We want an economy that works for the 99%, not corporations and the top 1%. Yet our system continues to benefit the big banks, at the expense of the rest of us. So we’re joining together with Working Washington (props to them for the awesome photo) to put some pressure on the big banks to pay their fair share.
New report details big bank bonuses
The nation’s top six banks — Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs — paid out $144 billion in bonuses and compensation for 2011, second only to the record $147 billion they paid out in 2007 at the height of the economic boom.
We Have a Chance to Make Everyone Pay Their Fair Share
State Rep. Laurie Jinkins has introduced a bill that would make Wall Street speculators and the super-wealthy pay their fair share in Washington. The capital gains tax would only apply to the wealthiest 3 percent of Washingtonians and would raise $500 million or more each year for education, health care, and essential public services.
Support Dental Access in Washington!
Routine dental care is basic health care. But many adults and children in Washington can’t get the care they need. House Bill 2226 and Senate Bill 6126 can change that, by expanding access to routine and preventative dental care for adults and children in Washington.
Latest News
WA. is a step closer to marriage equality
As of yesterday, Washington now has enough votes in the legislature to legalize same-sex marriage. Democratic Senator Mary Margaret Haugen came out in support of the bill yesterday, and provided the 25th vote needed to ensure that the bill passes out of the Senate. The House has enough support for the bill and Governor Gregoire has also endorsed the bill.
As reported in the Everett Herald, the identical bills will:
- Allow couples of the same sex to marry if both persons are at least 18 years old
- Convert state-registered domestic partnerships of same-sex couples into marriage on June 30, 2014, unless the couple marry or dissolve their partnership before then
- Make existing law gender-neutral so couples getting married would say they “take each other to be spouses” rather than they “take each other to be husband and wife”
- No licensed or ordained religious official is required to conduct marriages of same-sex couples
- No religious organization is required to provide accommodations, facilities, services, or goods for a wedding ceremony or celebration
Click here for links to the full bills: Senate Bill 6239 , House bill 2516.
This is a huge step forward for Washington and brings us one step closer towards equality for all.
Posted in Economic justice, Social justice
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Interesting Facts & Statistics about Immigrants in WA.
The Immigration Policy Center recently came out with state fact sheets and infographics about the political and economic power of Latino and Asian immigrant populations throughout the country. Click here to take a look at the full fact sheet for Washington.
Below are some of the facts we found most interesting and informative:
- The foreign-born share of Washington’s population rose from 6.6% in 1990, to 10.4% in 2000, to 13.1% in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Washington was home to 886,262 immigrants in 2010, which is more than the total population of San Francisco, California.
- Nearly 1 in 5 Washingtonians are Latino or Asian—and they vote.
- The 2010 purchasing power of Asians in Washington totaled $18 billion—an increase of 506.8% since 1990. Latino buying power totaled $14.6 billion—an increase of 621.3% since 1990
- Immigrants comprised 15.9% of the state’s workforce in 2010 (or 556,133 workers)
- Immigrants contributed $1.5 billion in tax revenue to the Washington state economy in 2007, accounting for 13.2% of all taxes paid in the state, according to a 2009 study by OneAmerica.
- If all undocumented immigrants were removed from Washington, the state would lose $14.5 billion in economic activity, $6.4 billion in gross state product, and approximately 71,197 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time.
- Undocumented immigrants in Washington paid $327.7 million in state and local taxes in 2010.
- Washington’s 16,449 foreign students contributed $412.1 million to the state’s economy in tuition, fees, and living expenses for the 2009-2010 academic year.
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2012 Legislative Priorities
The 2012 Legislative Session began on January 9th. Since we want our members involved and excited about the work we’re doing, we wanted to share our 2012 Legislative priorities with you. See below for a list of things we’ll be working towards this upcoming session. To read our Legislative Agenda in full, please click here.
Background:
Our state has already seen $10 billion in cuts to education, health care and social service programs in just the past three years. The proposed cuts this session would be devastating to working families, communities of color, and the most vulnerable in our state and would result in tens of thousands of jobs lost.
In Washington State corporations and the wealthy receive billions in tax exemptions and subsidies. It’s time for lawmakers to level the playing field and balance the costs and benefits of tax expenditures against other public priorities. By continuing to cut the programs that Washington residents rely on, we’re only hurting our state’s long-term recovery. We need to protect education, health care and social service programs so that our communities can thrive in these tough economic times.
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MLK Day Events CANCELED
To all those who were planning on joining us at tomorrow’s MLK Day events, we regretfully had to cancel the event due to the inclement weather. Everyone have a safe and happy MLK Day and we’ll keep you posted about upcoming ways to get engaged and meet with your legislators!
Posted in Economic justice, Events, Social justice, Take Action
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A potential step towards a more just immigration system
Today the Obama administration proposed a rule change that would allow spouses and children of U.S. citizens to stay together in the United States while family members work to gain permanent U.S. residency. Washington CAN! supports the Obama administration’s proposal to keep families united.
Currently, when the spouse or child of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents file for a visa petition, upon approval of the petition the spouse or child has to travel to a U.S. consulate in their home country to be interviewed. Departure itself triggers a 3-or-10 year bar to re-entry to the U.S. for many applicants and creates a situation in which families are torn apart.
The change proposed would allow spouses and children of U.S. citizens to file their waivers in the United States. It’s believed that the change will have an impact hundreds of thousands of individuals.
If approved, this change is a step towards a more fair and just immigration system that values the importance of keeping families together.
Washington CAN! is a member for the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM). For more details, visit the FIRM website.
Posted in Immigration, Social justice
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