Morning Fizz
It Doesn't Fit Into the Long-Term Future of Our State
Caffeinated News & Gossip. Your Daily Morning Fizz.
1. The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that the owners of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team are close to a deal that would keep the team in the Phoenix area (and out of Seattle). Securing an NHL team is a key part of a proposal unveiled last week to bring a new Sonics NBA team to Seattle and build an arena in SoDo, all---the deal's backers say---with no net expenditure of public dollars.
The city and potential investor Chris Hansen will now have to approach struggling hockey teams elsewhere for potential relocation to Seattle.[pullquote]"I know every one of the city council members ... believe as I do: It's time for this state to legalize marijuana, and stop the violence, stop the incarceration, stop the erosion of civil liberties, and urge the federal government to stop the failed war on drugs." Mayor Mike McGinn[/pullquote]
2. Mayor Mike McGinn delivered his annual state of the city address at City Hall yesterday afternoon. Focusing on jobs, potholes, growth in South Lake Union, and the nightlife industry, the speech had few showstoppers and managed to find euphemisms for McGinn agenda items that irk the Seattle Times editorial board ("road safety," instead of bikes; a "culture of empathy" on the road, for the war on cars).
The only sign of real passion—and only major applause line—came in a section late in the (7,300-word!) speech about crime, when McGinn said decriminalizing marijuana would go a long way toward ending the state's "biased incarceration policy" that disproportionately impacts young black men.
"I know every one of the city council members sitting to my left and right believe as I do: it's time for this state to legalize marijuana, and stop the violence, stop the incarceration, stop the erosion of civil liberties, and urge the federal government to stop the failed war on drugs," McGinn said. "And maybe if we can get sensible about marijuana, we can get sensible about gun laws next."
Read the whole speech here .
3. The state house and senate transportation committees are both considering versions of a transportation fee proposal that include dramatically different proposals for transit and biking/pedestrian projects.
The house version would spend 16 percent ($10 million) on transit and 4 percent ($3 million) on biking and pedestrian projects. The senate version, in contrast, would slash those amounts to 5 percent ($3.5 million) and 3 percent ($2 million), respectively.
Transit advocates are seeking an amendment that would give transit agencies the ability to fund service with a motor vehicle excise tax, which they argue is more stable than the sales tax, which has declined dramatically during the recession, forcing many transit agencies to cut service.
4. As for the general fund budget, yesterday, state house ways and means committee chair Rep. Ross Hunter (D-48, Medina) released the majority Democrats' budget proposal to deal with the $1 billion shortfall (including funds needed for a cushion—Hunter's budget sets aside about $500 million).[pullquote]"These programs are fundamental to ... protecting the lives of tens of thousands of people struggling in this economy."—Susan Ward, Community Health Network of Washington[/pullquote]
Hunter's budget is much kinder to social services than the GOP proposal ; he keeps the Basic Health Plan intact while Republican house budget leader Rep. Gary Alexander (R-20, Olympia) cut it and called it a "lower priority item" that "doesn't fit into the long-term future of our state"). Hunter certainly makes some cuts, though—there's about $900 million in "savings" (including $224 million in reductions to health and human services programs.)
Hunter won praise from liberals for going easier on human services than the house Republicans. (They leave more than $600 million in reserve, eliminating both the Basic Health Plan and the Disability Lifeline.)
Hunter doesn't go there. Susan Ward, spokeswoman for the Community Health Network of Washington, said: "The House has accomplished a commendable feat by preserving the health care safety net within the state’s available funds ...We applaud the House for prioritizing and funding Basic Health and Disability Lifeline.These programs are fundamental to ... protecting the lives of tens of thousands of people struggling in this economy."
Hunter also didn't go for the 24-day state employee furlough that the GOP proposed.
However, his plan is getting criticized for its biggest saving: Using a gimmick known as the "25th month," Hunter "saves" $405 million by delaying K-12 payments until the first month of the next biennium. Hunter's counterpart Rep. Alexander accused Hunter's budget of "relying on accounting gimmicks to make the numbers work. To me, their budget continues to kick much of the problem down the road."
However, both Hunter and the Republicans propose lowering the state contribution to state employees' health benefits from $850 a month to $800. (They also both kill the controversial big bank loophole—an exemption on interest earned on first mortgage loans—for about $20 million.)
