►  In today's NY Times -- Sen. Lieberman rules out voting for bill -- In a surprise setback for Democratic leaders, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, says he will vote against the health care legislation in its current form. “You’ve got to take out the Medicare buy-in,” he says. “You’ve got to forget about the public option. You probably have to take out the Class Act, which was a whole new entitlement program that will, in future years, put us further into deficit.”

►  In today's NY Times -- Long-term care stirs health care debate -- The legislation passed by the House and being debated in the Senate includes what's called the Class Act, a major new federal insurance program that would help people with severe disabilities, though the benefits could also be used to help pay for nursing homes or assisted living. Critics say the program is unsustainable.

►  In today's Washington Post -- Disputes threaten 2009 passage of health reform -- The next 48 hours will be critical to the fate of health-care reform in the Senate, as Democratic leaders struggle to settle disputes that stand in the way of holding a final vote this year.

Subsidized right-wing opinions:

Earlier this year, amid one of the worst budget crises in a generation, lobbyists for this state's newspaper industry succeeded in getting a 40% tax cut. That means newspapers are essentially being subsidized by you and me and the other businesses that didn't get a tax cut. Now most newspaper executives are editorializing in favor of an all-cuts budget that slashes education, health care and social services. In order to maintain special-interest tax breaks (like theirs), they also are calling for more state employee layoffs and cuts in their pay and benefits.

►  In the Spokesman-review -- State's unions must be part of fair fiscal solution (editorial) -- Gov. Chris Gregoire was not able to achieve savings in (Wordsmith Alert™ translation: "cut") state employee salaries and benefits. She said she asked and was turned down. That makes any pitch for tax increases untenable. 

►  In the Yakima H-R -- Tax hikes should be last resort (editorial) -- What about opening up the state’s collective bargaining agreements and taking a look at suggesting unpaid furloughs and re-negotiating projected wage increases for state employees? That’s just one area lawmakers should explore before embracing the prospect of tax hikes.

►  In the (Longview) Daily News -- Why the rush to raise our taxes? (editorial) -- Despite the pay freeze imposed on state employees a year ago, the governor this year signed collective bargaining agreements that include an annual step, or seniority, pay increase of 5%. Certainly, the budget emergency this state faces calls for suspending the step increases in pay.

►  In the Walla Walla U-B -- Gregoire call for steep cuts merely politics (editorial) -- The governor and lawmakers have to make deeper cuts than that because the cost of government -- driven mostly by state employee salaries and entitlements -- continues to rise.

►  In the (Vancouver) Columbian -- Whose "revenue"? (editorial) -- Legislators should privatize state services. Gregoire and many legislators are reluctant to examine benefits of competitive contracting, likely because it would jeopardize their coziness with state workers and unions.

►  In the Bellingham Herald -- Governor's proposed cuts are terrible, but necessary (editorial) -- We hope the governor proposes little in the way of tax increases. We would prefer she propose no increase. This is not the time to raise taxes. (When exactly is a good time to raise taxes?)

►  In the (Everett Herald -- Some principles to follow (editorial) -- Make any new taxes temporary and look for revenue sources that pose the least danger to economic recovery. That would put business and general sales taxes at the bottom of the list, along with repealing exemptions in struggling or otherwise key industry sectors. (Read: Don't touch OUR new 40% tax break!)

State government news:

►  In the Olympian -- Budget cuts hit most vulnerable hardest (an editorial that dares align itself with Democratic core values in a state where voters consistently choose a Democratic-controlled government) -- The governor says her proposed cuts simply do not reflect her values nor, she suspects, the values of state residents. We agree. The stage is set for a brutal budget battle with Republicans and business leaders condemning tax increases while Democrats and social service advocates label budget cuts cruel and inhumane. Stay tuned. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

►  In today's Seattle Times -- Washington state needs a modern tax system (guest column by Sen. Rosa Franklin) -- Our tax system, devised a century ago for an economy based on agriculture, manufacturing and local commerce, is so irrelevant to today's realities that we can no longer sustain the basic services on which we all rely. It's time to adopt a tax structure designed for 2010 instead of 1910. 

►  In Sunday's (Everett) Herald -- State could see new taxes in a host of areas -- You could pay more for candy, soda pop or bottled water next year to help dig the state out of another gaping budget hole. Barbers, beauticians and lawyers may be told to start charging sales tax for their services as well.

►  In Sunday's (Everett) Herald -- Gregoire knows her budget is doomed (Jerry Cornfield column) -- In the coming months taxes will monopolize debate among the state's lawmakers and residents.

Local news:

►  In today's Seattle Times -- When Washington's economy rebounds, job growth will lag -- The good news, economists and analysts say, is that Washington's economy could turn around sooner than many people expected -- possibly as soon as this winter or spring. But the bad news is that even after the broad economy starts growing again, it may not feel like much of a recovery at the street and neighborhood level.

►  In today's Spokesman-Review -- County's union contracts deal looked pretty good (Jim Camden column) -- Judging from letters, phone calls and comments on our Web site, the public tends to agree with the commissioners that union county employees should not be receiving COLAs.

►  In the Kitsap Sun -- Conflict in the industry spurs labor lawsuits -- The status of brush pickers was at the heart of lawsuits over the past decade that pitted floral greens companies against their suppliers and the state’s Department of Labor and Industries. In 2001, the six major floral greens companies in Kitsap and Mason counties filed a lawsuit to block Labor and Industries from forcing them to pay workers’ compensation for pickers who harvested on company land.

Boeing news:

►  In the POS Business Journal -- Renton sees long future for 737, but hedges its bets (if you can't read this story, email us for a copy) -- Despite its decision to build a second 787 production line in Charleston, S.C., and this week’s announcement that the line will be independent of this region, Boeing is still investing in the Renton complex where it builds the popular 737. Boeing is negotiating a new 20-year lease at Renton Municipal Airport, overhauling the hangar where it paints 737s, and running the production line at a record pace to fill a large backlog of orders.

►  In today's (Everett) Herald -- Only weather stands between 787 and its first flight Tuesday -- Depending on weather conditions, Boeing will put its new jet in the air at 10 a.m., Tuesday, from Paine Field. Despite a two-year delay, the highly anticipated flight of the 787 is certain to draw crowds, even if Tuesday's weather forecast of 43 degree weather and rain holds.

National news: