Sure, I picked some easy ones, but I never claimed to be Nostradamus.
#1: Unemployment will rise in Washington State in 2009.
Pagliacci Pizza will begin paying its delivery drivers and food servers nearly 50 cents an hour more today as part of a mandatory adjustment for minimum-wage workers in Washington state. While that might not sound like much, it adds up when you consider that Pagliacci employs 600 people at 21 locations throughout the Seattle area.
Co-owner Matt Galvin estimates the minimum-wage increase will add at least $100,000 to Pagliacci’s 2009 payroll costs.
“Our business model is predicated on the fact that the minimum wage will continue to rise and be the highest in the nation,” Galvin said, explaining that he takes it into account when setting prices and evaluating other costs annually.
“I can complain about it, but it is what it is. As long as our business holds up, we’ll be OK,” he added.
An increase in Washington state’s minimum wage no doubt pleases thousands of workers who will see their pay go up to $8.55 an hour — the highest in the United States. That’s 48 cents an hour more than they had been making, representing their single biggest pay raise in nine years.
But will the increase ultimately hurt minimum-wage workers?
Yes. Minimum wage increases do that, even in times of an economic upswing (which is what was happening when the Legislature decided on these idiotic increases for unskilled labor). Minimum wage is supposed to be an incentive for workers to gain skills, not be a “livable wage”.
#2: Washington’s government will continue to be inept.
Heavy snow and avalanche danger shut down all three major passes over the Cascades on Thursday, with two expected to remain closed into this morning.
Snoqualmie Pass — where about 18 inches of snow fell Wednesday night and into Thursday evening — reopened about 8 p.m. Thursday. Stevens and White passes remained closed overnight.
An additional 18 inches of snow was expected to fall in the Snoqualmie Pass area through today, according to the National Weather Service.
The state Department of Transportation said Thursday night that it would reevaluate Stevens and White passes today, and decide when they could reopen.
We went through this exact sequence of events last year and those who run “the show” didn’t learn a damn thing from it. Thanks to a lazy and easily misguided electorate, the ding dongs have been re-elected.
Whole lotta change going on!
#3: Seattle’s government will be even more inept than the politicians in our state capital
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels announced this morning that the city will reverse its decade-old policy and use road salt to melt ice in future storms.
The mayor set certain conditions for using salt: on hills, arterials or snow bus routes, and on routes to hospitals and other emergency facilities when at least 4 inches of snow is predicted, if ice is predicted, or if extreme cold is expected to last more than three days.
Otherwise, you’re all pretty much fucked. Notice that they didn’t even keep the emergency paths cleared before. The main hospital in King County, Harborview Medical Center, sits two-thirds of the way up what is locally known as “First Hill” (aka: Pill Hill because that is where 75% of the medical facilities are located). Yes, they were walking the gurneys to the hospital for nearly two days before the city got enough sand on it to make it passable.
We got a light dusting of the powder last night. The rain isn’t getting rid of it as yet. If temps don’t rise, it’ll be an ice rink out there tonight. But it isn’t four inches, so no salt. Enjoy!
#4: The local media will question the Seattle Police Department when they have to shoot an obviously (to thinking people) dangerous suspect.
Seattle police shot and killed a University of Washington senior who was dressed in a World War II-era German uniform and who officers say was brandishing a long rifle with a bayonet early Thursday in his University District apartment.
The student, identified by friends as Miles Allen Murphy, was well-known on campus as a smart, eccentric history buff who loved to participate in WWII re-enactments and would even show up to class, at times, dressed in a historic uniform.
Friends said Murphy, 22, would entertain at parties by playing everything from old German folk songs to Britney Spears tunes on his accordion.
Murphy was killed about 2 a.m. Thursday when police responded to neighbors’ complaints that several men were shooting vintage, military-style rifles and shotguns into a dark alley near the 5200 block of 17th Avenue Northeast, police spokesman Jeff Kappel said.
When police were called, Kappel said, neighbors pointed out an apartment in a large white house. When police knocked on the door, one of the suspects opened the door brandishing a long rifle with a large bayonet attached.
Uniformed police officers warned the man several times to drop his weapon. He didn’t, Kappel said, and he pointed it at one of the officers. Two officers shot him several times. He died at a hospital Thursday morning, Kappel said.
Yeah, he “only” had a 50 inch long Mauser with a 12 inch long bayonet attached. They should have just Tazered him.
I could write these same predictions every year. The only variation would be that the person shot by SPD was dressed as a Nazi.