Budget highlights and charts: here.
1. The Puget Sound Business Journal reports that the owners of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team are close to a deal that would keep the team in the Phoenix area (and out of Seattle). Securing an NHL team is a key part of a proposal unveiled last week to bring a new Sonics NBA team to Seattle and build an arena in SoDo, all---the deal's backers say---with no net expenditure of public dollars.
The city and potential investor Chris Hansen will now have to approach struggling hockey teams elsewhere for potential relocation to Seattle.[pullquote]"I know every one of the city council members ... believe as I do: It's time for this state to legalize marijuana, and stop the violence, stop the incarceration, stop the erosion of civil liberties, and urge the federal government to stop the failed war on drugs." Mayor Mike McGinn[/pullquote]
2. Mayor Mike McGinn delivered his annual state of the city address at City Hall yesterday afternoon. Focusing on jobs, potholes, growth in South Lake Union, and the nightlife industry, the speech had few showstoppers and managed to find euphemisms for McGinn agenda items that irk the Seattle Times editorial board ("road safety," instead of bikes; a "culture of empathy" on the road, for the war on cars).
The only sign of real passion—and only major applause line—came in a section late in the (7,300-word!) speech about crime, when McGinn said decriminalizing marijuana would go a long way toward ending the state's "biased incarceration policy" that disproportionately impacts young black men.
"I know every one of the city council members sitting to my left and right believe as I do: it's time for this state to legalize marijuana, and stop the violence, stop the incarceration, stop the erosion of civil liberties, and urge the federal government to stop the failed war on drugs," McGinn said. "And maybe if we can get sensible about marijuana, we can get sensible about gun laws next."
Read the whole speech here .
3. The state house and senate transportation committees are both considering versions of a transportation fee proposal that include dramatically different proposals for transit and biking/pedestrian projects.
The house version would spend 16 percent ($10 million) on transit and 4 percent ($3 million) on biking and pedestrian projects. The senate version, in contrast, would slash those amounts to 5 percent ($3.5 million) and 3 percent ($2 million), respectively.
Transit advocates are seeking an amendment that would give transit agencies the ability to fund service with a motor vehicle excise tax, which they argue is more stable than the sales tax, which has declined dramatically during the recession, forcing many transit agencies to cut service.
4. As for the general fund budget, yesterday, state house ways and means committee chair Rep. Ross Hunter (D-48, Medina) released the majority Democrats' budget proposal to deal with the $1 billion shortfall (including funds needed for a cushion—Hunter's budget sets aside about $500 million).[pullquote]"These programs are fundamental to ... protecting the lives of tens of thousands of people struggling in this economy."—Susan Ward, Community Health Network of Washington[/pullquote]
Hunter's budget is much kinder to social services than the GOP proposal ; he keeps the Basic Health Plan intact while Republican house budget leader Rep. Gary Alexander (R-20, Olympia) cut it and called it a "lower priority item" that "doesn't fit into the long-term future of our state"). Hunter certainly makes some cuts, though—there's about $900 million in "savings" (including $224 million in reductions to health and human services programs.)
Hunter won praise from liberals for going easier on human services than the house Republicans. (They leave more than $600 million in reserve, eliminating both the Basic Health Plan and the Disability Lifeline.)
Hunter doesn't go there. Susan Ward, spokeswoman for the Community Health Network of Washington, said: "The House has accomplished a commendable feat by preserving the health care safety net within the state’s available funds ...We applaud the House for prioritizing and funding Basic Health and Disability Lifeline.These programs are fundamental to ... protecting the lives of tens of thousands of people struggling in this economy."
Hunter also didn't go for the 24-day state employee furlough that the GOP proposed.
However, his plan is getting criticized for its biggest saving: Using a gimmick known as the "25th month," Hunter "saves" $405 million by delaying K-12 payments until the first month of the next biennium. Hunter's counterpart Rep. Alexander accused Hunter's budget of "relying on accounting gimmicks to make the numbers work. To me, their budget continues to kick much of the problem down the road."
However, both Hunter and the Republicans propose lowering the state contribution to state employees' health benefits from $850 a month to $800. (They also both kill the controversial big bank loophole—an exemption on interest earned on first mortgage loans—for about $20 million.)
Budget highlights and charts: here.
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