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It’s socialized medicine at it worst. Introduced by Senators Karen Keiser and Jeanne Kohl-Welles, it will cost taxpayers $145 Billion over the first 10 years.

And the sick part? In all of their ‘findings’, which are the reason they give for introducing this legislation, they never once mentioned trial lawyers or litigation as a contributing factor to health care costs.

Whatever the government touches will decay. If you want to know about governments history with health care just look at the VA Hospital system. If you can’t find enough information on that, I can pass along a few stories from my mom, who worked in one for about 20 years. It’s interesting to note that even veterans who work for the VA hospital system generally won’t go there for health care (anecdotal). If these senators are really concerned about health care costs, maybe tort reform is the place to start.

The legislature wants to raise license tabs up to $240 per year, this time based on fuel economy instead of the value of the vehicle.

Let’s start by getting to the real reason for this legislation:

The proceeds of this tax must be used for the design, construction, and operations of transportation facilities and services that provide alternatives to the use of single-occupant vehicles and for programs that encourage the use of these facilities and services. The allowable uses of these revenues include but are not limited to transit, high-capacity transportation, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and transportation demand management programs.

That’s right. A back-door funding mechanism for light rail and all of the other pet projects. This bill is basically a repeal of I-695. The total cost to consumers is a mere $6 billion dollars over the next 10 years.

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After having another experience with the left side of the Republican party in Washington state yesterday, there’s this piece (Conservatives Told they Must Throw Away Principles) on Newsbusters.org.

If conservatives mean to make their ideas and policies meaningful in the party again, there has to be some reason for the rest of the party to take them seriously. If conservatives are going to loudly proclaim their druthers yet meekly vote for apostates to those ideas anyway, not a single candidate will have any reason to expect that conservatives are serious with their ideas in the first place. Conservatives will become the boy who cried wolf. Winning is nice, but if there is no consequences for politicians who eschew conservative principles, eventually there won’t be any reason to even mouth conservative principles — even if only to ignore them later.

Someone in the comments said that conservatives lost the party in 2004. I think that statement is wrong. I believe that conservatives made a statement in 2006 that wasn’t heard. Many sat home and didn’t vote, not because of a few scandals, but because Bush and the Republican congress didn’t deliver on their promises from 2004.
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The Washington State Republican Party (WSRP) is divided. It has to be fixed, but until we find out who’s causing it and get them to stop, it will remain. The party leadership and their spokesmen blame conservatives (like me), while conservatives blame party leadership. Separate, neither group can accomplish anything politically in this state, as shown by elections over most of the last couple of decades.

Let me try to set the record straight about something that is repeatedly brought up when the issue is discussed. Party leadership tries to claim responsibility for the sweep in 1994 that lead to the party grabbing the majority in the State’s House and Senate, as well as placing several other Republicans in elected positions around the state.
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“I just don’t buy the argument that it’s going to stifle appropriate discussions,” [Rick] Talbert said. “It may stifle inappropriate discussions” (regarding a bill before the state legislature requiring governments in the state to make a record of closed-door meetings.)

Jason Hagey of the News Tribune writes (in Baarsma and Tacoma City council debate state bill requiring taping of meetings) of the revealing misadventures:

Mayor Bill Baarsma was particularly outspoken, peppering the meeting with comments in between the speeches and questioning of council members. At various points, Baarsma feigned surprise when the council was told the bill would not apply to caucus meetings of state legislators. He offered his opinion that no member of the city’s law enforcement and firefighter retirement board – which frequently discusses medical issues – would ever meet in executive session if a meeting were being recorded.

As the discussion wound down, and as Baarsma continued with his stream of commentary, Talbert referred to the mayor’s “continual editorial comments.”

“It’s my right,” Baarsma said.

“Your right?” Talbert answered, his face reddening.

“First Amendment,” Baarsma said. “First Amendment.”

And then Baarsma slammed his gavel and declared Talbert out of order.

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Would you like to pay a 6% tax (on top of sales tax) for the privilege of buying a gas powered lawn mower (or any other gas powered ’small-scale equipment’)? The cost of the bill to consumers in WA? $562,400,000 over the next 10 years.

I’m asking this question as someone who voluntarily purchases electrical power tools whenever it’s practical, mostly because I don’t like messing with gas and oil, but also because I like the lighter weight of corded electric lawn and garden power tools. The additional tax doesn’t bother me personally since I’ll probably never have to pay it. However, taxes in general bother me, except those that are necessary. This one isn’t.

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In governor Gregoire’s State of the State address on Tuesday night she mentioned that Forbes magazine ranked Washington the forth best state in the U.S. in which to do business. (h/t Business Examiner Daily and AWB)

“Forbes magazine, the flagship of American business media, recently highlighted how we are breaking down barriers by cutting red tape and paperwork, starting one-stop licensing, and providing small business help.”

“That’s just one of the reasons Forbes now ranks us among the five best states to do business in the country!”

However, this doesn’t tell the whole story.
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