The state labor council has the second in its series “Outside the Echo Chamber” posted here. It’s part of labor’s new and vigorous effort to combat the endless wankery in this state about how we supposedly suck so bad in terms of business climate (thus the sardonic “trademark” bit.)
This second article deals with Washington’s worker’s compensation system and argues it actually is pretty low cost for employers while still providing good benefits for injured workers, by some estimates having the 5th lowest costs in the entire country.
But, surprise, the bidness guys and gals only want to focus on benefits, as if providing decent compensation automatically means costs are too high. But hey, since we didn’t farm things out to (generally conservative) contractors to rip us off, we can keep costs down! Go figure.
(As an aside, you know how it is. Conservatives always want to define worthy and unworthy recipients of help, even if the recipients play a significant part in paying for it.)
The first article in the series dealt with Washington’s overall rankings as a good state in which to do business, if you look at a wider range of rankings than those provided by Boeing-hired consultants.
I believe Washington’s injured worker compensation system could significantly lower its costs to employers by eliminating the millions of dollars that BIAW skims off the top every year to pay for smear ads.
[Deleted — see HA Comment Policy]
Washington is a great place to do business. At least according the uber-conservative, Steve Forbes and his financial magazine Forbes, Inc.
He consistently ranks Washington state in the top 5 of business friendly states for several years running.
If the conservatives disagree then either Steve Forbes is a liar, or doesn’t know a damn thing about where to conduct business in this country.
Which is it?
@3 Neither. Conservatives are liars.
Rog: Want to know why the BIAW is targeting Madsen’s seat on the Supreme Court next year? Because they (THE JUDGES) are corrupt assholes. The BIAW is going to select a figurehead, and spend $4.5 million on his campaign to get Madsen’s seat.
Keep up the fight against the BIAW Rog – they’re SATAN’S spawn!!!
@5 My mistake. I thought they were Tom McCabe’s spawn.