Last week the Legislative Work Group voted 10-2 to move forward with the A+ design option for SR 520.
Yesterday, the King County Council voted unanimously to endorse the same option.
Tonight, the work group is hosting a town hall to let the public weigh in.
The town hall runs from 6-8 with a presentation at 6:30 at Seattle's Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41st St.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tacoma schools the rest of the state
Today’s Tacoma News Tribune editorial highlights an incredible state program that’s incredibly underutilized right now: The College Bound Scholarship program created by the Legislature last biennium.
Despite twenty Republican House members voting against it, the program passed the Legislature overwhelmingly, and is setting thousands of students across the state on the path to a better life thanks to an opportunity for a higher education.
Eligible students just need to meet one of the following:
Recognizing that difficulty, the Tacoma School District and the Tacoma Housing Authority have teamed up to raise awareness of the program and keep kids on the right path to reach their higher ed goals. Their efforts are showing great success: 77 percent of eligible Tacoma public school students and a whopping 83 percent of eligible THA residents were enrolled in the program, compared to 46 percent of eligible students in the rest of the state.
Click here to learn more about the College Bound Scholarship Program or enroll.
Despite twenty Republican House members voting against it, the program passed the Legislature overwhelmingly, and is setting thousands of students across the state on the path to a better life thanks to an opportunity for a higher education.
Eligible students just need to meet one of the following:
- Are eligible to receive free and reduced-price lunch
- Receive TANF benefits
- Are a foster youth
- Meet the income standards
Recognizing that difficulty, the Tacoma School District and the Tacoma Housing Authority have teamed up to raise awareness of the program and keep kids on the right path to reach their higher ed goals. Their efforts are showing great success: 77 percent of eligible Tacoma public school students and a whopping 83 percent of eligible THA residents were enrolled in the program, compared to 46 percent of eligible students in the rest of the state.
Click here to learn more about the College Bound Scholarship Program or enroll.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Healthy brains AND healthy bodies
Last month we learned that Washington ranks third for healthy brains and that the Seattle-Tacoma area ranks as the 7th smartest metropolitan area in the nation. This week we got another high mark as one of the healthiest states.
America`s Health RankingsTM rated Washington as the 11th healthiest state in the country—up from number 13 last year. The report has tracked the health of the nation for the past 20 years, providing a unique, comprehensive perspective on how the nation - and each state - measures up.
A wide range of factors are taken into account to determine a state’s health ranking including infant mortality rates, deaths from heart disease and cancer, smoking and obesity rates, education, pollution and violent crime.
These “health determinants” are good indicators of whether the health status of a state’s residents is likely to improve or grow worse.
Our state scored well because, among other things, only 15.7 percent of Washingtonians smoke – a pretty significant difference from 21.4 percent just ten years ago. Also, the percentage of children in poverty declined from 19.1 percent to 13.2 percent during the past five years, and the infant mortality rate in Washington is 4.9 deaths per 1,000 live births.
But if we want to get a better ranking next year, it’s time to start burning calories and eating healthy foods – in only 20 years the prevalence of obesity among Washingtonians has increased from 9.4 percent to 26.0 percent.
Vermont ranked first this year thanks in part to its low rate of obesity, high number of doctors and a low rate of child poverty, and Mississippi came in last for the ninth consecutive year.
Go to this interactive map to see how other states ranked.
America`s Health RankingsTM rated Washington as the 11th healthiest state in the country—up from number 13 last year. The report has tracked the health of the nation for the past 20 years, providing a unique, comprehensive perspective on how the nation - and each state - measures up.
A wide range of factors are taken into account to determine a state’s health ranking including infant mortality rates, deaths from heart disease and cancer, smoking and obesity rates, education, pollution and violent crime.
These “health determinants” are good indicators of whether the health status of a state’s residents is likely to improve or grow worse.
Our state scored well because, among other things, only 15.7 percent of Washingtonians smoke – a pretty significant difference from 21.4 percent just ten years ago. Also, the percentage of children in poverty declined from 19.1 percent to 13.2 percent during the past five years, and the infant mortality rate in Washington is 4.9 deaths per 1,000 live births.
But if we want to get a better ranking next year, it’s time to start burning calories and eating healthy foods – in only 20 years the prevalence of obesity among Washingtonians has increased from 9.4 percent to 26.0 percent.
Vermont ranked first this year thanks in part to its low rate of obesity, high number of doctors and a low rate of child poverty, and Mississippi came in last for the ninth consecutive year.
Go to this interactive map to see how other states ranked.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The numbers
The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council adjourned a short while ago. The news was as not-good as expected.
Some key numbers:
Some key numbers:
- $760 million: Revenue projections are down another $760 million from September's forecast.
- $4.6 billion: Overall, the revenue forecast is down $4.6 billion since February of last year.
- $28 billion: The state can expect to collect about $28 billion for the 2009-2011 biennium.
- 9.8 percent: Next spring unemployment will peak at nearly 10 percent statewide.
- $2.6 billion: The total budget hole is now $2.6 billion if you account for both declining revenues and increased caseloads.
Lawmakers bracing for deficit to top $2 billion
If you're a legislative junkie, your eyes will be glued to the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council meeting this morning at 10 a.m.
Washington's economy, like most other states, is struggling. Last session legislators approved more than $3 billion in cuts to the two-year 2009-2011 operating budget. It's now appearing they'll have to cut an additional $2 billion (or more) to make sure we break even at the end of 2011. The ERFC report will provide more specific information about how much of a shortfall we're looking at.
This information is crucial to helping the governor and lawmakers as they start drafting budgets. Governor Gregoire will be the first to release her budget, sometime in December.
