A bill introduced in the state Legislature would introduce an income tax on high earners and lower the sales tax by a penny a dollar. It's highly unlikely anything will happen with this bill this session, but a recent poll found people in Washington state liked the idea.

According to the SurveyUSA poll done for KING5:

A group of state senators, led by Republican Joe Zarelli of Ridgefield, on Wednesday filed a bill that would prohibit lawmakers from receiving a per diem during an anticipated special session.

The per diem is $90 per day.

(Hat tip Washington Policy Center)

Stymied by disagreements about how to raise taxes to deal with a $2.8 billion deficit, state lawmakers will almost require a special session to finish their work.

The regular, 60-day session is scheduled to end Thursday. But the Senate and the House disagree on a revenue package to help blunt the effect of cuts needed to balance a budget thrown out of whack by the recession.

Viet Shelton, spokesman for Gov. Chris Gregoire, said the governor was preparing for a possible special session. However the logistics of an extra stanza - like when it would occur and for how long - depend on how much lawmakers accomplish by Thursday night.

"We're not done yet, we've still got until tomorrow," Shelton said. "We are ready should things not get done."

The House spending plan is smaller than the $890 million one approved by the Senate. The Senate plan contains a general sales tax increase - something House leaders and Gregoire oppose.

House members want to close $380 million in tax loopholes. They also want to charge sales tax on things like candy, gum and bottled water - something they say would bring in more than $140 million through the close of biennium.

And they want to raise more than $110 million by tacking another buck-a-pack tax on smokes.

The Senate plan is anchored around a three-tenths-of-a-cent sales tax increase.

Both the House and Senate are controlled by Democrats.

From a new Gallup Poll:

Would you advise your representative in Congress to vote for or against a healthcare reform bill similar to the one proposed by President Obama?
45% Vote for, 48% Vote against

The survey of 1,014 adults was taken March 4-7. The margin of error was 4 percent.

He has already decamped from New York to Florida, but radio's most right-thinking host - Rush Limbaugh - is threatening to move to Costa Rica if health care reform is passed by Congress and goes into effect.

Limbaugh told listeners almost a year ago that he wants President Obama to fail. But now, as the health care debate heads for a climax in Congress, he seems more than ever to fear Obama's biggest potential success.

Asked by a caller on Tuesday what he would do if health care passes, Limbaugh gave this response:

"I don't know. I'll just tell you this, if this passes and it's five years from now and all that stuff gets implemented, I am leaving the country. I'll go to Costa Rica."

The pasture on the other side of the fence always appears greener, but there's a question of whether Limbaugh would be happy in Costa Rica.

Limbaugh has claimed that global warming is a hoax and plays the theme from "Born Free" before he lampoons endangered species protection.

Costa Rica has pace-setting conservation policies, set aside large national parks and become a global magnet for eco-tourism. "Sustainability" surveys regularly rank it among the world's top 10 countries in preserving its environment.

Costa Rica has no army, and has avoided the military coups that have seized power in other Central American and South American countries. It has elected social democrats as president.

Responding to statements from Idaho's governor that he'd try to poach Washington businesses if the state raises taxes, Gov. Chris Gregoire said the spud state has nothing on Washington when it comes to competitiveness. Jim Brunner at The Seattle Times has more.

Author, Clinton-era White House aide and civic activist Eric Liu has taken his hat out of the ring, writing friends Tuesday that he will not challenge fellow Democrat state Sen. Adam Kline in this fall's election.

The Kline-Liu contest, in Seattle's heavily Democratic 37th District, was shaping up as a marquee battle in the 2010 legislative election. But the challenger decided his obligations as a papa trumped his desire to be a legislator.

"Our campaign has been going very well these first two months: great energy, robust fund raising, broad and deep endorsements and community support," Liu said in a letter to friends.

"But there's one way it has been a failure. I have been unable to be both the candidate I want to be and the father I want to be. At every turn so far, I have been choosing to sacrifice time with my daughter and my family so I can squeeze in one more campaign activity."

"A profound imbalance has resulted, even this early in the campaign, and it does not feel right . . . I've been on the trail speaking about taking care of the next generation, but I'm not sure I've been doing that to the best of my ability in my own house."

Adam Kline has also shown a deep reservoir of support. The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman has taken on causes, such as controls on sales of assault rifles, that are popular with his urban constituents but cause colleagues nightmares about the gun lobby.

Liu will still have plenty to do. He teaches at the University of Washington, has penned books on his family ("The Accidental Asian") and liberal patriotism, been active with CityYear and chaired the Seattle Library Board.

Hutchison during last year's King Co. exec's race.

Susan Hutchison, who was defeated by Dow Constantine in November in the King County executive's race, is emerging as a possible challenger to Democratic Sen. Patty Murray.

