For the first time in the past 10 years there is a transportation bill in the state House that if passed could sustain the ferry system for the next 10 years. Rep. Judy Clibborn (D-Bellevue) has been a bulldog this session and is trying to pass a new revenue package that would support much-needed improvements to a number of transportation areas including the ferry system. Her package of bills, totaling $8.4 billion, would provide $856 million in new revenue for the ferry system.
If this package of bills were to pass, the ferry system would be financially sustainable for at least the next 12 years. These bills have passed out of the House Transportation Committee and, hopefully, will be considered during the upcoming special session. read more »
To The Editor:
At Kitsap Bank, we work every day with our local small and medium-size businesses who have been realigning their budgets and priorities, as a result of the recession. We’ve worked with borrowers who have fought through, by prioritizing and restructuring their business and their debts, all the while paying a higher B & O tax bill to help state government through the downturn.
Therefore, it is nice to see our state Senate take a bipartisan approach and produce a budget that honors the spirit of our Washington small businesses, and keeps the promise made in 2010 that those higher B & O taxes on small businesses would, in fact, be temporary. It’s not easy to craft such a budget. It would be easier to keep the tax going, once we’ve become accustomed to paying it. read more »
To whom It May Concern:
The headlines of the February 1, 2013 edition of the Kitsap Sun indicate “Bridge tolls set to rise again.” This means that if tolls are increased as projected, our busses will pay a $4.50 crossing fee. Our busses cross the Narrows Bridge an average 25 times per day. Currently, the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter, Inc. pays a $4.00 crossing fee, for an average total of $3100.00 per month. A $.50 increase will increase our fees to nearly $3500.00 per month.
Tolls were raised from $2.75 to $4.00 on July 1, 2012. Soon thereafter, the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter, Inc. filed with the WUTC for a $0.25 increase in our fares to recover the increase in tolls (TC-120816). Our tariff increase request was suspended and an investigation was ordered. read more »
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a U.S. government supported organization, recently finalized its recommendation to discontinue PSA-based screening for prostate cancer for all men. We feel this was a recommendation that failed to recognize several important facts about prostate cancer, and that dealing with it in a “one size fits all” manner will ultimately lead to more American men dying from prostate cancer.
Data from Medicare itself shows that from 1993 to 2007 (when PSA screening became routinely used), deaths from prostate cancer decreased by 40% and patients presenting at diagnosis with metastatic disease (cancer spread beyond the prostate gland) decreased by 75%. It should also be noted that the Task Force based much of its decision on a seriously flawed study while it ignored two other large randomized trials that did show a significant benefit to PSA screening. read more »
In his blog post “For Manufacturers, Action Speak Louder than Words,” Don Brunell makes a strong case for the important role manufacturing plays in the Washington state economy and steps Congress and the president can take to further strengthen the manufacturing sector. However, one other step needs to be added to his list: strong trade enforcement.
The failure by our elected leaders in Washington to aggressively enforce the rules of free trade has seriously damaged American manufacturers. The biggest rule breaker when it comes to trade is China. It consistently fails to play by the rules it agreed to when it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. China continues to manipulate its currency, steal intellectual property and provide illegal trade subsidies to its companies. read more »
Thanks to state Sen. Christine Rolfes for championing the extension of the Self-Employment Assistance Bill (SEAP) which makes it possible for those who are qualified and are receiving state unemployment bene-fits to continue to receive benefits while dev-eloping their own small business start-ups.
Rolfes’ senate bill was inspired by a program active in Kitsap County called Washington Community Alliance for Self-Help — also known as Washington C.A.S.H. Whether people have been laid off in the middle of their career, have just exited military service or have an idea for a new product, the program helps them match their dreams with a workable business plan. read more »
As the largest investor in Green technology companies from the Island (and one of the most active in the USA), and someone who is actively making an impact on the world clean-energy mix through green companies, I thought you might be interested in an opinion contrary to that of the proposed platic bag ban.
I have several thoughts.
1. The primary reason that you should defer this, is that it is not the role of a local city council, who is already mired in high priority budget matters of an almost-bankrupt city, to make environmental choices for me. I can make them myself, and do not need the nanny-state to make them because their big brother Seattle did. read more »
As a small business owner, an advocate of other small business owners, and a one-time victim of a smear campaign, you are, no doubt, aware of the detrimental impact that negative press can have. I hope you will extend me the courtesy of reprinting the following letter in its entirety in the next issue of Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal. Should you need any further information or validation of the remarks herein, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I write to you today out of my concern for the potential damage — even if unintentional — that your recent opinion column, “Random Thoughts… and post-election comments,” in the January 2012 edition of the Business Journal may cause. read more »
I don’t know how far reaching this problem is. However, over the last 3 to 4 years I have been battleing Centurylink Phone Company for charging me KING County Sales tax and KING County 911 Services tax on my telephone bill instead of KITSAP County tax rates.
Because of this charging me for the wrong county taxes and 911 service, I am overchanged on the tax rate PLUS Kitsap County is not getting the sales tax revenue source nor the 911 service revenue funds so badly needed. read more »
