Posted Tue, Apr 24, 6:31 p.m.

To Crosscut editors: I recommend that you block Harris Meyer's ability to comment on articles by Mr Van Dyk. Mr Meyer clearly has an axe to grind, personal or professional, and I would hate to lose Mr Van Dyk as a contributor to Crosscut because of Mr Meyer's inevitable attacks ...

Posted Tue, Apr 24, 10:51 a.m.

Mr Borkowski - Ronald Reagan was not president in 1980. He was inaugurated in January 1981, and congress cut taxes soon thereafter.

Posted Wed, Apr 18, 2:44 p.m.

"Wuss?" "Wimp?" Since when did schoolyard name calling become appropriate discourse on Crosscut? Rob McKenna is a fine man and a serious person. He'll be a great governor.

Posted Wed, Apr 4, 3:12 p.m.

Mr Meyer - I have read several of your screeds that follow columns by Mr Van Dyk. They follow a similar, predictable pattern: insulting Mr Van Dyk, attacking his credibility and disagreeing with his conclusions. To call them substantive and in depth is a reach, unless you believe that statements ...

Posted Wed, Apr 4, 1:53 p.m.

Mr Meyer - the "occasionally" in my second paragraph referred to that. I don't suppose you'd like to address my questions? Or perhaps just spare us readers your predictable diatribes?

Posted Wed, Apr 4, 1:39 p.m.

Does Harris Meyer have some kind of personal beef with Mr Van Dyk? No matter what the topic, just as spring follows winter, Mr. Meyer predictably comments on Mr. Van Dyk's columns with snarky criticism. Occasionally, the criticism relates to the column written. More frequently, it is a diatribe that ...

Posted Wed, Apr 4, 12:01 p.m.

Thanks for the fine analysis. Two nits: I disagree that Dick Cheney's selection was "bad judgment" by Pres Bush. He did no harm in either election, and he presented a serious, experienced contrast to Pres Bush. You omit Sen Rob Portman of Ohio as a possible VP choice of Gov ...

Posted Tue, Apr 3, 10:36 a.m.

Good lord. Is it safe to assume that Inslee will reimburse the taxpayers for the $700,000 that his narcissistic actions will cost the state?

Posted Mon, Feb 27, 10:07 a.m.

"[T]he city of Seattle has received only one wage complaint since last year’s ordinance went on the books." Can you say "solution in search of a problem?"

Posted Thu, Jan 26, 12:45 p.m.

Perhaps a SPOILER ALERT is in order at the beginning of this otherwise interesting and well-written essay?

Posted Sat, Jan 7, 11:14 a.m.

I seem to recall that Pres Clinton (when in office) advocated for uniforms and/or dress codes in public schools. Perhaps some of this could be addressed by dress codes on public transit. In order to ride the bus, a passenger must be dressed appropriately (coat and tie for men, skirts ...

Posted Wed, Jan 4, 5:23 p.m.

Mr Nelson, perhaps you can address BlueLight's points. Why are you being dishonest with the good readers of Crosscut by referring to "cuts" when spending is, in fact, going up?

Posted Fri, Dec 9, 1:34 p.m.

“I’d rather have the state have $50 to $60 million dollars more in their budget to decide what to fund than to appeal to a corporate philanthropy department and let them decide what to fund," said Wilson. Typical statist b.s. "The government can use your money better than you can." ...

Posted Tue, Nov 29, 11:21 a.m.

As usual, dbreneman has it exactly right. I note the hypocrisy of Point 8. On a global basis, the Occupiers are virtually all in the top 1%. The Big Government, pro-union policies that they promote certainly have the effect of keeping the Global 99% in abject poverty, with reduced opportunity ...

Posted Thu, Nov 3, 3:25 p.m.

Darcy Burner = Richard Pope

Posted Wed, Nov 2, 11:17 a.m.

Darcy Burner = Richard Pope

Posted Tue, Aug 30, 9:23 p.m.

NickBob complains "[b]ut the voters threw that system out for a flat tax." Pesky voters. They also rejected a progressive income tax! Don't they know what's good for them???

Posted Tue, Aug 16, 7:47 a.m.

Mr Meyer - The Romney quote you cited has been taken out of context across media. When heard in context, you see that it was in response to a shouted question re tax policy. It is a fundamental part of tax doctrine that, ultimately, human people pay corporate taxes. Corporations ...

Posted Mon, Aug 15, 2:33 p.m.

"All I see in Obama is a Rick Perry with a nicer smile." Perry has a great smile. So does Michele Bachmann

Posted Wed, Aug 10, 7:07 a.m.

GaryP is right --- our tax system is unfair. Nearly 46% of Americans pay no income tax at all! How is that fair? I'm happy to pay slightly more income taxes, but want tax increases to be conditioned upon a reform of our income tax system. We need a re-write ...

Posted Wed, Jul 20, 8:36 a.m.

I don't think that Seattle City Council is consciously opposed to local restaurants. I believe that it is simply incompetent, and has no understanding of the economic realities facing small businesses generally. Regulation has economic consequences? Go figure...

Posted Tue, Jul 12, 9:14 p.m.

Coolpapa, your argument makes no economic sense. A private corporation, trying to maximize profits, certainly has a short-term incentive to keep wages low and employee hours long. At some level, there is a zero-sum game between profits for shareholders and employee compensation. In a government, there are no profits. There ...

Posted Fri, Jul 8, 12:46 p.m.

Seattlelifer --- I think you are mistaking correlation for causation. The best performing schools are non-union --- they are private schools. I'm not trying to suggest that the lack of unions in private schools is the reason that they are better than unionized public schools. For the same reason, you ...

Posted Thu, Jul 7, 5:11 p.m.

