At our September 19, 2012 social we learned about the failings of the initiative process in Washington State and a proposal to bring about change [http://www.inspireseattle.org/minutes/091512.html]. Below is an exciting update from our speaker and InspireSeattle member Mary Lou Dickerson. Over the last several years I have been growing increasingly concerned about Washington voter’s shaky…

The House of Representatives is going to vote on Paul Ryan’s latest budget Thursday.  If we want to stop this wrongheaded proposal, now is the time to act. Call your Representative!  Ask him/her to support the Back to Work Budget, the budget of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Main Switchboard  (202) 224-3121 Judith Shattuck, Chair Washington…

“A new report on state tax systems found that Washington state had the most regressive tax system in the country. The Washington D.C.-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) released the report yesterday. Combining state and local property taxes as well as sales and excise taxes, the data shows a greater disparity in tax…

“I don’t want to just end the war, I want to end the mindset that got us into war in the first place.” -Barack Obama, January 2008 The ten year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq has brought much attention, and rightfully so, to the lies that seduced us into that eight year catastrophe. Little…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Community Solar w/10 Yr. Rolling Incentive Passed House! Call Now to Help It Survive Committee & Get Through the Senate ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PLEASE Call Senate Energy Committee Chair & Members TODAY & TONIGHT. Ask them to “Stand up for public benefit renewable energy (community solar) and clean energy jobs. New energy production facilities depends upon…

Let’s remember some of our local PIGS who started the Iraq War. My fascist is worse than yours! Kirby Wilbur, a rightwing talk radio host on KVI 570 AM Seattle boosted every war, and organized his audience into a militia called the “570th Cavalry” to swarm and intimidate peace rallies. Kirby Wilbur is now the…

Democrat Pedersen Offers Astounding Explanation for Epic Flopperoo of Gun-Control Bill – It’s the Republicans Seems to me the blame lies mostly with the Republicans and the NRA. But the fact that the Dems were unable to control their caucus brings up a reasonable theory: Among those who maintain nothing ever happens in the House…

Economist Arthur Laffer is touted as a go-to source of wisdom by conservative think tanks and corporate lobby groups in Washington state like the Washington Policy Center, Evergreen Freedom Foundation, National Federation of Independent Businesses, and Association of Washington Business. But a recent report shows Laffer’s economic prescriptions are more likely to hurt than heal…

If you follow this blog, you already know the Chained CPI – a proposed change to Social Security’s annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) – is really just backdoor attempt to cut Social Security benefits. A retiree who lived to age 85 would see a cumulative benefit cut of nearly $14,000. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that…