Jul 122011
 

On KUOW’s Weekday program July 6, I suggested Washington’s tourist industry tax itself to fund tourism promotion now that the state’s puny effort (that spawned such forgettable campaigns as “Say WA”) have dried up (here’s a link to a New York Times piece that appeared in the Seattle Times). I [continue reading . . . ]

Jun 222011
 

Oregon would have to increase taxes on each household by more than $2,000 each year for several years to fully fund the pension obligations of its public employees (those working for states, counties, cities, school districts, etc). By this measure, only in New Jersey and New York are the burdens [continue reading . . . ]

Jun 102011
 

Now you know. It is all right there on the front page of today’s New York Times, and in fewer than 300 words in this edited excerpt: Workers are getting more expensive while equipment is getting cheaper, and the combination is encouraging companies to spend on machines rather than people. [continue reading . . . ]

May 112011
 

I said it on KUOW’s Weekday program today, and I’ll say it here: I’m from Missouri concerning Microsoft’s announced $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype, the service that allows users to make voice or video calls using the World Wide Web free or at very low cost. I understand what the [continue reading . . . ]