I love Mr Bliss's predictable Marxist rants about the "Ruling Class." The only variable in his frequent posts is which words he chooses to capitalize. The union advocates never answer the basic question --- why are unions at all acceptable, as a matter of public policy, in the public sector? ...

Posted Fri, Jul 1, 10:04 a.m.

GaryP - Pres Obama also expressed opposition to gay marriage. Is that a "deal killer" for him with the state's liberals?

Posted Sat, May 21, 10:46 a.m.

sarah90 - I did misspell Ms Balter's first name (and Mr Scher's last name), but she is certainly a liberal. Read her work as a Seattle Times columnist for confirmation.

Posted Fri, May 20, 5:23 p.m.

Mr Lukoff - in what way could Knute Berger possibly be considered "conservative," as that word is defined in the context of current American politics? I actually agree with some of the things he has said and written, but would not characterize those as conservative.

Posted Fri, May 20, 5:21 p.m.

I think that this may be the "straw breaking the camel's back" with regard to my donations to KUOW. I've been complaining for a long time about the composition of the weekly "Your Take on the News" segment --- the host (Steve Sher) and three liberal journalists (Knute Berger, Joanie ...

Posted Fri, May 20, 9:03 a.m.

I think that this may be the "straw breaking the camel's back" with regard to my donations to KUOW. I've been complaining for a long time about the composition of the weekly "Your Take on the News" segment --- the host (Steve Sher) and three liberal journalists (Knute Berger, Joanie ...

Posted Tue, Apr 19, 2:18 p.m.

Busterg - I agree that criminal charges should be pursued in every circumstance possible. Unfortunately, in many cases the statute of limitations has expired, which makes prosecution impossible.

Posted Mon, Apr 18, 10:44 p.m.

"Rethuglican?". That sure helps the quality of the discourse. Clio, what, praytell, do you think the 10th Amendment means? I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts that some or all of so-called health insurance reform act is held to be unconstitutional by the courts of appeal and the supreme court. "Governor ...

Posted Sun, Apr 3, 11:21 a.m.

Lincoln says "The higher the sales tax, the greater the incentive to avoid it." This applies equally to income tax, estate tax and property tax. Goforride supports an income tax, but does not point out that states with large income taxes (California, New York, New Jersey) had massive revenue shortfalls ...

Posted Tue, Mar 29, 8:02 p.m.

Ladies and gentlemen, we already have HOT lanes on 405. They are called HOV lanes. Many solo drivers choose to drive in the HOV lane, making an economic bet that the chances are low that they will get caught. If they drive in the HOV lane and get caught, they ...

Posted Tue, Mar 29, 8:41 a.m.

Great article. Key point - HOT lanes are good for EVERY driver, regardless of whether that driver chooses to use them.

Posted Thu, Mar 17, 1:06 p.m.

Spike --- the article above is about HOT lanes on 405. I was not at all addressing tolls on 520, nor was Secty MacDonald's article. My experience undoubtedly frames my views, but has no effect on the merits of either Secty MacDonald's article or my arguments. I'm delighted to be ...

Posted Thu, Mar 17, 12:27 p.m.

I love it - the critiques of my position and the attacks on me are based principally on charges of "elitism" and class warfare. No substantive discussion of the issue or viable alternatives. Fact --- under the proposal, single occupancy drivers on 405 will be no worse off than they ...

Posted Wed, Mar 16, 9:11 a.m.

Mr ivan - your logic boils down to "I don't like it so I don't like it." I get it. Seems entirely cogent to me. Thanks so much for raising the level of discussion on Crosscut

Posted Wed, Mar 16, 7:10 a.m.

Oh here we go again. "Lexus lanes" and other class warfare from Spike and bubbleator, conveniently ignoring that much of the rest of the world --- for most of history --- has used toll roads. Why should roads in Washington be different from roads in Germany, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, ...

Posted Tue, Mar 15, 3:48 p.m.

I'm a commuter and I don't mind paying for the right to use the roadway. Countries all over the world have toll roads. A big chunk of the United States has toll roads. It makes perfect sense for us to have them too. I agree that transportation dollars have been ...

Posted Tue, Mar 15, 6:52 a.m.

I think this makes a ton of sense. Freeway capacity is a scarce resource. The most efficient way to allocate that resource is to auction it off to those who value it most highly --- ie, by using variable tolling. We already have a grossly inefficient method of tolling --- ...

Posted Fri, Mar 11, 9:19 a.m.

Thanks GaryP. I love conspiracy theories. It makes their promulgators look so rational. What other conspiracies trouble you? Here's what the AG is doing re foreclosure problems. Real-world problem solving, not grandstanding like Spitzer and Cuomo did when trying to prosecute people for so-called crimes, only to see charges thrown ...

Posted Fri, Mar 11, 8:51 a.m.

"Conservative ideological projects like school vouchers, government privatization, tax cuts, capping injury lawsuits, speeding up the death penalty, weakening the courts?" Try common sense ideas that work when tried, but which left wingers tend to oppose because they dislike the notion of competition, rewarding the most productive members of society ...

Posted Wed, Mar 9, 3:07 p.m.

GaryP - you point to civil investigations and, with respect to financial crimes, investigation power only, NOT to prosecution power. Are you suggesting that all Washington state prosecutors, Democrat and Republican, are colluding to not charge these fraudsters? What about Democrat attorney generals in other states?

Posted Wed, Mar 9, 12:50 p.m.

Gary P - read your state constitution. In the state of Washington, the Attorney General has no authority to investigate or prosecute crimes. He can only do so when asked to do so by a county prosecutor, typically when the county prosecutor has a conflict of interest. The points you ...

Posted Wed, Mar 9, 11:38 a.m.

