavirus pandemic produced massive layoffs. The resulting economic downturn swelled the ranks of unemployed Americans by more than 14 million — from 6.2 million i...
We knew it was coming. The moment lawmakers tried to get clever and thought they could gain support for a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (House Bill 1091) and Cap and Trade (Senate Bill 5126) by linking the policies with a future transportation tax package, it was clear what the governor would do – veto the restriction. Never mind the fact it appears to be illegal to do this. But since he has previously issued questionable line-item vetoes, there was never any doubt that he would do it again to secure his top environmental prioriti...
For folks concerned about politics the most important week of the year is next week, May 17 thru May 21. And that is filing week. It is my belief that the system favors incumbents and others tuned into the political process. Because there is only one week each year that citizens can file for political office. If you become motivated to get involved because of something that has happened, you must wait for this one week in May to do something about it. Federal and state offices file in even years and most local offices file...
By JAMES POOLEY Contributor When Covid-19 came ashore, glaring gaps in the government’s pandemic preparedness became painfully obvious. Everything from inadequate stockpiles of personal protective equipment to confusing and uncoordinated guidance regarding closures hampered our early response. But, while the government floundered, America’s research scientists sprang into action. Moderna actually invented its vaccine mere weeks after the virus was genetically sequenced in January — though of course, it took months of clini...
When Congress established the Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) in 1935, it was intended to provide temporary and partial income replacement for workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. It was supposed to be a “bridge” to a new job and not “in lieu of compensation” to remain jobless. The coronavirus pandemic produced massive layoffs. The resulting economic downturn swelled the ranks of unemployed Americans by more than 14 million — from 6.2 million i...
When I was a child, I remember the fear of getting polio at this time of year and summer. Although, I would consider the Covid 19 virus far more deadly, the polio virus was equally deadly and feared back then. When the Salk vaccine came available there was a massive vaccination program which resulted in herd immunity and the eradication of polio in the U.S. and other developed countries. An outstanding success story. Somehow, as I reflect back on the age of polio and it’s successful eradication, I am deeply mystified and d...
As if the black and brown lives that have been snuffed out by police without justification isn’t enough, there are other recent events that reveal the inadequate training and/or integrity of some police and law enforcement personnel. A 73-year old woman in Colorado left Walmart without paying for $14 worth of goods probably because of her dementia, was tackled and handcuffed, later providing entertainment for those officers. People who have mental disabilities are met with violence by law enforcement, as probably the case of...
Americans are slowly returning to their favorite mom-and-pop shops and locally-owned restaurants. With COVID-19 cases falling, and 23 percent of the population fully vaccinated, most states have lifted the strictest lockdown measures. Relief can’t come soon enough for small businesses. These firms are the backbone of our economy, accounting for more than 40 percent of GDP and almost half of all jobs. And our economy will depend on these firms to create new jobs and bring the nation back to full recovery. Small firms have b...
Public records show lawmakers plan to use the capital gains income tax to set up a lawsuit to try to impose a broad-based graduated income tax. They’re going to get not one, but two. It could be years, however, before we know if the state Supreme Court decides to uphold its numerous rulings saying that you own your income or if they’ll instead reverse course. Just days after the Legislature approved Senate Bill 5096 — which institutes an income tax on capital gains — the con...
In 2012, state voters decided to go where no other state ever had — they legalized adult-use marijuana, reversing 70 years of policy that by most measures was a waste of time and money. The prohibition against marijuana consumption had virtually no effect on its price, availability or use. And yet, in that same time period, we taxpayers had to foot the bill for enforcement and incarceration. For many — like me — the vote to legalize marijuana was not a vote to endorse its use. It was a vote to act in a pragmatic manne...
Sometimes being first isn’t good. Such is the case with legislation making Washington the only state to ban natural gas in new homes and commercial buildings. Thankfully, the legislators ended their session in Olympia and left that bad idea on the table. However, it is destined to come back next year. The issue is complicated and expensive. Earlier this year, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) unveiled it as part of a package to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It included a phase out of nat...
