'Jobs Now' rally next Wednesday in Seattle (WSLC Reports

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith will host a town hall meeting this Saturday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at the Knutzen Family Theatre, 3200 SW Dash Point Road in Federal Way . Advocates for health care reform are urged to attend and urge Rep. Smith's support. Space is limited so please RSVP if you are able to attend by calling (253) 593-6600 or (888) SMITH09.

► In today's Washington Post -- Employers plan to shift more health-care costs to workers, survey reports -- Employees can expect significantly higher premiums, deductibles and co-payments, according to an annual survey of big employers. In addition, many say they may charge more to cover spouses, tighten eligibility standards for their health plans and dispense financial rewards or penalties based on the results of certain lab tests, and employees who are overweight could be excluded from the most desirable plans.

► From AP -- Democrats, White House close in on bill -- A closed-door meeting in Speaker Pelosi's office Wednesday evening moved congressional leaders and administration officials close to agreement. Democrats still need to see a final cost estimate and want to ensure it stays around $950 billion over 10 years, but they made plans to begin to read the bill to rank-and-file Democrats at a caucus meeting Thursday.

► At Huffington Post -- How the Republicans plan to kill reform -- They are trying to sow doubts in the minds of House Democrats that the Senate will end up fixing the bill in ways that they like.

► In today's (Everett) Herald -- Special session likely to finish work on budget, tax increase -- The stroke of midnight tonight will mark the end of the constitutionally prescribed 60 days for the 2010 legislative session. Gov. Chris Gregoire will huddle with legislative leaders, learn how close or far they are from completing their tasks and then decide.
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown said Wednesday it looked to her as if a “fairly quick” extra session will be needed.

► In today's Olympian -- State lawmakers face overtime -- The two chambers reportedly were making progress on bridging a nearly $210 million difference between their plans. But they differ on the Senate’s plan to raise $313 million from a temporary sales tax increase and the House’s plan to add sales tax to candy and elective cosmetic surgery, and other increases.

► In today's Seattle Times -- State spending on track to rise, despite budget cuts -- After taking into account $500 million in federal aid and proposed tax increases, the current $30.9 billion 2-year general-fund budget would increase more than $200 million under the House and Senate proposals. Most of the money would go to pay for rising expenses to maintain services, such as more people qualifying for Medicaid and more K-12 students. But there's also new spending, including for worker-retraining programs and to aid "property-poor" school districts.

Washington needs bold action on jobs!

Everyone has talked the talk on job creation. With just one week to go in the session, it's time to walk the walk. The Washington State Labor Council urges legislators to pass a strong version of HB 3181/SB 6851, the Working for Clean Water legislation. This will create thousands of desperately needed construction jobs in every corner of the state, while addressing our biggest water pollution problem: millions of gallons of toxic stormwater wash that goes directly into our lakes, rivers and the Puget Sound every year. Let's pass it! Read our Mar. 4 Legislative Update.

► In today's (Everett) Herald -- Lawmakers act to roll back state ferry workers' travel perk -- The Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill giving the governor power to negotiate less generous benefits for union ferry workers in talks on a new contract later this year. Senators specifically called for an end to a perk allowing workers to ride ferries for free when off-duty.

► From AP -- Senate approves construction budget -- The approved budget is a plan that Democrats say will translate to some 4,800 jobs. It includes $39 million for new construction projects, including campus improvements at the UW and CWU.

► In today's Olympian -- Providers aid in killing interstate insurance bill -- A bill allowing consumers to buy health insurance from other states died this year under pressure from advocates for mental health equality, massage therapists and others.

► In today's Bellingham Herald -- State Sen. Dale Brandland announces retirement -- The Bellingham Republican has announced he’ll retire from his 42nd Legislative District seat after two terms in office. He said he'll finish out the term but not seek re-election.

► In today's (Everett) Herald -- Study: Boeing tanker seen as big job producer -- The Boeing-funded study says its tanker, based on the Everett-built 767 jet, will create 62,606 to 70,706 jobs in the United States over the 20-year life of the contract. The job figures in the report refer to direct positions only and do not include jobs created at suppliers or other indirect jobs. About 12,000 of the jobs will be in Washington state, Boeing reports separately. Boeing also says that 70 suppliers here in the state will work on its KC-767 tanker.

