DAILY NEWS
Wha’ happa, privatizing Sea-Tac, if the rich paid their taxes…
Monday, April 11, 2016
WHAT’D WE MISS?
► Monday in the News Tribune — Charter-schools fix will become law in Washington without governor’s signature — In a letter explaining his decision, Gov. Jay Inslee said he remains concerned about whether there will be adequate public oversight of charter schools, but said he doesn’t want to see the schools shut down:
“I am not interested in closing schools in a manner that disrupts the education of hundreds of students and their affected families… Despite my deep reservations about the weakness of the taxpayer accountability provisions, I will not close schools.”
► Tuesday from AFL-CIO Now — Victory in New York: New law raises minimum wage to $15 and provides paid family leave — The unified efforts of 2.5 million working people and the 3,000 local unions of the New York State AFL-CIO lead to a major victory, as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a law raising the state’s minimum wage. Millions will see wage increases. Future wage increases will be tied to economic indicators. The law also establishes a robust 12 weeks of paid family leave for working people.
► Thursday in the Seattle Times — Washington House Democrats sign letter opposing Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal — The letter is addressed to Washington’s U.S. congressional delegation and urges them to vote against the deal if it comes before Congress. Signed by 23 state representatives, the letter argues “the TPP seriously compromises the ability of the Washington Legislature to enact and enforce statutes that bolster our local economy, guard our public health and safety, and protect our natural resources.”
ALSO TODAY at The Stand — Mass employment, not mass incarceration (by Jeff Johnson)
PLUS from AFL-CIO Now — Let’s get serious about mass incarceration
LOCAL
► In the P.S. Business Journal — Sea-Tac to consider replacing TSA with private security contractors — The Port of Seattle is considering replacing the Transportation Security Administration screening at Sea-Tac Airport with private security contractors. While no decisions have been made yet about getting rid of the TSA, Port of Seattle spokesman Perry Cooper said the commissioners are exploring many options that could bring down the wait times. Cooper said TSA staffing is really at the root of the problem, which is something the port can’t control.
► From KPLU — Enviros say ‘fat lady about to sing’ on Gateway Pacific export terminal near Bellingham — The next few months will be crucial in determining whether the West Coast serves as a gateway to the Pacific Rim for U.S. exports of fossil fuels. Anti-coal- and oil-train activists say their work, combined with global economic realities, is pointing increasingly toward a future free from energy exports that move through Northwest ports.
► In today’s Seattle Times — Seattle sees biggest jump in bus riders of any U.S. city — Bus ridership has increased more here than in any other major American city; Seattle is now the second most bus-reliant metropolis, after San Francisco.
STATE GOVERNMENT
► In the News Tribune — Teachers union, others to sue state over new charter school law — The Washington Education Association announced its intention Thursday night to file a lawsuit over the state’s amended charter school law. Other groups that oppose charter schools will also be involved in the suit.
► In the Spokesman-Review — Charter school celebrations are premature (by Jim Camden) — Opponents all along have questioned the legislative legerdemain of getting around a state Supreme Court ruling that said paying for charter schools out the general fund was constitutional no-no. The new law pays for them out of lottery money… then replenishes that account from the general fund.
► In the (Everett) Herald — State relies on an unfair, insufficient tax system (editorial) — A recent comparison of the tax systems of Idaho, Oregon and the Evergreen State is raising questions about basic tax fairness and the state’s ability to meet its obligations, particularly to public education… A state with the economic vitality we enjoy shouldn’t be struggling to meet its obligations, particularly in its paramount duty to students.
MINIMUM WAGE
► From the Washington Post — Leaked documents show strong business support for raising the minimum wage — The survey of 1,000 business executives across the country was conducted by the firm run by Republican pollster Frank Luntz, and obtained by a liberal watchdog group. Among the most interesting findings: 80 percent of respondents said they supported raising their state’s minimum wage, while only eight percent opposed it.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
► From AFL-CIO Now — Long overdue DOL rule will protect retirement investors — AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka: “We applaud the Department of Labor for getting the fiduciary rule over the finish line after a long and thorough rule-making process that took into account a multitude of stakeholders’ interests.”
► From The Intercept — Pro-TPP op-eds remarkably similar to drafts by foreign government lobbyists — Opinion columns published in newspapers over the last year in support of the Trans-Pacific Partnership use language nearly identical to drafts written and distributed by public relations professionals who were retained by the Japanese government to build U.S. support for the controversial trade agreement.
NATIONAL
► In today’s NY Times — The Rich Live Longer Everywhere. For the Poor, Geography Matters. — The poor in some cities — big ones like New York and Los Angeles, and also quite a few smaller ones like Birmingham, Ala. — live nearly as long as their middle-class neighbors or have seen rising life expectancy in the 21st century. But in some other parts of the country, adults with the lowest incomes die on average as young as people in much poorer nations like Rwanda, and their life spans are getting shorter. In those differences, documented in sweeping new research, lies an optimistic message: The right mix of steps to improve habits and public health could help people live longer, regardless of how much money they make.
► From Think Progress — Everything you need to know about the Supreme Court challenge to Obama’s immigration policies — United States v. Texas concerns the legality of two closely related immigration policies. Together, the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents program (“DAPA”) and an expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (“DACA”), are expected to allow about 4.9 million undocumented immigrants to temporarily work and remain in the country.
ALSO at The Stand — Murdering manufacturing ‘strictly business’ under NAFTA (by Leo W. Gerard)
TODAY’S MUST-READ
The Stand posts links to Washington state and national news of interest every weekday morning by 10 a.m.