The Covid-19 pandemic has made the issue of healthcare access more urgent than ever. Yet, at a time of deep divisions in Washington, chances for major reform are slim. The Biden administration doesn’t need an ambitious package of reforms to make health care more affordable. Federal officials could instead focus on fixing dysfunctional programs already on the books. A drug discount program known as 340B should be high on their list. Its original goal was to make brand-name drugs more affordable for uninsured and low-income p...
It’s outdated. It’s dysfunctional. It’s hated by most of the populace. No, we’re not talking about the line at the DMV. We’re talking about the Selective Service and the military draft. For decades, young men have had to register. Now, congress is considering expanding draft registration to women. Here’s a better idea: let’s abolish the Selective Service and end draft registration for everyone. A new bill in congress calls for the repeal of the Selective Service Act. Introduced by a bipartisan group, it eliminates th...
The 2021 legislative session, which is scheduled to end April 25, will be remembered for several things — some good, some bad. The candidates for the “bad” column may include a variety of new or increased taxes and fees that will hit your pocketbook in different ways. For instance, a higher state gas tax and a new “cap and trade” tax that would hit motorists hard, and a higher cellphone tax. Also, before the Legislature wraps up its 105-day session, it’s likely to pass Senate Bill 5096, which would impose a state income tax...
I (Leslie) am a clinician and have been for many years. I’ve been Black for many more years, all my life. More than a decade ago, I started a nonprofit, Right to Health, with the premise that, since racism is a proven correlate to poor healthcare delivery and worse healthcare outcomes, we need to fix this. The catastrophic COVID-19 numbers showing a terrible disproportionate suffering in communities of color are only the latest in a very long list of such hurtful, life-threatening and life-ending phenomena over the entire h...
We are now less than two weeks away from end of the 2021 legislative session. It’s been a very busy time, wrapping up work in committees and marathon evening and weekend sessions voting on bills on the floor. The “opposite house of origin” cutoff for moving legislation has passed — meaning all policy bills that were not approved by both the House and Senate in some form are considered “dead.” Exceptions are made for any bill found to be necessary to implement the budget, and it should always be noted that no bill is truly dea...
The Senate operating budget for 2021-23 was approved on April 1 by a 27-22 vote, with two Democrats joining all Republicans in opposition. It is fitting this plan (Senate Bill 5092) was passed on April Fools’ Day. The sharp spending increase found in this budget can be viewed as a bad joke on Washington taxpayers. Total spending in the Senate budget is $59.5 billion. It’s $7 billion more than the current budget, or equal to a 13% increase in spending. If the Senate plan is enacted, the operating budget will have grown by ove...
Lawmakers are rightly showing great concern about improving the quality, graduation rates, equal treatment and fairness in public schools. Some even say the traditional public school system is systemically racist and are demanding solutions. It is certainly true that public schools produce starkly unequal outcomes, with the achievement gap between ethnic groups in math, science and reading wider than ever. Washington has at least 117 state-identified failing public schools,...
Patients with disabilities are 11 times more likely to die from Covid-19 than their able-bodied peers. That’s a sobering statistic. And it’s why public health officials have prioritized these vulnerable patients for vaccinations. Unfortunately, when it comes to non-Covid matters, society doesn’t always show the same concern. In fact, many states and private insurers are pushing for a “reform” that could deprive Americans living with multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy, and other disabilities of life-saving medicines...
There are some things I like very much about Amazon and my Amazon Prime Account, but Amazon isn’t perfect. I like the fact that I can stay at home and order the exact hardware fittings I want without sorting through bins at hardware stores. I like knowing my order will be at my house within a few days. I like the fact that I can send things back and get a refund simply by printing a label, going to a local address, and turning my purchase over. I like the idea that while a hundred people who all want just one thing might use...
This will sound funny anywhere outside Olympia, but there is a question that for years has stumped half the Legislature. If an income tax is so good for the people of the state of Washington, why do they say no every time they are asked? Advocates of higher taxes and spending have tried just about everything. Big income taxes, little income taxes, income taxes dedicated to noble purposes and income taxes that are only supposed to hurt millionaires. Yet the people keep voting no — 10 times since 1934. The last time, in 2010, t...