► In today's Seattle Times -- Carson will get $1.5M to advise Boeing -- Boeing will pay Scott Carson, the former chief executive of its commercial-airplane unit, $1.5 million this Friday as an advance "retainer fee" for two years of consulting work. His work during the two years through March 2012 will be limited to 75 hours per month. That adds up to at least $833 an hour.

► At SeattlePI.com -- 747-8 Freighter achieves initial airworthiness -- Boeing has completed initial airworthiness testing on the 747-8 Freighter, clearing the way for engineers to accompany pilots on flights and for the remaining two flight-test 747-8 Freighters to start flying.

► In the Daily World -- Imperium plant back in business -- Imperium Renewables announced today that it has completed repairs and restarted production at its Grays Harbor Biodiesel plant, which had paused production after a glycerin tank exploded in December.

► In the Daily World -- Record year for Port of Grays Harbor -- Port officials reported total revenue of $11.3 million in 2009, up from $9 million in 2008, as expenses grew very little. The previous revenue record of $10.6 million set in 1979.

► In today's Olympian -- Intercity Transit tax hike proposed -- The agency will consider asking voters on the Aug. 17 primary ballot for a sales tax increase of two-tenths or three-tenths of a cent on every dollar -- a proposal that has met with mixed reviews from local jurisdictions.

► From Bloomberg -- Unions map "Make Wall Street Pay" blitz on Goldman, banks -- The AFL-CIO says it plans 200 events covering all 50 states, starting March 15. At the “Make Wall Street Pay” rallies, which the AFL-CIO plans to announce today, union members will push for a transaction tax on securities trading to help pay for the $900 billion they want the government to spend on creating new jobs. That’s 60 times the $15 billion approved by the Senate last month. The House of Representatives last week passed an $18 billion measure.

► In today's Washington Post -- Senate OKs $140 billion in tax breaks, aid to unemployed -- Six Republicans joined 56 Democrats to pass the measure. The package faces an uncertain future in the House, where Democrats have taken a different approach to the "jobs agenda."

► In the USA Today -- Don't scapegoat the teachers (guest column by AFT President Randi Weingarten) -- Applauding the mass firings at Central Falls High School -- despite the real progress underway -- is the latest clarion call by the blame-the-teacher crowd. Rather than sharing responsibility, administrators there chose to scapegoat the teachers who have helped bring about double-digit gains in student achievement at the struggling school. The "fire them all" approach doesn't reflect the complexity of teaching in challenging schools. In their quest for a silver bullet, administrators instead are chasing what experience shows is a failed approach.

► In today's NY Times -- U.S. nears a crossroads on trade -- After a year in which global exports declined 12% in the biggest contraction since WW II, trade policy is heating up again. Obama has set a goal of doubling exports in five years and he plans to deliver a speech on Thursday outlining steps to achieve that. "Free-trade" advocates want less talk, more action.

► From Reuters -- FedEx says it has political clout to stop labor change -- FedEx's CEO threatens to stop investing in its core express business if the U.S. government makes it easier for its employees to organize into local bargaining units. A provision included in sweeping aviation legislation before Congress could enable employees in FedEx's Express unit to unionize locally instead of holding a nationwide vote. UPS, whose drivers are represented by the Teamsters union, says the NLRA should govern FedEx Express just as it does UPS. But FedEx's CEO (who got paid $18 million-plus in the past two years) says he is confident he had enough political support among both Republicans and Democrats to defeat the measure.

► At SeattleTimes.com -- Ranks of the working poor rise in the Great Recession (by Jon Talton) -- A total of 39.8 million people -- 13.2% of the population -- lived at or below the poverty line in 2008. An estimated 8.9 million were working but their incomes still fell below the poverty line, 1.4 million more than in 2007. (This doesn't count the millions who hold down two or more part-time jobs just to stay above the line.)

► In today's Philadelphia Inquirer -- Report finds 40% in private sector have no sick leave -- When call-center operator Cindy Morun, 30, came down with the H1N1 virus, she called her supervisor and stayed home. After three days off, she returned to work, bringing a doctor's note. "I was still written up and penalized," she said. Now, her company is laying off, and she worries that her case of the swine flu will end up costing her a job. "I didn't have any interest in cheating the system. I didn't get paid," she said.

► In today's Spokesman-Review -- Oil companies target refineries -- Some of the nation’s biggest oil companies are looking at permanently reducing how much gasoline and diesel fuel they make, a move that analysts say would almost certainly trigger higher prices for drivers.