Recent Stories with tag christine gregoire

Visiting family in Portland over the weekend, I got to witness firsthand the difference between how Oregon and Washington are handling their budget crises in the midst of a recession. On Tuesday, Jan. 26, Oregon voters look set to approve ballot Measures 66 and 67, reasonable tax increases on wealthy individuals and businesses, to help fund their budget shortfall and support crucial public services.

Measure 66 raises the state income tax (Oregon has an income tax but no sales tax) 1.8 percent on individuals making over $125,000, and households making over $250,000. The measure also lowers taxes on the unemployed by exempting the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits. Measure 67 raises the minimum business tax for the first time since 1931, from $10 to $150, and adds a 1.3 percent tax on corporate profits over $250,000. The measures are public referendums on bills passed by the legislature last year, and pollsters show both passing....

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State senator Jim Kastama (D-Puyallup) wrote a deep-bore op-ed for the Seattle Times a few days ago, wanting to set the record straight about whether Seattle taxpayers were on the hook for cost overruns on the Viaduct-replacing tunnel.

Despite what you may have heard during the mayoral race, Kastama says, if you're a Seattle property owner who "benefits" from the tunnel, you're still on the hook. In fact: "I am drafting legislation that will clarify Seattle's obligation in no uncertain terms and provide them options for local funding sources."

Kastama makes many sensible points, but I think he and history part ways when he says, "Seattle chose an approach inherent with a history of huge cost overruns." Mayor Greg Nickels went to Olympia with a surface/transit plan to sell; it was Governor Gregoire and the legislature that chose the deep-bore option for us, claiming that SR99 was too "vital" a corridor to be left to the whims of Seattle yokels.

Kastama is united with state House speaker Frank Chopp, against...

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