I think Jeb Bush would be a terrific choice. He did a great job as governor of Florida. He actually has a track record of running things --- not like the guy in the White House now, who has never had an executive job and demonstrates a lack of competence ...

Posted Tue, Mar 8, 12:34 p.m.

What a thoughtful piece. It's nice to see a public servant communicate without hyperbole or misinformation. Thank you, Attorney General McKenna, for stating the facts clearly and cogently, and for upholding the constitution.

Posted Fri, Feb 25, 4:41 p.m.

Plenty of businesses (my own included) operate efficiently with thousands of employees, no unions and no need to have a separate agreement for each employee. Bad managers frequently fail, as their employee turnover is typically high. "Element of fairness?" How is it "fair" for a unionized teacher if that teacher's ...

Posted Fri, Feb 25, 12:07 p.m.

GaryP adds to the voices of hyperbole --- "class warfare," "Wall Street" cheats, etc. Predictably, he does not address the underlying issue --- why are public employee unions good for the taxpayers?

Posted Fri, Feb 25, 7:10 a.m.

In all the discussion on NPR and other mainstream media, I have not heard a union apologist or media member give a cogent view of why public employees should have unions. The rationale for unions in the private sector is clear, even if some do not like the manner in ...

Posted Sat, Feb 19, 6:47 p.m.

FDR had it right: “The process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted in the public service.” I hope the bill is passed in Wisconsin and I hope a similar bill is introduced and passed in Washington.

Posted Wed, Feb 16, 5 p.m.

got it --- I'm with you on that

Posted Wed, Feb 16, 1:46 p.m.

jmrolls - care to elaborate? Isn't the toll the opposite? Charging the users of the bridge --- instead of raising the funds by taxing non-users in other parts of the state--- seems eminently fair to me, not to mention being an economically efficient means of allocating a limited resource (lanes ...

Posted Sat, Dec 18, 12:11 p.m.

Her quote in this article (thanks BlueLight) is priceless: "I love my budget." http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003486428_budget20m0.html She and the legislature made a conscious choice in 2007 --- to line the pockets of the various unions that had supported them. They knew full well that when an economic downturn came, the only choice ...

Posted Fri, Dec 17, 8:22 a.m.

R - my example was simply an illustration of the effect of a wealth tax on the living. Assume a single person, or multiple the numbers by 2 or 3 or 4, or reduce the rate of taxation, if it helps you understand my point.

Posted Thu, Dec 16, 5:27 p.m.

Andy and Taupe are talking about different things. Andy is mixing the concepts of "wealth" and "income." The US government taxes income. It only taxes wealth pursuant to the estate tax --- when people with certain wealth levels die. Capital assets are only taxed when they are sold for a ...

Posted Tue, Dec 14, 2:55 p.m.

Class warfare, perhaps, but waged by whom? It is ironic that the Crosscut front page links to an article in today's Journal by William McGurn, entitled "Billionaires On the Warpath." That author quite correctly lays out the moral argument against higher taxes. How much is enough tax revenue? What is ...

Posted Thu, Nov 18, 2:03 p.m.

bkochis - "Government employees are, indeed, better folks." Really? Instead, of course, for the inconvenient facts that they do not have to respond to market pressures. They do not have to worry about the risk that their employer may have lower revenue than the employer had hoped. (Don't get me ...

Posted Wed, Nov 3, 5:53 p.m.

Mr Trahant - as requested, here you go: IF General Motors had entered bankruptcy without government interference THEN, contrary to your assertion, it would not have "gone out of business." Rather, its debts would simply have been reorganized according to the rule of law, rather than according to the President's ...

Posted Mon, Nov 1, 6:11 p.m.

Do Washingtonians really want Patty Murray to be their representative in the Senate for 24 years? A quarter of a century of Patty Murray? I don't love Rossi, but 24 is approximately Murray's IQ. The state that elected Scoop Jackson and Dan Evans deserves better. Murray should go

Posted Tue, Oct 26, 9:39 a.m.

Knute has it wrong. The real loss will be at the margin, and will happen over time. Example - if you have a choice to start a business in the Spokane Valley or Coeur d'Alene, if 1098 passes it will be a no-brainer. It will be CDA. Idaho has no ...

Posted Fri, Oct 15, 5:41 p.m.

This is insane. Washington does not have a revenue problem. Washington has an expense problem. The legislature spends too much. Even in the recession it has continued to spend more and more and more. All of this "budget cut" and "no resources" stuff is utter nonsense. The citizens of Washington ...

Posted Wed, Oct 13, 7:25 p.m.

Mr Henderson - what was Joe Torre's record when hired by the Yankees? Was it mediocre? Remind me how that worked out for the Yankees?

Posted Fri, Aug 20, 9:15 a.m.

Good lord. How about a sense of personal responsibility here? Nobody is forcing these people to attend these schools or to borrow money to do so. When has any graduate --- of a public school, private school or for-profit school --- been guaranteed a job after graduation? How about "never" ...

Posted Fri, Jul 23, 2:35 p.m.

Mr Borkowski - would you please support your factual assertions with citations? For example, you state that Mr. McKenna "supports the elimination of social security." On what basis do you make that statement?

Posted Mon, Jun 7, 5:05 p.m.

Nice use of taxpayer funds --- financing a bunch of bureaucrats trying to justify their jobs. Here's an idea --- how about we require the decision makers who approved the printing of these flyers to reimburse the taxpayers out of their own pockets?

Posted Thu, Jun 3, 2:08 p.m.

As an attorney, Gregoire is best known for costing the state millions by missing a court filing deadline. Yeah, I really want her giving legal representation to the citizens of the United States...

Posted Fri, May 28, 9:16 p.m.

