John Barnes

In Spite of Talk about 'Cuts,' State Budget Continues to Grow

By John Barnes | 12/23/08

But it won't grow fast enough to please the armies of lobbyists and special interest groups who want the state to spend even more.   It's the story behind the story.  With everyone from legislators to state employee unions using words like "ugly," "dreadful," and "drastic" to describe Governor Gregoire's proposed budget, you'd think the state is preparing to spend less money for the next biennium.  But it's not.  As Jason... read more »

And Today's Winner of the "Who Gives a @#$%?" Headline Is...

By John Barnes | 12/18/08

Jonathan Hiskes at Crosscut for his riveting story about...the economic crisis?  No.  Genocide in Darfur?  Don't think so.  The $5+ billion state spending deficit?  Sorry.  The $10 trillion national debt?  Try again.  The winter storms gripping most of the country?  Nope. No, Hiskes uses his journalistic prowess to make sure we're "getting the music right for Obama's inaugural."  Generously,... read more »

Reviewing Movies on the Taxpayer Dime

By John Barnes | 12/17/08

Do you ever wonder what state Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown thinks about movies?  Neither do I.  But she thinks someone is interested, so she posted her thoughts on "Frost/Nixon" on the Senate Democrats' blog.  Her closing remarks: Frost/Nixon is a compelling movie. The psychological match-up between the two protagonists was riveting. If you are old enough to remember the 70's, it will take you... read more »

The Times, They Are a Changin'

By John Barnes | 12/17/08

When the stock market crashed in 1929, we're told many stockbrokers and bankers were so distraught at financial ruin that they jumped from their windows atop skyscrapers.  I'd guess the folks walking by below were rather shocked.   It's different this time.         read more »

Some Good News from Olympia, for a Change

By John Barnes | 12/04/08

The news coming out of Olympia has a somber tone these days as state lawmakers begin to grapple with the consequences of overspending in recent years.  But amidst that, there is some good news too. Yesterday I attended a press conference at the state capitol for the unveiling of a new website that gives the public an unprecedented level of access to information on how the state spends money.  Fiscal.wa.gov is the result... read more »

Have You Driven a Leviathan Lately?

By John Barnes | 11/25/08

It's inevitable that Uncle Sam tosses truckloads of your money at U.S. automakers.  The government is buying a stake in every other industry, so they might as well get into autos as well.  Will fed money fund the United Auto Workers' jobs bank program?  Let's hope not. Thousands of laid-off auto workers get paid $31 an hour to sit around and do nothing all year under a controversial program that could continue even... read more »

The GOP Leviathan

By John Barnes | 11/16/08

Excellent column from George Will today.  One takeaway:  it's no surprise voters don't take the GOP seriously when it talks about "limited government" because the party itself doesn't seem to take the idea seriously. Conservatism's current intellectual chaos reverberated in the Republican ticket's end-of-campaign crescendo of surreal warnings that big government -- verily, "socialism" -- would impend were Democrats elected. John... read more »

Perspective

By John Barnes | 11/06/08

For die-hard politicos, and especially for those of us who work in politics and public policy, it's all too tempting to fall into the trap of thinking that politics is the be-all end-all of society.  Note the headlines telling of strategists already looking ahead to the 2010 and 2012 elections.  Like the Christmas products that appear in stores earlier and earlier each year, it seems the campaigns start sooner each... read more »

Something to Lighten the Mood

By John Barnes | 11/05/08

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives AreHat tip to Orbusmax. read more »

The Dark Side of Government-run Health Care

By John Barnes | 10/31/08

Typically the premise behind government-run health care is compassion for those who would otherwise not have access to health care.  The problem is that whenever the governmnet is involved in something, it becomes politicized.  So when the government is in charge of health care, politicians and bureaucrats decide who gets treatment, what kind, and how much.  Because governmnet spending is finite, policies are put in place to... read more »