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For a limited time, chamber member SeaPort Air is offering $69 one way fares from Pangborn to Portland with a 21 day advance purchase.  Go to www.seaportair.com for all the details.

If so, Chelan County PUD would like to here it.  The Chelan County PUD is developing a strategic plan for their fiber network.  Below is a link to leave comments about the network.  Please hurry, they will be closing this portion of the process shortly.

fiberthoughts@chelanpud.org.

When I was in law school, a frequent comment heard during finals week was “done is better than good”.  Translation – the Constitutional Lsw final may not have gone that well, but at least it is behind me.  The same can be said for Proposition 1, the 1/10 of 1% regional sales tax increase which is on the  ballots arriving in your mail box this week.

Is a regional sales tax increase plus a sales tax increase (already enacted)  in the City of Wenatchee a good outcome?  Probably not.  Is it the best available solution to a huge financial crisis that could devastate the City of Wenatchee and negatively impact the entire region?  Absolutely.

The Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce Board has unanimously endorsed this local solution.  The Chamber testified for it in Olympia.  We supported the City of Wenatchee increasing their sales tax,   We supported the other PFD jurisdictions placing it on the ballot.  Now we are at the last step – a vote of the public.  The Chamber endorses a “Yes” vote on Proposition 1.

The individual cost of the tax increase is minimal, 10 cents on a taxable $100 purchase, but the costs of a full on default would be large, hard to calculate, and result in years of uncertainty for the region.  It is time to solve this issue regionally, on our own, before it spins out of our control so we can move forward as a region.

Done is better than good.

By Don C. Brunell

President

Association of Washington Business

There is finally a bit of good news from Olympia. The state’s Revenue Forecast Council reports that tax revenues for this biennium will be $96 million higher than projected last November, and state tax collections for 2013-15 are projected to grow by 6.6 percent.

But we shouldn’t get too excited. Even with this additional revenue and the cuts the Legislature made in December’s special session, lawmakers still need to make up about a $1 billion deficit to balance the budget.

Even if they manage to close the gap this time, the basic problem remains: The state budget is unsustainable. Without systemic Read More »

Exploring Exporting – The World is Waiting Seminar,  a cooperative effort by WSDA, Export Finance Assistance Center of Washington and the Western U.S. Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA), will be presented March 21st in Seattle. 

Matt Tripodi, Government and Trade Relations Manager of Euromonitor International will keynote the event, discussing why agricultural exports will be a bright spot for 2012 and highlighting global trends for food and agricultural products. Companies will also learn more about introductory and financial services available to help them explore, enter and expand their business internationally.

Pre-registration for this free event is required and must be submitted by March 16, 2012. If you have questions or would like to participate, please contact Cameron Crump at ccrump@agr.wa.gov or 360-902-1940.