The author is a clown, and a shill for the state employees' unions. All of this talk of "cuts" is nonsense. The state is spending MORE in the current budget than in the prior budget. State employees are getting raises and increased benefits, while the taxpayers are suffering. Why didn't ...

Posted Mon, May 3, 11:02 a.m.

Washington voters are smarter than this. They will recognize that this is simply another attempt to increase taxes for all, without fixing the structural problems in state government that led to the rampant spending we currently have. Face it, people --- the legislators cannot be trusted to look out for ...

Posted Tue, Apr 6, 3:50 p.m.

I'm pretty sure that I agree with Mr Van Dyk that the US ought not adopt a VAT tax. I definitely agree that we ought not adopt any such tax before reforming the structural problems of social security, Medicare, etc. I disagree, though, with his apparent support for progressivity in ...

Posted Thu, Mar 25, 9:50 p.m.

Mr Lorenbliss, are you sure that Republicans are the ones doing all of these evil things? Could it perhaps be space aliens? That sounds at least as plausible and coherent as your statements above...

Posted Wed, Mar 24, 2:31 p.m.

I suggest that Mr Lorenbliss's statement would be at least a little coherent if he reduced the hyperbole. "Nazi-like malevolence the Republicans have evoked?" What, pray tell, does this mean? Are there secret extermination camps to which Republican elected officials have been sending disadvantaged people? "Complete the transition from republic ...

Posted Tue, Mar 23, 7:45 a.m.

Mr Brewster - does your analysis change if the AG suit succeeds and the law is declared unconstitutional? The simple threat and filing of a suit can be dismissed as a publicity stunt and/or political statement. The US is not a democracy - it is a federal republic. I'm no ...

Posted Thu, Mar 11, 1:58 p.m.

I love all of these numbers that say "xxxxx million die each year because they don't have adequate health care." Guess what --- we are all going to die some day. The real question is who pays for us while we are alive. Do we make our own choices, and ...

Posted Mon, Mar 8, 10:14 p.m.

Mr. Lorenbliss - Obfuscation and outright lies? Please elaborate --- or are facts irrelevant to your argument? "Infinite greed elevated to maximum virtue" --- I have no idea what that means. You chose not to address any of the points I raised in response to your polemic. One can only ...

Posted Mon, Mar 8, 6:31 p.m.

Wow, Mr. (or is it "Ms"?) Lorenbliss. That's a mouthful. I feel bad for Mr. Jenkins --- I wonder how long he has suffered from clitoris envy. What does "fair share" mean in the context of state taxes? I believe that so-called progressive income taxes are inherently unfair, penalize the ...

Posted Tue, Feb 23, 8:29 p.m.

Good for Microsoft. Nice to see some common sense here. Isn't 13 years of discussion enough, even for King County? The ship has sailed, Messrs McGinn and Chopp. The legislature passed the bill and the governor signed it. The sooner you realize that the lesser the likelihood that the bridge ...

Posted Thu, Oct 22, 6:45 p.m.

Mr Mulliner - blah blah blah blah blah. rerickson asked for an example. I gave it to him/her. That's all. I don't accept the relevance of your question. Neither of you has said a single positive thing about this clown Mr. Constantine. I infer from this that there is nothing ...

Posted Thu, Oct 22, 3:01 p.m.

Rerickson - the state of Texas. I've answered your question. Please answer mine.

Posted Thu, Oct 22, 2:34 p.m.

Many are criticizing the endorsement of Susan Hutchison. Other than "experience," please enlighten us about why Constantine is a good choice? I submit that he is a large part of King County's problems, and certainly not part of the solution. His so-called experience is experience sucking the teat of the ...

Posted Tue, Aug 18, 4:57 p.m.

Are you kidding me? "The United States is a disgrace among the world's modern nations whose standards of living place ours dead last. " Dead last? Is that why people from countries all over the world are lining up to immigrate to the United States? "We are verging upon violent ...

Posted Mon, Aug 3, 12:05 p.m.

I'll let Mr. Eyman defend the veracity of his statements. However, Mr Zemke and 2cents, I'm disappointed that you resort to name calling ("far right") and a focus on the messenger. It is clear that you dislike Mr. Eyman, and your dislike clouds your message. I note that you both ...

Posted Mon, Jul 27, 4:54 p.m.

Does anybody have any idea what Anandakos is saying? Is his "Jammies" reference to me? Did he insult me again? Sorry Anandakos, I won't turn the tables and insult you. Is it standard operating procedure for liberals to insult those with whom they disagree? You appear either to disregard or ...

Posted Mon, Jul 27, 1:29 p.m.

Can somebody please explain how Colorado's experience was bad?

Posted Sun, Jul 26, 9:59 p.m.

2cents - You asked for data, I gave you data. You respond with conjecture. To wit, "Many state jobs require four year degrees if not masters." You mean like the guys working in the state parks? Working on road crews? Let's look at www.careers.wa.gov. Do you think "Custodian" or "Office ...

Posted Sun, Jul 26, 8:35 p.m.

2 cents - Here are the facts, courtesy of the Washington Policy Center and Department of Commerce: "Average annual compensation for full-time state employees tops $66,000. This includes a salary of more than $53,000, plus a generous $13,000 benefit package including medical coverage, free dental care, a comfortable 401(k) retirement ...

Posted Sat, Jul 25, 6:01 p.m.

2 cents - of course I read the report. It was not intended to be an exhaustive list of wasteful projects. Rather, an example of the waste that occurs every year. You say "[t]he right screamed for across the board cuts in state services." Didn't state spending go up in ...

Posted Sat, Jul 25, 11:12 a.m.

