budget

Good News Seattle, City Budget Back In The Black

Deborah Wang — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:15:51 +0000

Budget officials in the city of Seattle delivered some good news yesterday. For the first time since the financial crisis, the city is forecasting a budget surplus.

An Uncertain Future For Lynnwood Municipal Golf Course

Jeannie Yandel — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 23:39:27 +0000

If you’ve never been to the Lynnwood Municipal Golf Course before, it’s kind of tough to find. The course itself is way at the back of the parking lot of Edmonds Community College. The only clues you’re in the right place are the high ball nets surrounding the course. And, of course, golfers like Espie Grundy and Jackie Garmeyer, who are wheeling their clubs towards the green for their weekly tee time. “We try to play even if it’s raining,” Espie says.

Would A Budget By Any Other Name Not Smell As Sweet?

The Conversation With Ross Reynolds — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:11:53 +0000

Governor Inslee released his budget proposal a couple weeks ago, and then came the Washington Senate budget. Yesterday the House released their budget and today Ross Reynolds talks with Representative Ross Hunter about how the House budget differs from the Senate and gubernatorial budget plans.

Favorite Interviews: Comedian David Alan Grier And Chef Eddie Huang

Weekday with Steve Scher — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Our spring membership drive continues with two of our favorite recent interviews. First, we listen back to our conversation with actor and comedian David Alan Grier. He joined us in the studio to talk about his 30-year career in entertainment, from the theater to television's "In Living Color" to Broadway. Then, we revisit our talk with restaurateur Eddie Huang about food, hip-hop and the experience of growing up a first-generation immigrant in the US.

Bill Aims To Limit Amount Cities Spend On Public-Record Requests

Producer — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:49:10 +0000

Leaders of some cities in Washington state say public-records requests take a big bite out of their already strained budgets. A new bill in Olympia aims to fix that. It would limit the amount of time and money cities in Washington would have to spend on public-records requests. Ross Reynolds talks with the bill's prime sponsor, Representative Dean Takko.

How Will Sequestration Impact Washington State?

Producer — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:07:43 +0000

Unless lawmakers in the other Washington can come to an agreement, the US is facing $85 billion of automatic spending cuts. How will sequestration hit us here in the Evergreen state?

Ross Reynolds talks with Governor Jay Inslee's budget director, David Schumacher, about how the looming federal budget cuts will impact Washington state.

Douglas Foster On South Africa After Mandela

Steve Scher — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Capitalism, democracy and HIV all arrived at about the same time in South Africa, where the promise of the Mandela era has still not been met. The nation struggles with an epidemic of poverty, illness and violence. Can the next generation of leaders reshape its cultural and political realities? Douglas Foster, author of "After Mandela: The Struggle for Freedom in Post-Apartheid South Africa," joins us.

Gregoire Proposes New Fuel Tax For Education

Derek Wang — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 01:01:42 +0000

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire proposed a new wholesale vehicle fuel tax Tuesday that you might notice at the gas pump. The governor said the move will help the state support education by helping cover the costs of getting kids to school.

Currently, school districts help pay for students' transportation needs, but a recent court ruling says state government is not doing enough to support education. That includes education-related transportation.

What The Fiscal Cliff Means For Washington State

Ross Reynolds — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:16:25 +0000

"We're building a budget assuming everybody works their problems out in the best interest of the nation." That's how Stan Marshburn, outgoing director of Washington State's Office of Financial Management is planning for the fiscal cliff.

He says we're likely to suffer either way. If we go over the cliff, we can expect 50 percent cut to state military spending. To avoid the cliff, federal lawmakers might agree to reduce Medicaid spending -- another precious source of federal money.

Marshburn tells Ross his biggest concern is consumer confidence, since Washington gets so much of its money from sales tax. He says reduced consumer spending could impact Washington's economy 10 times more than the actual fiscal cliff itself.

New State Senate Majority Leader Ed Murray Faces Big Challenges

David Hyde — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 20:20:00 +0000

State Senator Ed Murray is the new majority leader of the Washington state senate. But he faces some tough challenges, including a $900 million budget hole, a Supreme Court ruling that requires full funding for basic K-12 education and a possible rebellion by conservative Democrats. David Hyde sits down with State Senator Ed Murray and asks, What's next?