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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Olympia archive for Jan. 1, 2009

MONDAY, JULY 20, 2009

Be well... 

As I blogged about a week and a half ago, I'm moving on to a new job. (Here's my farewell column.)I'll set up a URL redirect on www.eyeonolympia.com in the next day or so. Tempting though it is to steer you faithful readers to The…

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TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2009

Unemployment up, but just a little...

The state's seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate is now 9.3 percent, up 2/10ths of a percent from May's revised rate of 9.1 percent."We are beginning to see signs that our economy may be stabilizing and recovery efforts are working, but it will take time," Gov. Chris Gregoire…

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MONDAY, JULY 13, 2009

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

Capitol press corps loses another... 

And this time, it's me. After nearly 9 years covering Olympia for an Eastern Washington audience, I'm taking a public-affairs job with the state insurance commissioner's office.I love what I do, and am deeply grateful to the Spokesman-Review and to everyone who's clicked on this…

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TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2009

MONDAY, JULY 6, 2009


"The top 10 human poisonings list"...

Ran across an interesting list recently while writing about budget cuts to the state Poison Center, (the logo for which probably makes the state's tourism folks squirm.)The budget-cut changes, by the way, include forking over $30 on your credit card to get advice about a…

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TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009


Meanwhile, in California...

The state budget picture is much, much worse. From the Financial Times:Once the US’s richest state, California now has the dubious distinction of having the worst credit rating in the country....California’s fiscal year ends on Wednesday but as the state’s cash reserves are empty, IOUs…

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Protection sought for giant earthworm...

It's summer, and my blog numbers need a boost, so here's this, from the Associated Press:Fans of the giant Palouse earthworm are once again seeking federal protection for the rare, sweet-smelling species.The worm has been seen only four reported times in the past 110 years,…

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Another serving of "TEA"...

From the print paper:OLYMPIA – Encouraged by the large turnout this spring at anti-tax rallies, critics of government spending are planning a new round of demonstrations July 4.Events are planned in more than 20 Washington cities, including Spokane Valley, as well as in Sandpoint and…

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MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2009

WA population: still growing, but slowing...

From tomorrow's paper:OLYMPIA _ We're still growing, but it's slowing.That was the verdict Monday from Washington's Office of Financial Management, which churns out annual population estimates for the state, cities and counties.Washington's population as of April 1, 2009, the agency estimates, was 6,668,200. That's up…

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Still the Second City...

Here's to Two, Spokane.The Lilac City continues to cling to it's position as the state's second-largest city, once again beating out the City of Destiny -- Tacoma, that is -- by about 2,000 people.The state Office of Financial Management today released its annual population estimates…

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Coming Wednesday: (Un)Happy new fiscal year...

State budget-cut fallout: trash in state-owned buildings only emptied twice a week, carpets cleaned once a year.More state budget fallout: Health insurance costs likely to rise next year for state workers. On the most popular plan, the Uniform Medical Plan, would rise from $82 a…

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Dunmire on Eyman: Still a big fan...

Retired Woodinville financial advisor Mike Dunmire's been a lifeline for initiative promoter Tim Eyman, pouring a steady cash infusion into Eyman's signature-gathering (and income-producing) funds.So for people who watch campaign finance reports on the Public Disclosure Commisson site, it's become a bit of a parlor…

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2009





MONDAY, JUNE 22, 2009

FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2009

Catching up...

Farmers markets and the state of the state treasury have been keeping me busy lately, but here's some interesting stuff that's been piling up in the in box:-Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, who created a stir earlier this month by declaring himself a candidate for…

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Short takes and breaking news from the Washington Legislature and the state capital.



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