2cents - You state: "Government doesn't have the luxury of simply cutting expenses like you do. In good times and bad government still is required to maintain the roads, house prisoners, fight fires, police the streets, aid our vulnerable children and citizens. You can cut cable TV, lattes, eating out, ...

Posted Fri, Jul 24, 2:10 p.m.

Mr Zemke - you did get my reference correctly; I meant right (not left) and might certainly have miscounted (16 vs 19). The one area we do agree on is the need to be precise when citing statistics. I do not agree with the focus on taxes as a % ...

Posted Fri, Jul 24, 11:01 a.m.

Here's the link to the data that show Washington as the 8th last state to reach its Tax Freedom Day http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/387.html Here's the link to the data that show Washington's tax burden on a per capita basis (8th) and as a % of income (35th). http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/336.html My intent is not ...

Posted Thu, Jul 23, 4:11 p.m.

Interestingly, it appears that the Tax Foundation may be the source of Forbes's 8th in the nation statistic. According to the Tax Foundation, Washington state residents must work until April 16 in 2009 in order to pay all of their federal, state and local taxes this year. This is the ...

Posted Thu, Jul 23, 3:37 p.m.

Mr Zemke - You are no better than you claim Mr Eyman is when it comes to citing statistics. You misstate reference to "number 35." The data you are looking at ranks Washington as #35 for state and local taxes as a percentage of income. Move three columns to the ...

Posted Wed, Jul 22, 12:29 p.m.

Mr. Morgan - You make a very bold statement: "middle and lower income families pay more taxes here than they do in other states." Care to expand on that and/or pass on real data? Is that gross taxes (I doubt it)? Per capita taxes (I also doubt it)? Taxes as ...

Posted Wed, Jul 22, 10:33 a.m.

The following statement from Mrs. Godden destroys any credibility she might otherwise have: "I-1033 would freeze tax receipts at the depths of the worst recession in the last 29 years. Budgets pared to the bone to reflect tough times would then become the ceiling, modified only by inflation (figured nationally, ...

Posted Tue, Jul 21, 9:45 a.m.

Dn - I find your arguments foolish. To wit, "we will reduce our carbon emissions and help developing nations do the same." This citizen has absolutely no intention of either reducing his carbon emissions or helping anybody else --- including developing nations --- do the same. I will do what ...

Posted Mon, Jun 15, 9:59 a.m.

Something makes me think that Mr. McKay has never struggled to make a payroll for his employees. Nor has his livelihood depended on making a sale, keeping a customer happy or motivating employees. Rather, the Washington taxpayers have paid his salary (and, presumably, his pension). When he implies that the ...

Posted Thu, Jun 11, 10:48 p.m.

"Fair" is a misnomer. Trade barriers and government subsidies of domestic industry are bad all around. They perpetuate global poverty and hurt consumers. The only people harmed by free trade are those who are unwilling to work hard enough or well enough to compete

Posted Thu, Jun 11, 10:46 p.m.

"Fair" is a misnomer. Trade barriers and government subsidies of domestic industry are bad all around. They perpetuate global poverty and hurt omsumers. The only people harmed by free trade are those who are unwilling to work hard enough or well enough to compete

Posted Fri, Jun 5, 4:07 p.m.

What are the chances that this will result in the 2nd "Battle in Seattle"? Bring on the anarchists!!!

Posted Fri, Jun 5, 3:14 p.m.

Thanks Mr Van Dyk --- interesting analysis. Not sure what mikerol means by the reference to cheney, fiddlesticks and elite money wolves. Did not see reference to any of those in Mr Van Dyk's post. Perhaps mikerol was referring to a movie review that I did not read?

Posted Wed, Jun 3, 10:12 a.m.

Good analysis. You miss one important variable in the mix of factors - hard work. Certainly not a sole factor - plenty of people work hard wihout economic reward - but hard work is often the primary difference in determining economic status.

Posted Sat, May 9, 4:35 p.m.

Ireland. I speak one of the two official languages. If you truly have a US diplomatic passport, I fear for the US. When did the foreign service exam stop requiring foreign service officers to be able to write complete English sentences? Both my valet and my driver compose in English ...

Posted Fri, May 8, 7:07 p.m.

I have two passports --- dual citizen. Thanks for asking.

Posted Fri, May 8, 7:05 p.m.

Redactor, your argument might be compelling if you had facts to support it. Sadly, you don't. Fact - the Democrats in Congress did not allow any Republicans to participate in the drafting of the early bills (stimulus, etc.). Fact - the Democrats did not allow any Republican amendments to those ...

Posted Fri, May 8, 10:32 a.m.

My sole point is that your posts are incomprehensible. They are riddled with typos, misspellings and poor grammar. Even if one can look past all that, they use tortured metaphors and exhibit no understanding of the real world or its history. Just one example - one is not "charged" with ...

Posted Fri, May 8, 8:17 a.m.

Ballardinc - thanks for your clarifying responses. I think you've made my point. Two questions - what are "forestas" and are they associated somehow with the talons?

Posted Thu, May 7, 4:01 p.m.

Ballardinc - forgive me, but I have absolutely no idea what you are saying with all of those dinosaur (or is it "dinasaur"?), talons and forestas references. Bkochis - I suggest you research the definition of "murder" before throwing it so loosely around. To suggest as you did that the ...

Posted Mon, May 4, 6:05 p.m.

Mr. Brewster - Why doesn't she just say the following? 1. My administration has increased the size of state government so rapidly over its 5 years that these "cuts" that everybody is talking about are not really cuts at all? Even in this budget cycle, with all the "cuts," spending ...

Posted Fri, Apr 24, 5:38 p.m.

Bring it on. We'll see if Lisa Brown supports it (thereby destroying her gubernatorial ambitions) or if she and the other Dems run from it. Here's the deal: 1. Once an income tax is implemented, it will never go away. Rather, it will grow, both in the number of people ...

