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Founded in January 2009, PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Started by longtime local editor and award-winning reporter Josh Feit, PubliCola is the first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol.

PubliCola was off and running. In June 2009, PubliCola hired another award-winning journalist, super-sourced Seattle city hall reporter Erica C. Barnett.

People were afraid that blogging would change journalism. Instead, we believe journalism can change blogging. Twenty-first century journalism may look and feel different, and yes Erica isn't afraid to get cranky, but we're committed to making sure online news still delivers independent, reliable, even-keeled coverage. And most of all, we're committed to making sure the coverage sparks honest civic debate.

Bringing you cola for the people, PubliCola is named after Publius Valerius PubliCola, the alias for the authors of the Federalist Papers—the original bloggers.

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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Afternoon Jolt: Today’s Winners and Losers

Jolt, Opinion, Politics   August 11, 2010 at 6:15 pm Afternoon Jolt

CORRECTION: We got I-1082 wrong.

With all attention (including ours) focused on the state budget office’s assessment of the booze initiatives today—I-1100 and I-1105—we’d like to point out that the budget office also analyzed the rest of this year’s ballot measures.

Winners:

I-1098, the high-earners income tax, will increase state revenues by $11.16 billion over five years. That’s $2.2 billion a year, which is a billion more than I-1098′s proponents had been promising.

I-1082, the proposal to privatize workers’ comp.

For all of us who are scratching our heads about this complicated proposal, this is all we may need to know—it will save the state $61 to 75 million over five years.

And here’s the clean bill of health that Tim Eyman’s I-1053 got:

“Initiative 1053 would have no direct fiscal impact on state and local revenues, costs, expenditures or indebtedness.”

1053 would reinstate the two-thirds rule for the state legislature when it comes to voting on new taxes. That sounds like it will crush the state budget (it would have cost the state $370 million this year), but really, there’s  no way estimate a future negative.

Loser:

I-1107, the beverage industry’s effort to repeal the temporary tax increases on soda, candy, and bottled water that the legislature passed this year to deal with the budget shortfall, would cost the state $352 million over five years.

Here are the state budget office reports:

1098
1082
1053
1107




  • http://twitter.com/fattailed fattailed

    1082 is worth a closer look. Saving a few state $ on the backs of injured workers ain't necessarily a good idea. Worth looking at who is funding the initiative too.

  • lindseygrad

    while the impact to injured workers is certainly the primary concern in defeating 1082, it bears noting that what is cited in the above post is definitely not what the fiscal note said. that was just one facet, while taken comprehensively, costs to the state and local governments would INCREASE…from the quick summary:

    “Industrial insurance premium paid into state Trust Funds is estimated to decrease $1.1 billion–$1.43 billion by calendar year 2014 as employers shift to private insurers. State claim costs correspondingly decrease as claims shift from the state to private insurers. State revenue is estimated to increase $61 million–$75 million over five fiscal years. Costs are estimated to increase up to $202 million for the state and $47.25 million for local governments over five fiscal years. Assuming no legislative action to conform statutes to the initiative, industrial insurance premium paid into state Trust Funds and associated costs may increase.”

    The fiscal note also details how lost premiums will mean losing funding or making new appropriations from the General Fund for all the workplace safety programs currently funded out of premiums.

    Furthermore: there are numerous costs shifts in the private sector from high-risk/lower salary fields onto lower risk/higher salary fields AND a 25% increase across the board on employer premiums.

    1082 is not fiscally sound for anyone but the insurance industry and the BIAW.

  • http://twitter.com/LuigiGiovanni Luigi Giovanni

    By your standard, I-1105 ought to be declared a loser. According to OFM, it costs the state about HALF A BILLION over five years.

    Advertising on publicola.net makes a difference.

  • Josh Feit

    Luigi,

    We dedicated a whole separate post to the I-1105 and I-1100 OFM study, and reported those numbers http://www.publicola.net/2010/08/11/booze-initi… :

    “OFM’s study of 1105, which would also privatize liquor but would keep pricing and market regs intact, would decrease state revenues by an estimated $486 million to $520 million and local revenues would decrease by an estimated $205 million–$210 million over five years.”

  • http://twitter.com/fattailed fattailed

    Thanks for this. I'd be waiting for a correction on the original article if this were a different kind if publication.

  • http://twitter.com/LuigiGiovanni Luigi Giovanni

    Yes, I saw the post to which you refer and commented in it.

    My point is I-1105 should also have been declared a loser by your own standard. However, I can understand why you wouldn't want to make such a declaration, since I-1105 advertises on publicola.net.