What it’s like for kids to grow up in Washington state: The good, the bad and the ugly

A new report rates the well-being of Washington’s kids as just above average. Here’s why. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual Kids Count Data Book rates all 50 U.S. states on a multitude of factors, and uses them to calculate four main indicators: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community. Washington places 19th overall – the…

Costco is great, but altruistic business leaders won’t rebuild the middle class

Here’s a reason to renew your Costco membership: not only does the company pay its average worker $45,000 per year, it has also resisted pressure from Wall Street to cut wages and benefits since going public in 1985. That anecdote came out in a BusinessWeek interview with Costco CEO Craig Jelinek, who said that instead of bowing to…

Hog fuel or health care? WA state Senate considering 14 more more tax loopholes

he fourteen tax breaks proposed by the state Senate – despite a revenue shortfall and $1 billion funding deficit in K-12 education – beg the question: can we really afford this? Some loopholes have their place, but as the state legislature tries to put together a budget that preserves essential state services with limited resources,…