Posted Thu, Apr 16, 9:44 a.m.

FatBoy - I agree with your analysis re the economics of Husky football. I don't begrudge Sarkissian one penny of his $1.2 million salary. The market requires it. What the market does NOT require is a taxpayer funded stadium. The taxpayers have already funded football and baseball stadia in Seattle. ...

Posted Tue, Apr 14, 9:57 a.m.

Fine article. Interesting that just a couple of weeks ago Pres. Emmert was continuing to argue that the state should pay $150 million to help build a monument to Pres. Emmert. Or was it to rebuild Husky Stadium? Either way, it's an indication of some of his priorities. Let's just ...

Posted Thu, Apr 9, 11:15 a.m.

Kieth - I am not familiar with the economics of a ski resort development. Is it the same as a golf resort development (eg, Suncadia)? "Bankruptcy speaks for itself?" How so? Bankruptcy rarely speaks for itself --- is it a flawed model or flawed execution? Was there one big problem ...

Posted Thu, Apr 9, 10:48 a.m.

I agree with dbreneman. An alternative is holding spending at the levels in the current biennium. If we do that, based on current revenue projections, there will be a surplus. If Washington taxpayers understand that revenues are actually projected to climb in the next budget cycle, WITHOUT any tax rate ...

Posted Fri, Apr 3, 1:05 p.m.

It would have been nice to read an article with specific facts, rather than unsubstantiated conjecture. "Upper management openly told us during meetings their goal was to make it a private hill, open only to property owners or people who pay club fees of thousands of dollars." Is this a ...

Posted Fri, Apr 3, 12:54 p.m.

I love it! Ask the Irish about English "land grabs."

Posted Fri, Apr 3, 12:51 p.m.

This is simply legalized corruption. These politicians in power (state senators, state reps, the governor) want to have the ability to do what they want, in the manner they want, when they want, without accountability from voters. To do so, they must obscure the truth from, or outright lie to, ...

Posted Wed, Apr 1, 3:40 p.m.

Great article Mr. Rosenberg. I think a compelling case is made for P3s, particularly in this state. "Hefty economic and social benefits of getting something built years sooner" are cited. The benefits are more than that --- how about saving lives? It's been over 8 years since the Nisqually Earthquake, ...

Posted Mon, Mar 30, 9:54 a.m.

Would anybody be surprised if she broke her pledge and supported new taxes? I sure wouldn't. Here would be some bravery on her part --- freeze spending at the levels of the current fiscal year. Or zero-based budgeting like Gov Locke did during his last term. That's right --- keep ...

Posted Mon, Mar 23, 11:46 a.m.

How about we just keep spending at the levels they are in the current fiscal year? Remember people --- we don't have a revenue problem. TAX REVENUES ARE PROJECTED TO INCREASE IN THE NEXT FISCAL CYCLE. The only problem is that our politicians want to inrease spending even faster. If ...

Posted Thu, Mar 19, 10:26 a.m.

Mr. McKay is wrong in so very many ways. But that is typical. Mr. Carlson is correct --- the ABA is a liberal, political organization. I say that as a disgruntled member, who remains a member only for access to the ABA Business Law activities and publications. To suggest that ...

Posted Wed, Mar 18, 3:56 p.m.

Now we are in partial agreement. This is the precise purpose of Chapter 11 reorganization. Chapter 11 should be a pre-condition of any of these "bailouts" - whether it is AIG, Citi or GM. I would oppose nationalization of any sort. Government has no competence to run any of these ...

Posted Wed, Mar 18, 3:52 p.m.

So Angie, are you saying that you would return the AIG bonus if you had received one? No guarantees that you will keep your job, likely few similar alternative job openings should you lose your job, etc? You would return your bonus in that circumstance?

Posted Wed, Mar 18, 9:47 a.m.

I agree with Dewam's last point! I want to see the NYT headline that says "Presidential Candidate Used AIG Funds to Help Pay For Private Jet.". Of course, that would be our current president. I also agree that the bonuses are a sideshow. The politicians' false outrage and crocodile tears ...

Posted Wed, Mar 18, 8:09 a.m.

Angie, what would you do if your employer paid you compensation because it had contractually agreed to pay you compensation, your employer had the money to do it, but said it wanted the money back because the media and other third parties didn't like the fact that you got paid? ...

Posted Tue, Mar 17, 11:18 p.m.

Stuka, if you have evidence that a law was broken, please give the evidence and cite the law. Narcissism, selfishness and amorality are not crimes. No serious person has alleged that these people have violated any laws. These people were just doing their jobs. You don't seem to like their ...

Posted Tue, Mar 17, 11:07 p.m.

Senator Dodd (D-Conn) inserted in the stimulus bill a provision that expressly allowed these bonuses to be paid. Every Democratic Senator voted in favor of the stimulus bill. Pres Obama (D-Ill) signed the bill into law. Now all are pretending to be outraged. Shouldn't we be outraged at these elected ...

Posted Tue, Mar 17, 2:45 p.m.

Mr. McDonald, I expect better of you. Aren't you aware that AIG has had to hire armed guards to protect its offices because of death threats? I am disappointed to see you contributing to the nonsense spouted by the grandstanding politicians that helps provoke these threats. Before AIG got a ...

Posted Tue, Mar 17, 10:55 a.m.

I'm sorry Mitchkoz and Dewams, but you are just plain WRONG. These aren't the senior execs. These are middle managers getting bonuses. Contrary to Mitchkoz's rhetoric, nobody is seriously accusing these people of having committed crimes. They were just doing their jobs. Perhaps they were doing them poorly. They have ...

