Eastern Washington

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Eastern Washington Blog

Spokane Public School layoffs target teachers, not administrators

May 4, 2011 in Blog

Spokane Public School officials sent out 238 layoff notices to school district employees this week. District officials feel they don’t have enough state funding, despite the fact their budget is higher than it has ever been before, and they are educating 3,000 fewer students than they did just 10 years ago.

Among those who have been told they might be terminated:

Spokane Transit Authority responds to WPC op-ed on Spokane transit project

May 2, 2011 in Blog

Late last month, WPC submitted a column to the Spokesman-Review newspaper in Spokane regarding Spokane's Central City Alternatives Analysis project. Spokane Transit Authority CEO Susan Meyer has graciously clarified some of the points made in that column. Her thoughts are bolded below.

Chris Cargill: Efficiency should guide choice of downtown transit plan
The Spokesman-Review - April 24, 2011

Spokane Public Schools administrator claims state not increasing education spending

April 28, 2011 in Blog

An assistant superintendent for Spokane Public Schools made a surprising comment last night when addressing the district’s budget woes. Staci Vesneske, in an interview with KXLY4 News, said “what has happened is, as costs for education have risen, the state funding has not.”

Spokane-area dropout & graduation numbers improve, without new program & taxes

April 8, 2011 in Blog

Fewer students are dropping out of Spokane-area schools, and taxpayers didn't have to spend an extra $30 million to make it happen.

Spokane Public Schools says its on-time graduation rate improved by almost 8% in 2010.That means the district's graduation rate increased to 70%.

Other Spokane-area school districts saw similar improvements, including East Valley, which saw its graduation rate improve an astounding 27%.

Tribal Attorney Harold Monteau Wants it Both Ways

March 28, 2011 in Blog

WPC’s Chris Cargill wrote recently about the huge advantage tribal casinos have over their non-Indian competitors because tribes don’t have to pay the same taxes as the rest of us.  Harold Monteau, a Chippewa Cree attorney, indignantly responded in Indian Country Today.  In reading his response it seems Mr.

EWA residents: you have 90 minutes to get to Olympia

February 23, 2011 in Blog

Anyone looking for an example of the transparency games being played in Olympia needs look no further than what is happening today. A Senate Ways and Means hearing is scheduled for 1:30pm today, and at 12:09pm Senate Bill 5754 was added to the agenda. SB 5754 concerns publication of tax data to ensure the transparency of Washington's tax preferences.

The less than 90 minutes notice gives people from Eastern Washington no opportunity to go to Olympia to testify on the bill. In fact, it barely gives them time to phone or email their Senator with questions.

City of Spokane tacks on a $20 car tab fee that might not even be used to fix streets

February 15, 2011 in Blog

Government officials in the City of Spokane have apparently decided voters did not know what they were doing when they voted to limit the price of vehicle registrations.

The City Council on Monday night voted 4-3 to impose a city-wide car tab fee of $20, without asking voters for approval. And there's a good chance most of the money won't be used to fix the streets.

School district official claims community doesn't support schools

February 9, 2011 in Blog

Two Spokane-area school district bonds were rejected by voters on Tuesday, prompting a local school district official to make a disappointing assertion.

Voters in the Mead School District said no to a $49 million bond by a 48-52% margin.

The Central Valley School District put a $69 million bond before voters to build a new school and renovate aging schools, but it also failed, by a 46-54% margin.

Bill unnecessarily rips open state’s east versus west divide, again

January 27, 2011 in Blog

Just when we thought Washington’s east against west mindset was starting to settle down, it has boiled back up. Several Western Washington legislators have introduced bills that would allow the legislature to dissolve counties that don’t generate enough state tax revenue--and most of the targets are in Eastern Washington.

WPC not 'skewing the numbers' on Spokane's Children's Investment Fund

September 30, 2010 in Blog

Washington Policy Center's analysis on the Children's Investment Fund initiative in Spokane has prompted a false assertion in a September 30th article written by Jody Lawrence-Turner in The Spokesman-Review newspaper.