It's sobering when you realize what it takes to cut more than $5 billion from our two-year budget. As Rep. Reuven Carlyle pointed out from a presentation given by the Office of Financial Management, you could eliminate all state funding for the University of Washington, Washington State University as well as Central, Eastern, Western and the Evergreen State Colleges, and cut all state funding for the Department of Health and that only gets you $1.53 billion.
Tune in to TVW at 10 to watch the meeting. We'll post an update later today. Following the meeting, TVW will air an interview with Rep. Ross Hunter who sits on the ERFC and is chair of the House Finance Committee.
Washington's economy, like most other states, is struggling. Last session legislators approved more than $3 billion in cuts to the two-year 2009-2011 operating budget. It's now appearing they'll have to cut an additional $2 billion (or more) to make sure we break even at the end of 2011. The ERFC report will provide more specific information about how much of a shortfall we're looking at.
This information is crucial to helping the governor and lawmakers as they start drafting budgets. Governor Gregoire will be the first to release her budget, sometime in December.
It's sobering when you realize what it takes to cut more than $5 billion from our two-year budget. As Rep. Reuven Carlyle pointed out from a presentation given by the Office of Financial Management, you could eliminate all state funding for the University of Washington, Washington State University as well as Central, Eastern, Western and the Evergreen State Colleges, and cut all state funding for the Department of Health and that only gets you $1.53 billion.
Tune in to TVW at 10 to watch the meeting. We'll post an update later today. Following the meeting, TVW will air an interview with Rep. Ross Hunter who sits on the ERFC and is chair of the House Finance Committee.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
SR 520 gets an A+ from lawmakers
That's the option the SR 520 Legislative Workgroup voted 10-2 to endorse at today's meeting.
Ten lawmakers voted in favor of the option that will result in a wider Montlake interchange and a second north-south drawbridge over the Montlake Cut. The two legislators who opposed this option were House Speaker Frank Chopp and Rep. Jamie Pedersen, both representatives of Seattle's Montlake area.
The Seattle Times just posted a summary of the meeting. You can also check here for a look at the materials from today's meeting and background on the various design options considered by the workgroup.
UPDATE: Rep. Ross Hunter provides a bit of background on where we've been with this process and what's next, both in terms of the bridge design and a tolling policy. He writes:
Ten lawmakers voted in favor of the option that will result in a wider Montlake interchange and a second north-south drawbridge over the Montlake Cut. The two legislators who opposed this option were House Speaker Frank Chopp and Rep. Jamie Pedersen, both representatives of Seattle's Montlake area.
The Seattle Times just posted a summary of the meeting. You can also check here for a look at the materials from today's meeting and background on the various design options considered by the workgroup.
UPDATE: Rep. Ross Hunter provides a bit of background on where we've been with this process and what's next, both in terms of the bridge design and a tolling policy. He writes:
This is progress. Incremental, painfully slow, torturous progress, but progress nonetheless. Our next challenge will be to get the bill implementing these recommendations passed in the 2010 legislative session. This will be difficult, but I look at it as work to get done. We are ready to move forward on the project and the construction jobs are desperately needed in today’s economy.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Where, oh where, can we find $1.7 billion?
With the start of the 2010 legislative session just a couple months away, discussions are definitely heating up about how to handle a $1.7 billion budget shortfall (thanks in large part to continually lagging sales tax revenues and increased caseloads for state services).
Legislators already cut more than $3 billion in our budget this past session and finding another $1.7 billion in savings is not an easy task.
Rep. Reuven Carlyle posted his thoughts and puts $1.7 billion in context:
For helpful background about the budget and some of the not-so-great choices facing legislators, check out this presentation from the Office of Financial Management. It has some great information. For example - did you know that $21.6 billion of our $31 billion is protected by constitutional or federal mandates? That means the $1.7 billion we have to cut must come from a tiny $9.3 billion slice of the budget pie.
And don't forget your role in all this. Your legislator would love to answer your questions and hear about your ideas and priorities. Send a note or call. Really. What else do you have to do on a rainy weekend?
Legislators already cut more than $3 billion in our budget this past session and finding another $1.7 billion in savings is not an easy task.
Rep. Reuven Carlyle posted his thoughts and puts $1.7 billion in context:
To put it in perspective, how big is $1.7 billion?Nothing is decided yet, but it's clear that more cuts are coming to programs people care about. Earlier this week we pointed out concerns about potential cuts to early learning programs for low-income children. Talks are underway about closing corrections facilities.
Here are three symbolic but legitimate examples of public services and programs that add up to about $1.7 billion:
Example one:
We could close all 34 community and technical colleges statewide that serve 470,000 students: $1.4 billion
Close Department of Commerce: $103 million
Close Department of Revenue: $218 million
Total: $1.72 billion
Example two:
Eliminate all state funding for the University of Washington, Washington State University: $1 billion
Eliminate all state funding for Central, Eastern, Western and the Evergreen State College: $337 million
Eliminate all state funding for Department of Health: $193 million
Total: $1.53 billion
Example three:
Close the Department of Corrections: $1.6 billion. (How’s that for perspective?)
For helpful background about the budget and some of the not-so-great choices facing legislators, check out this presentation from the Office of Financial Management. It has some great information. For example - did you know that $21.6 billion of our $31 billion is protected by constitutional or federal mandates? That means the $1.7 billion we have to cut must come from a tiny $9.3 billion slice of the budget pie.
And don't forget your role in all this. Your legislator would love to answer your questions and hear about your ideas and priorities. Send a note or call. Really. What else do you have to do on a rainy weekend?
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