Posted Mon, Mar 16, 3:34 p.m.

This is a disingenuous blog post that evidences no understanding of the real world by the author. Before AIG got a bailout, AIG entered into agreements with its employees whereby the employees were entitled to bonuses if they achieved objectives. Certain of those employees achieved those objectives, so the contract ...

Posted Fri, Mar 13, 12:35 p.m.

"Income taxes have proven to work just fine in other states"???? Are you kidding me? How is California's state income tax working "just fine"? Is California's state government "fine"? (Maybe it is if one is an employee of said government, but that's about it.) How is its revenue base any ...

Posted Thu, Mar 12, 11:29 a.m.

Can somebody please show some data that demonstrate that the "cyclical swings in tax revenue" are worse in states without income tax than in those that have income tax? I am dubious, though I admit that I haven't studied the data. California has the highest or 2nd highest income tax ...

Posted Thu, Mar 12, 11:24 a.m.

Don't cut anything. Just keep spending at the level of the fiscal year ending in June 2009. Revenue will exceed expenses --- without any tax increase --- and there will be no deficit. What's so difficult about that? Oh yeah --- people in government feel entitled to having state government ...

Posted Thu, Mar 12, 8:56 a.m.

What a load of crap. That's just what we should do --- raise taxes on the most productive people in the economy. Perhaps Washington can be the next Michigan. Nowhere in the article does it mention that state revenues are projected to be HIGHER in the next fiscal year than ...

Posted Fri, Mar 6, 12:37 p.m.

I have not formed an opinion on the mileage tax, but appreciate Mr. Rosenberg's well-written article. I find it ironic and hilarious to read the complaints above about Crosscut's alleged anti-Obama bias. What I see is balanced reporting, in contrast to the obsequious fawning over Obama that much of the ...

Posted Thu, Mar 5, 11:44 a.m.

Sdstarr, the Republican caucus did not refuse to work with Obama. Rather, Pelosi and Reid refused to work with the Republicans. They shut the Republicans out of the drafting process and refused to allow amendments. They did not allow Republicans in the Senate/House conference. Shut out of the Democrat's process, ...

Posted Wed, Mar 4, 10:50 a.m.

Mr van Dyk makes some great points. I had high hopes that the president would govern as he campaigned - in a "post partisan" manner. However, on domestic matters he seems to have simply conceded leadership to the highly partisan Congressional Democratic leadership. Is this just inexperience or lack of ...

Posted Mon, Feb 23, 2:38 p.m.

Mr Jenkins - Thanks for the piece. The most painful, exasperating part of this discussion is that tax revenues are actually expected to INCREASE next fiscal year compared to this fiscal year. That's right --- both revenues and expenses are going up. Here's a solution --- don't cut anything. Hold ...

Posted Tue, Feb 17, 3:21 p.m.

Sdstarr - "Financial hocus pocus?" "Deregulation and the private sector plunged our economy into depression?" Please explain how either statement is rational. The three industries that precipitated the current situation --- banking, insurance and broker/dealers --- are the three most highly regulated industries in the United States. I would suggest ...

Posted Mon, Feb 16, 6:39 p.m.

I suggest that Stuka and Ruffner take some basic economics courses. Of course, it looks like Stuka prefers something to capitalism, so I'm not convinced that he or she can be saved. Our economy requires capital to run businesses. To suggest otherwise, as they do, is utter nonsense, and disproven ...

Posted Mon, Feb 16, 6:30 p.m.

I agree with Mr. Van Dyk here. I believe that Pres Obama and many Republicans wanted to reach a bipartisan compromise, but that Sen Reid and Speaker Pelosi had no interest in bipartisanship. No Republican input was allowed into the initial House bill or in the Senate/House conference. Yet some ...

Posted Thu, Feb 12, 2:09 p.m.

Vanderleun - Are you writing metaphorically, or do you know something that the rest of us do not? Something Clintonesque, perhaps? ;-)

Posted Tue, Feb 10, 11:21 a.m.

Mr Lukoff - One can make the argument, but we live in a federal republic, based on states, as opposed to cities, counties, etc. The Founders did not intend for the federal government to have the role it has assumed. My opposition to earmarks is largely based on a desire ...

Posted Mon, Feb 9, 2:32 p.m.

My major problem with earmarks is that you have people from one part of the country subsidizing the pet projects of people from other parts of the country. If I recall correctly, a big part of the sculpture park in Seattle was funded with an earmark attributable to one of ...

Posted Fri, Feb 6, 2 p.m.

Krugman is a vicious partisan. Of course he is supporting the fiscal stimulus package, and using his typical intellectually dishonest arguments. He cites Fisher to make a point, but Fisher would be appalled by what is proposed. He cites "most economic forecasts" and "many economists" without specifics or even acknowledging ...

Posted Fri, Feb 6, 10:38 a.m.

I believe that Mr Van Dyk's piece is thoughtful and on point. I say that as somebody who regularly disagrees with him. DN's post is naive and itself partisan. I think that Pres Obama has been, generally, bipartisan, and has reached across the aisle to get Republican suppport. I admire ...

Posted Thu, Feb 5, 8:39 p.m.

Yarrow - I appreciate your point, but your examples are like Sen Obama's campaign promises --- empty rhetoric. Do you have any specifics? "Ending torture, restoring respect for the Constitution, staffing national government, initiating peace negotiations in Gaza, addressing the Muslim world, generally sending out a clear and decisive shift?" ...

Posted Thu, Feb 5, 5:09 p.m.

Rookie mistakes. Exactly what people expected when they criticized Sen Obama as too inexperienced. What has he run before? His campaign? That's tautological. He has no experience running anything. While I certainly want him to succeed as President, I have no confidence that he will. He's in over his head. ...

