LATEST BLOGS
Commission recommends increasing hours-worked requirement for WA Cares, among other proposals
What's the latest with WA Cares, a new worker-funded program in the state that will benefit only some Washingtonians, regardless of their high- or low-income status and whether or not they have resources available for long-term-care (LTC) needs? Buckle up.
The Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) Trust Commission met from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and voted on various recommendations to the Legislature to again tweak WA Cares in an attempt to make it more palatable to those paying 58 cents on every $100 they earn — for something they might never benefit from. I think the recommendations only remind us why WA Cares should be repealed. The program is not the right solution for Washingtonians who won’t need long-term care or qualify for the WA Cares benefit, nor is it the best solution for those who will. And many workers, including low-income ones, are being harmed by the new payroll tax.
Highlights from the meeting follow:
Read the entire blogYou delayed my payroll tax, prepare to die: The Stranger's comically absurd attack on WPC's Elizabeth Hovde
The latest column from The Stranger’s editor, Rich Smith, evokes the words of the great fictional character Inigo Montoya from the classic film, The Princess Bride, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
In this case, the word is “hypocrisy.” Smith asserts Washington Policy Center’s Elizabeth Hovde is a hypocrite because Hovde once suffered a traumatic brain injury due to a skiing accident and was hospitalized for more than a month yet does not support WACares, the newly created social program and accompanying payroll tax in our state that promises a long-term care benefit.
WACares didn’t exist at the time....
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Governor Inslee is right to support individual tutoring to help students make up for COVID learning loss
Earlier this year Senator John Braun (R-Centralia) introduced SB 5248 to provide funding for individual tutoring to help students recover from the learning losses resulting from the COVID school shutdowns.
The Democratic leadership included his bill in the state budget (as Section 1517(47)(o)), passed it on a bi-partisan vote and sent it to the governor. The Braun provision provides $27 million in state funds and $97 million in federal funds for individual student tutoring.
In researching the tutoring funding I noticed that in May Governor Inslee vetoed this provision. I contacted the Governor’s office to ask for clarification. Did the Governor intend to veto tutoring funds?
His office responded: “No,” the funding is still there. Here is what the Governor’s office said:
Read the entire blogWPC IN THE NEWS
WPC CALENDAR
Young Professionals Hike 2023
Virtual Presentation with Talent Market
Washington Policy On The Go - October 3rd
