Economics
Op-Ed: Legislature Should Close the Family Foundation Loophole for Estate Taxes
Washington State's current estate tax contains a loophole that shields estate funds that are in family foundations, showcasing the privilege of the very wealthy. The state legislature should close this loophole to reduce the need for draconian budget cuts.
Sunday Video: What About P3s for Transit?
Public private partnerships have become trendy in infrastructure projects, particularly for transportation. Reece Martin of RMTransit dives into the pros and cons of this...
Policy Lab: Why Are Seattle Restaurants So Expensive?
Seattle service workers are set to get a major wage hike, unless restaurant lobbyists get their way. But policymakers can support the restaurant industry in better ways than simply cutting worker pay.
Sunday Video: The Real Problem with “Luxury Housing”
Across North America, people claim that they want affordable housing in their communities while deriding and fighting what they perceive as "luxury housing." A...
Seattle Hopes to Spur Office-to-Housing Conversions with Regulatory Incentives
Facing waning demand for office spaces, landlords are weighing housing conversions, with Mayor Harrell and the Seattle City Council aiming to nudge them in that direction with a recently passed package of regulatory incentives. Financial incentives could be next, but hurdles remain.
Policy Lab: Tax the Filthy, Stinking Rich
Seattle has a $258 million budget deficit to solve. Mayor Bruce Harrell said he rejects notions of austerity. Good for him! I’m here to help. Let’s chart a way out of this crisis that doesn’t involve slashing services and laying off city workers.
Sunday Video: All The Ways Car Dependency Make Things Worse
Ray Delahanty of CityNerd goes through a litany of reasons why car dependency makes American society worse off from public health and environmental quality...
Harrell Hopes to Fill Downtown Storefronts by Easing Code Restrictions
In a bid to reactivate Downtown Seattle, Mayor Harrell has proposed easing code restrictions in hopes of filling vacant storefronts with newly permitted uses like crafting studios, greenhouses, medical offices, art installations, public restrooms, and research laboratories.