State of Washington

Like to Stay Home, Get Full Salary, Be Fired Only if You Work? Then Olympia Wants You!

By Rick Anderson Tue., Feb. 7 2012 at 8:00 AM
Categories: State of Washington

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Gregoire
​We now know the cost of paying state workers to stay home and do no work - $17.2 million in salaries and benefits over the past five years. Thank you, taxpayers. Your bill includes $247,000 paid to a prison psychiatrist to sit idly by his home phone for 14 months in case the state called to make sure he was doing nothing, since, if he actually did any work for the state, he'd be fired. As the doctor must have said to himself more than a few time, 'dis is nuts.

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Chris Gregoire, Government Waste, Joel Kretz, KING-TV, Tammy Jo France
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State of Washington

The Unlikely Reason the Recession Is Killing Legal Aid for the Poor

By Keegan Hamilton Wed., Jan. 25 2012 at 7:00 AM
Categories: Law & Courts, State of Washington

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Image Source
​With the nation mired in the Great Recession, the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates to virtually zero in hopes of spurring economic growth. While generally regarded as a sensible and effective strategy, the tactic has had the unintended consequence of crippling hundreds of non-profit organizations that offer legal services for the needy.

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Columbia Legal Services, Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts, interest rates, IOLTA, Jorge Barón, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, recession, Washington Legal Foundation
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News

Supreme Court Rules That State Is Not Meeting Its Education Duties

By Ellis E. Conklin Thu., Jan. 5 2012 at 10:30 AM
Categories: News, State of Washington

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​In a decision that could have widespread ramifications on the future of education funding, Washington's highest court ruled this morning that the state is not meeting its constitutional obligation to pay for basic education.

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State of Washington

Washington Gets First Majority Latino Voting District in Deadline Deal

By Keegan Hamilton Tue., Jan. 3 2012 at 6:00 AM
Categories: Politics, State of Washington

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​It took them until two hours before their deadline on New Year's Day, but Washington's redistricting commission finally agreed on new voting districts for the state, with the political mapmakers compromising on a new majority Latino district in the Yakima area.

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15th Legislative District, gerrymandering, OneAmerica, redistricting commission, Selah, Union Gap, Wapato, Yakima
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Campaign 2012

Boundaries Unveiled for Washington's New Congressional District

By Ellis E. Conklin Wed., Dec. 28 2011 at 12:47 PM
Categories: Campaign 2012, Election 2012, Politics, State of Washington

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​The lines have been drawn, putting most of Democrat-centric Thurston County, including Olympia, in Washington's new 10th Congressional District. U.S. Rep. Adam Smith's 9th district will, under the draft plan unveiled today, move northward, ranging from northeast Tacoma to Renton and encompassing Bellevue and minority-rich south Seattle.

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Slade Gorton, Tim Ceis, Washington's 10th Congressional District
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State of Washington

Brian Sonntag Makes His Case: Budget Cut Will Cost State Money (He's Already Saved a Billion)

By Rick Anderson Tue., Dec. 13 2011 at 8:00 AM
Categories: State of Washington

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Sonntag
​Among the Olympia department heads beseeching lawmakers not to make further gouges in their budgets, State Auditor Brian Sonntag may have the best argument: How can the legislature cut back on a process that not only saves taxpayers money but helps the state generate new income?

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Brian Sonntag, Budget Cuts, Chris Gregoire, Mike Hewitt, State Auditor
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State of Washington

Washington State Paid Millions of Dollars for Missed Doctors Appointments, Audit Says

By Curtis Cartier Tue., Dec. 6 2011 at 9:00 AM
Categories: State of Washington

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​Oh, Washington State Auditor Brian Sonntag. When you retire, who will be around to remind us how incredibly wasteful and incompetent our state is?

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Brian Sonntag, L&I, missed doctors appointments, state audit, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries
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Politics

Bull Semen, Private Jets, and Other Good Ways to Tax Washington's 1 Percent

By Keegan Hamilton Thu., Dec. 1 2011 at 8:00 AM
Categories: Politics, State of Washington

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​Occupy protestors are laying siege to Olympia, demanding that lawmakers close the state's $2 billion budget deficit by taxing the state's richest residents. An income tax is out of the question for the special legislative session, but a pair of policy experts say there are other ways to make the 1 percent to pay their fair share.

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Economic Opportunity Institute, Occupy the Capitol, Sightline Institute, Special legislative session, tax loopholes
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News You Can Booze

Seattle's Extended Bar Hours Proposal Delayed Indefinitely As State Quits Liquor Business

By Keegan Hamilton Wed., Nov. 30 2011 at 7:30 AM
Categories: City of Seattle, News You Can Booze, State of Washington

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​The effort to allow Seattle bars and clubs to serve booze beyond 2 a.m. hit an unexpected roadblock earlier this month when Washington voters approved I-1183 and put an end to state-run liquor stores.

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bar hours, I-1183, Mayor Mike McGinn, taxi stands, Washington State Liquor Control Board
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Labor/Employment

Hard Labor: Prison Inmates Are Picking Washington Apples

By Keegan Hamilton Thu., Nov. 3 2011 at 8:30 AM
Categories: Labor/Employment, State of Washington

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​Desperate times call for desperate measures. With the imminent freeze threatening to ruin Washington's precious apple crop, and a severe shortage of migrant laborers in parts of the state, Governor Christine Gregoire and Department of Corrections officials worked out a deal that sent 105 state prison inmates to Grant County to pick fruit. In other words, illegal immigrants are being replaced by guys that have actually done something seriously illegal.

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Tags:

apples, Department of Corrections, inmates, labor shortage, McDougall & Sons, Prison labor, Quincy
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