DAILY NEWS
Seattle’s growing gap, Boeing ‘Armageddon,’ our plutocracy…
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
LOCAL
► In today’s Seattle Times — King County Council approves ‘living wage’ requirement — The county and its contractors with at least 500 employees will be required to pay a minimum $11 an hour starting April 1, 2015; $13 in 2016; and $15 in 2017; followed by annual increases pegged to the rate of inflation. Contractors with fewer than 500 employees will be required to pay $10.50 an hour starting in 2016, followed by annual increases to reach $17.25 in 2024. The vote to enact the legislation was 5-4, with the council’s five Democrats in favor and its four Republicans opposed.
► In today’s Columbian — Farmers rethink labor-intensive crops — The difficulty Washington farmers face in finding a sufficient number of skilled seasonal workers may limit the amount of labor-intensive crops — such as apples and wine grapes — they can grow.
BOEING
► In today’s Seattle Times — Boeing to build 777X wing and tail parts in St. Louis — Boeing said Monday it will build major composite parts of the wing and tail of the forthcoming 777X jet in St. Louis, generating about 700 jobs there at peak production. On the current 777 model, most of that work is done by outside suppliers and none is done in Washington state.
ELECTIONS
► In today’s Columbian — Re-elect State Rep. Monica Stonier (editorial) — During her short time in the Legislature, Stonier has demonstrated strong leadership skills, attention to detail, and the ability to grow on the job while devoting attention to the needs of her constituents… Stonier is thoughtful and articulate and works to represent her constituents in a politically divided district, rather than toeing the party line. Her actions as a legislator and her words as a candidate indicate that she works to keep her finger on the pulse of the people, and that has earned her another session in Olympia as representative of the 17th District.
NATIONAL
► In today’s Washington Post — Wages should be growing, but they’re not. Here’s why. (by Jared Bernstein) — The U.S. business model has devolved to a point where raising pay is antithetical to sound practice. If you’re a successful employer, it’s the very last thing you do, and you do it only if you’re pushed to the wall by such a tight labor market that you’ll literally lose workers and, thus, profits if you don’t.
► At Huffington Post — Supreme Court rejects appeal on South Carolina redistricting — The Supreme Court has left intact South Carolina’s redrawn state house and congressional maps. The justices on Monday rejected without comment an appeal from black South Carolina voters who wanted the justices to take another look at the state’s new lines for state house and congressional districts.
► In The Hill — Georgia Republican says he’s ‘proud’ of outsourcing career — Georgia Senate candidate David Perdue (R) said he’s “proud” of his business career, seeking to redefine the term “outsourcing” following the release of legal documents where he said he spent “most of my career” doing that.
► In The Hill — People before profits (by Karen and Joyce Koch) — The Koch Sisters campaign isn’t about electing one candidate or supporting one issue. And it’s certainly not about us. It’s about standing up to the way our politics have been polluted. Every day on the TV, we see nasty campaign ads paid for by outside organizations that are awash in cash from anonymous donors. These donors want to create a world where profit comes first and all else be damned. While dark money may dominate the American political and legislative spectrum, the values and ideals behind it do not.
OUR PLUTOCRACY
(There are plenty more) vivid examples of the dangers inherent in a school reform movement driven by millionaires and billionaires with no real knowledge or understanding of public education. The amount of money in play is breathtaking. And the fiascos it has wrought put a spotlight on America’s class divide and the damage that members of the elite, with their money and their power and their often misguided but unshakable belief in their talents and their virtue, are inflicting on the less financially fortunate.
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.