Posted Mon, Dec 8, 3:28 p.m.

This is absurd, as is the effort to change sports team names. People should just stop whining and celebrate the fact that people have different opinions on these things. Guess what --- it is OK that people take offense at certain things. I'm offended by liberal claptrap and political correctness, ...

Posted Fri, Oct 3, 8:10 a.m.

Thank you: Extremely heartfelt piece, and very well written. The loss of Keith has been and will continue to be felt throughout the community.

Posted Sat, Sep 27, 9:55 a.m.

Appalling lack of leadership: Gregoire apparently does not care if the Viaduct or the 520 bridge crumbles and hundreds of people die. She has shown a criminal lack of responsibility in failing to accomplish anything on these two projects during her term in office. For this alone she should lose ...

Posted Wed, Sep 24, 1:58 p.m.

RE: Is Sarah Palin running for president?: Perhaps you can enlighten us --- why is Obama more qualified to be President than Palin is to be Vice President? What has he done that so obviously qualifies him?

Posted Mon, Sep 22, 11:52 a.m.

Gregoire the narcissist: Her position is simple --- she'll take the credit for all of the good things to happen to the state during her term (what are those? I guess 3 years of economic growth). However, the bad things (budget deficit, failure to accomplish anything re the Viaduct, the ...

Posted Mon, Sep 15, 9:47 a.m.

Experience?: Lady Be Good makes some great points. Why does anybody who criticizes Palin's experience think that Obama has the experience necessary to be a good president? I found the "outrage" voiced by community organizers across the country to be disingenuous in a humorous way. Nobody is criticizing community organizers ...

Posted Sat, Aug 23, 10:07 a.m.

classic left wing nonsense: Mr Van Dyk is critical of regressive taxes, and talks about "revenue shortfalls." I'm not convinced that regressive taxes are any worse than progressive taxes. One can argue that progressive taxes should be avoided at all costs, as they burden the most productive participants in the ...

Posted Mon, Aug 18, 12:47 p.m.

forgetting an inconvenient truth: Mr McKay, as usual, lets his left wing partisanship get in the way of accuracy. To suggest that Sen Obama's "understanding" of Asia because he lived in Indonesia and Hawaii as a youth equates to something better than the experience and understanding of Pres George H. ...

Posted Sat, Aug 16, 9:34 a.m.

RE: She Spent Your Salary on Light Rail: I agree. The astonishing lack of leadership by Gov Gregoire --- as well as the last several governors --- on the state's transportation issues approaches criminality. Throw the bum out!

Posted Wed, Aug 6, 10:49 p.m.

RE: oll back: Lisa - Here's my suggestion --- roll back the massive pay increases that Gov Gregoire gave teachers as salary entitlements. Take all of those dollars and put them in a pool, and give them to the teachers based on merit. Not based on tenure. Not on hours ...

Posted Wed, Aug 6, 11:19 a.m.

Roll back: I'm in favor of rolling back the massive pay increases given to state employees and teachers over the last four years. If the state employees and teachers don't like it, they can get jobs in the real (ie, non-governmental) world, where people get paid for performance.

Posted Mon, Mar 31, 2:52 p.m.

Not surprising: Does anybody think that there is anything --- anything --- that Hillary Clinton would not do to be elected president? Do you think that she would lie to get elected? Do you think that she would cheat (say, on her taxes) to get elected? Do you think that ...

Posted Tue, Mar 4, 4:32 p.m.

Use fees: I'm sorry, but I don't see what's wrong with a use fee. If I'm going to see the Mariners, I'll pay for a ticket. If I'm going to ride a ferry, I'll pay for it. I have no problem paying to use a road --- whether it's a ...

Posted Fri, Feb 15, 1:46 p.m.

RE: Drive those prices up!: Sorry --- you're wrong again. I didn't say that the article was passable journalism. That's a diversion --- just like your reference to Pravda. And your reference to a right wing organization. "Standard practice" is to present rational views without pandering to hysterical fringe elements. ...

Posted Fri, Feb 15, 10:07 a.m.

RE: Drive those prices up!: Mr de Place - May I suggest toning down the hyperbole? "Pravda-style 'journalism?'" "Right-wing organization?" On the other hand, perhaps you should simply balance the hyperbole, and you can self-identify as a staffer for the far-left, fringe environmental group the Sightline Institute. I stand by ...

Posted Thu, Feb 14, 7:04 p.m.

Drive those prices up!: I thought the Times article presented the results of the study in a very thoughtful manner. Every market has supply and demand dynamics. If you constrict the supply --- regardless of the reason --- prices will tend to go up, even where demand rises only slightly. ...

Posted Tue, Jan 15, 9:18 a.m.

RE: The numbers are insanely high: You and your wife are making a conscious choice --- living in Seattle and working in Seattle and Bellevue. The population in the Puget Sound area is expected to continue to grow and grow --- an additional 52% by 2040. Without congestion relief, the ...

Posted Wed, Jan 2, 2:19 p.m.

Slap on the wrist?: You stated that the maximum sentence for the crime is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. You also opined that said maximum is a "slap on the wrist." Do you really think 10 years in prison is a "slap on the wrist"?

Posted Mon, Dec 10, 12:04 p.m.

RE: income and care giving: I understand your point re income and other factors relating to child rearing, even though I may not agree. I fundamentally disagree that the government should bail people out of circumstances that they create. A couple chooses to get married, chooses to have children and ...

Posted Fri, Dec 7, 10:21 a.m.

income and care giving: Your post would be more compelling if you presented some data re income levels and care giving. You assert, without backup data, that "having more money itself makes a parent more attractive to a judge." While I have no data, it is intuitive to me that ...