economy

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.

Rethinking The Idea Of Money

Rachel Solomon — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 03:00:00 +0000

In the book "Rethinking Money," economist Bernard Lietaer and journalist Jacqui Dunne trace the beginnings of our monetary system, including its serious problems and hope for the future.

Canada, Culture And Commerce

Weekday with Steve Scher — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Vancouver Sun political correspondent Vaughn Palmer brings us the latest news from Canada. Film critic Robert Horton reviews what's happening on the silver screen. Then, Michael Parks wraps up the region's recent economic news.

Economic Wisdom The Developing World Can Teach The Developed World

Rachel Solomon — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 03:00:00 +0000

A handful of third-world countries have turned themselves around from numerous hardships in the past 30 years: China rose from seemingly hopeless poverty, Mexico bounced back from the Third World Debt Crisis, Brazil overcame hyperinflation.

Living Off The Banking Grid

Ross Reynolds — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:00:00 +0000

It’s estimated that about 8.2 percent of US households don’t use bank accounts. Not only that — 20.1 percent of households are considered “underbanked,” meaning they use bank accounts but still opt for payday loans, check-cashing services and other alternatives. This is according to a recent survey by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

So why aren’t people using banks? Ross Reynolds talks to some of the un- and underbanked.

Canada, Culture And Commerce

Weekday with Steve Scher — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

Vancouver Sun political correspondent Vaughn Palmer brings us the latest news from Canada. Everett Herald film critic Robert Horton contemplates "Room 237," a look at the theories about the hidden meaning of Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining." Plus, Seattle Times columnist Jon Talton considers a Puget Sound economy without Boeing and the lessons of the canceled Lake Union Fourth of July fireworks.

Pierce Transit Cuts Raise Concerns For Blind Rider

Derek Wang — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 01:48:19 +0000

It’s 3:00 p.m. on a recent workday, and Buddy Yates sets off on the first leg of his long commute home. He and his guide dog, Palmer, step through the fast-food containers that litter the street on the way to Rainier Avenue South where he will catch his first bus.

The Creative Class: Dismissed?

Producer — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

More than a decade ago, Richard Florida’s best-selling book, “The Rise of the Creative Class,” was a cultural phenomenon. Florida argued that young, educated, single folks would reinvent American cities. Today, Florida's critics say the wealth of the creative class hasn't trickled down to the working class. What’s the evidence? Some places, like Tacoma, used Richard Florida’s ideas as a blueprint for reinventing their downtown areas. What was the outcome? We’ll explore these ideas with journalist and geographer Joel Kotkin and Tacoma arts administrator Amy McBride.

Boeing Machinists Optimistic Despite Layoffs

Amy Radil — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 23:44:31 +0000

Boeing has announced it will lay off 800 machinists in the Puget Sound area this year. The company says workforce needs on two of its newest jet programs have been reduced.

Northwest Town Rides Ups And Downs Of "Broken" Immigration System

Jessica Robinson — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:15:00 +0000

BREWSTER, Wash. - There's one word that politicians almost always use when they talk about the U.S. immigration system. That word is “broken.” But what does that really mean? Residents of the small town of Brewster, Wash., know. For decades, immigrants have come from Mexico, often illegally, to work the surrounding apple and cherry orchards.