The National Transportation Safety Board has taken a tough, but necessary, stand on texting, emailing or chatting while driving a vehicle. The board wants it outlawed.
Five measures are on the ballot this November, three initiatives and two referendums from the Legislature to the public.
The King County Council plans to vote by Aug. 15 on a proposal to institute a $20 car-tab fee to bail Metro Transit out of a $60 million hole. When that vote comes, the final decision should be left to the voters.
Good To Go! passes for upcoming state Route 520 tolls are now available online, by phone and at two new customer service centers, one of them in Bellevue.
They’ve barely finished counting the votes on I-1053 and already Gov. Chris Gregoire is trying to get out from under it’s restrictions. She now wants to change the operation of the state ferry system. It’s another case of the state ducking its responsibility and should be rejected by the Legislature.
Public safety is important, but King County is wrong to ask voters to increase the sales tax to support it. Voters should vote “No” on King County Proposition 1.
The proposition would increase the sales tax 0.2 percent with 60 percent of the money going to the county and the rest to the cities in King County.
A major employer in our region is making big changes in its benefits package. Boeing’s non-union workers are going to pay more for their health insurance. And it’s likely that union workers won’t be far behind.
The news should serve as a dose of reality to private and public employees alike.
Executive orders salary freezes; other officials agree
Key King County elected and appointed officials will forego pay raises next year to help close a $60 million gap in the county’s budget.
Two suburban members of County Council introduce tax neutral plan for Criminal Justice funding
Two Eastside members of the King County Council stepped back into the fight to fully fund criminal justice with a tax increase.
However, Councilmembers Reagan Dunn and Kathy Lambert say that instead of a tax increase, their proposal would essentially be revenue neutral.
Four members of the County Council are balking at putting a sales tax boost on the August ballot.
Reagan Dunn and Jane Hague (both of whom represent portions of Bellevue), Kathy Lambert and Peter von Reichbauer don’t like the idea of raising taxes while taxpayers still are climbing out of a recession.
Good for them. Let’s hope this sends a message to the rest of the County Council.
The King County Council used to be a partisan body. It appears it still is, despite the fact that voters several years ago mandated that all nine council seats be non-partisan.
On Monday, May 10, the council passed, 5-4, a resolution praising the national health care plan passed recently by Congress.
King County may ask us to OK a sales tax hike to pay for public safety. It’s always interesting that we’re never asked to pay more taxes to keep county office assistants, public relations departments or other miscellaneous staff on the payroll in tough times. It’s always public safety.
The Washington state Legislature convenes Monday, Jan. 11. Its members face a daunting task the state’s projected deficit is $2.6 billion.
There may be some sanity in politics after all. A provision by Sen. Patty Murray may let UW, Mariners and Seahawks fans once again get a reasonably priced bus ride to the games.
