Commentary and Opinion

2010 Commentary

Vote on special tax exemptions every 2 years

03.03.2010 | John Burbank | It is not just the cherry trees blossoming in Olympia. Our legislators are shaking off the winter doldrums. They know that public structures like education for our kids and basic health care are good things, necessary elements of a modern democracy and a vibrant economy. And they realize that cutting services further would be the most backward thing to do in a recession.

Full Column | Everett Herald »

The logic of the unthinkable in Olympia

02.19.2010 | Marilyn Watkins | Our Legislature’s chief concern as it wrestles with how to close the $2.6 billion budget gap should be protecting and creating jobs. Contrary to what some pundits are saying, the best bet to spur private sector jobs is to raise taxes as much as necessary to maintain state spending. According to Mark Zandi, economic advisor to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and businesses around the world, each $1 of general state spending results in a $1.41 increase in economic activity. Does raising taxes also cost jobs? Yes, but not as many as the equivalent cuts in state spending.

Full Column | Puget Sound Business Journal (Subscription) »

Give our kids' caregivers a voice in their own future

02.17.2010 | John Burbank | This economy has pushed down wages for almost everyone, so both parents go to work to make ends meet, and single parents have no choice whatsoever. So who takes care of the kids? They are too young for public school, but the family paycheck cannot be put off for four years. So these parents, playing by the rules, depend on paid child care for their kids' well-being.

Full Column | Everett Herald »

After Oregon: Progressives Call for Tax Reform

02.05.2010 | Marilyn Watkins | Washington’s $2.6 billion budget gap presents state lawmakers with a two for one opportunity to lay the groundwork for a more prosperous future. By raising revenue to protect important public structures like K-12 education, health care for seniors, and affordable colleges and universities, policymakers can simultaneously correct some of our tax system’s fundamental shortcomings.

Full Column | Real Change News »

Full Column | Olympia Newswire »

Some tax preferences don't serve the public good

02.03.2010 | John Burbank | Most of us have a sense of how much a dollar will buy. But it turns out there are times when is a buck is worth more than face value. For example, every public dollar we spend is actually worth about $1.41. So given the state’s projected revenue shortfall, it’s worth examining whether the numerous tax exemptions and preferences that have crept into our tax code over the years — nearly 600 of them, at last count — still serve a compelling public purpose.

Full Column | Everett Herald »

Cutting state services will only prolong the downturn

01.20.2010 | John Burbank | The debate over the state budget involves much more than public revenues and public services. It is fundamentally about jobs, both public sector and private sector. Thus far the Legislature and the governor have been following a recessionary pathway, with cutbacks of public investments and spending that can only result in additional losses of private-sector jobs.

Full Column | Everett Herald »

Make education a budget priority

01.08.2010 | Marilyn Watkins | With the new year, kids are back in school, and the economy appears to be starting tentatively toward recovery. In the months ahead, kids won’t be the only ones taking exams. How well we as citizens do on the tests we face will influence how quickly our region regains prosperity, and whether all our kids have the chance to flourish.

Full Column | Puget Sound Business Journal »

2010 marks an economic crossroads for our state

01.06.2010 | John Burbank | We begin 2010 with a pretty severe hangover from 2009. The national economy is bouncing along the bottom, unemployment continues at record high levels, consumption is down, tax receipts are dwindling, and public services have been pulled back just when we need them the most. In short, all the “hope” of the 2008 elections has been dissipated in the economic implosion brought to us by Wall Street.

Full Column | Everett Herald »