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Eshannon

Yet Another Report Shows Washington’s Small Business Climate Needs Improving

May 9, 2012 in Blog

On the heels of two recent reports by the American Legislative Exchange Council and the Washington Roundtable concluding Washington’s business climate is in serious need of improvement comes a third report with the same conclusion.

Unions: Forcing Union Members to Work With Non-Union Workers Is Slavery

May 3, 2012 in Blog

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 has filed a lawsuit against Indiana’s governor, attorney general and labor commissioner contending that forcing union workers to work alongside non-union workers is  slavery.

In New Report, State's Biggest Employers Say Washington's Business Climate Needs Fixing

May 2, 2012 in Blog

Reinforcing what most employers in Washington State already know, a new report by the Washington Roundtable concludes our state’s business climate is in serious need of improvement.

The Washington Roundtable is a nonprofit, public policy organization comprised of executives of some of the state’s biggest private sector employers (Starbucks, Safeco and Boeing, to name a few).  So when Roundtable members say our state needs a more competitive business climate, they know what they’re talking about.

You Don’t Need to Wear Shades for Washington’s Economic Future

April 16, 2012 in Blog

A new report by the nonpartisan American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) ranks the economic competitiveness in the 50 states, and while Washington’s rank over the past ten years (2000-2010) isn’t too bad, the future looks grim.  

If a High Minimum Wage can Kill a Sandwich, Imagine What it Does to Jobs

March 30, 2012 in Blog

Washington Policy Center has long warned that a high minimum wage reduces job opportunities and increases the cost of living.  The economics of it is simple.  The minimum wage is a price control that requires employers to pay workers a higher hourly wage.  That means they can afford to hire fewer workers, or they pay the inflated wages and pass the increased costs onto the customer, or a combination of both. 

The Long Slow Goodbye of Boeing

March 19, 2012 in Blog

Boeing announced last week it has decided to move production of the horizontal tail of the 787-9 (the next, larger version of the Dreamliner) from Seattle to Salt Lake City, Utah and Alenia, Italy.

Regulatory Burden on Small Businesses is Increasing

March 16, 2012 in Blog

A report released this week by The Heritage Foundation highlights the staggering increase in the regulatory burden borne by Americans since President Obama’s inauguration in 2009. 

Two Things That Should Never Play a Role in Job Creation: Government and Sexism

February 23, 2012 in Blog

There are so many things inherently wrong with a proposed Washington Works Corps program it’s difficult to know where to start.

A Simplification Bill Made Confusing

February 8, 2012 in Blog

Yesterday the Senate Way & Means Committee found out first-hand why it’s a bad idea to add a new a bill to the committee agenda on just two hours notice, and not make copies of the bill available until an hour before the meeting starts. 

One Small Step for the State’s Small Business Climate, One Giant Leap for New Businesses

February 3, 2012 in Blog

On Wednesday, the House Economic Development, Trade & Innovation Committee approved SB 6327.  The bill now moves to the Ways & Means Committee for further consideration.

SB 6327 would create a one-year exemption from the state Business & Occupation (B&O) tax for all new businesses and a two-year exemption, plus a 50 percent exemption in the third year, for new businesses employing fewer than 25 people.

So Much for Spurring Small Business Growth

January 13, 2012 in Blog

On the heels of Governor Gregoire’s announcement last week of her strategy to spur small business growth comes legislation that, if passed, would render the Governor’s commendable efforts futile.

Washington’s High Minimum Wage Stifles Job Creation

January 12, 2012 in Blog

In this month’s Seattle Business Magazine managing editor John Levesque grudgingly acknowledges that nixing the state’s new 37-cent increase in minimum wage that took effect January 1 (raising the mandatory wage to $9.04 per hour) “may” create more jobs and help jump-start the economy, but questions “do we really need to rescue the economy on the backs of those who can least afford to carry out the offensive?”  What he doesn’t seem to realize is that the automatic yearly increase, while it sounds generous, ofte

Small Business Reforms Noticeably Absent from State of the State

January 10, 2012 in Blog

The Governor’s State of the State address today asked the legislature for four policy changes—pass a budget; ask voters to approve a half-penny sales tax increase; pass her school reforms; and, pass a major transportation and jobs package.  A fifth request was snuck in at the end of the speech, to pass a marriage equality bill.

Noticeably absent was any proposal to improve the state’s small business climate.