The GOP establishment has been underwhelmed by the Republicans who have already announced challenges to the state's senior senator. Some are hoping that two-time gubernatorial candidate and former state Sen. Dino Rossi will step up.

If he doesn't, Hutchison, a former local TV newscaster, sounds like she's game. Check out her interview with Ballot Box, a blog of the D.C. Publication The Hill.

If Hutchison does run as a Republican she'll be sure to face criticism over her statements in the exec's race in which she repeatedly said she was an independent without a fixed ideology.

A fiery critic of President Obama on health care, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told an audience in Calgary on Saturday that her family crossed the border to get medical treatment in Canada while she was growing up.

"My first five years of life we spent in Skagway, Alaska, right there by Whitehorse: Believe it or not, this was in the 60's, we used to hustle over the border for health care that we would receive in Whitehorse," Palin told the crowd.

The Calgary Herald, reporting on her speech, noted that Whitehorse in the Yukon is about 112 miles north of Skagway, an old gold rush town that now finds tourists its source of gold.

"I remember my brother, he burned his ankle in some little kid accident thing and my parents had to put him on a train and rush him over to Whitehorse and I think, isn't that
kind of ironic now," Palin added.

"Zooming over the border, getting health care from Canada."

Canada established a government-run national medicare system under its 1966 Medical Care Act. Universal coverage for acute hospital care, for injuries such as burns, came to the Yukon in 1960.

Palin is Idaho born, but her family moved to Alaska in 1964 when the future Alaska governor was an infant.

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After a contentious two months dealing with Mayor McGinn, Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin voiced praise Monday for King County Executive Dow Constantine and his agenda for collaboration.

Constantine presented a fairly detailed agenda to the Metropolitan King County Council, in contrast to McGinn's seemingly impromptu and non-specific State of the City speech last month.

"On behalf of the Seattle City Council, I congratulate Executive Constantine on his vision for the county and our region," Conlin said in a statement. "In these rocky economic times, we as leaders are all committed to ensuring our businesses and residents are getting the help they need to get the region moving forward."

The City Council has nixed McGinn's call for a May vote on a $241 million bond issue to replace the city's sea wall. Five of its members appeared at a build-it-now media event on the S.R. 520 bridge, called in response to McGinn's advocacy that the bridge's new lanes be reserved for transit.

The Council showered compliments on outgoing city finance director Dwight Dively, who crossed the street to take a similar post with Constantine after the McGinn administration moved him to a lesser assignment.

Conlin, by contrast, gave high marks themes of Constantine's speech.

"We agree wholeheartedly that local partnerships, along with regional, state and federal cooperation, particularly in the areas of transportation, human services and public safety, will be the critical path to successful and long term viability for our area."

"We look forward to working with the Executive as we strive to achieve what is best for the people and communities we represent."

One of the most closely watched aspects of King County Executive Dow Constantine's new plan for county government will be his proposed changes regarding labor negotiations.

Labor costs are a huge part of any government and King County faces at least a $95 million operating budget deficit through 2012.

Constantine said in a speech Monday that he wants to establish a cabinet-level labor relations director who would report to him and Deputy Executive Fred Jarrett. As it stands now labor negotiations are conducted within the Human Resources Division of the Department of Executive Services.

Constantine, the former County Council chairman, also promised to work with the council to make sure the executive and legislative branch worked around common goals.

Early reaction from labor was positive.

"On the face of it sounds good. It elevates the process of labor relations to an executive level," said David Freiboth, head of the King County Labor Council. "I see it as an opportunity, if used properly. If not used properly, it could be a problem."

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President Obama has nomined Philip Moeller, formerly a top Washington State Senate staff aide and energy adviser to Republican Sen. Slade Gorton, to continue on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Moeller served as Gorton's energy policy adviser from 1997 to 2000, when Gorton was
unseated by Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. He has served as a commissioner of the energy regulatory body since 2006.

FERC, as it is popularly known, is a player in major issues bearing on the supply of electricity to the American West.

The panel took a turn toward deregulation early in the Bush administration, and was slow to investigate manipulation of West Coast energy markets by the Enron Corp. Its chairman had been recommended to the president by Enron Chairman Ken Lay.

Ultimately, Cantwell and Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash., prodded FERC into action and forced disclosure of documents with such titles as "Death Star" in which Enron's energy traders manipulated the market and joked about impacts on consumers.

The Snohomish County Public Utility District fought a prolonged legal battle over a contract it signed with the soon-to-implode Houston-based energy firm.

Before working for Gorton, Moeller was staff coordinator with the Washington State Senate's Energy and Utilities Committee in Olympia. He is a native of Chicago, but grew up on a ranch outside of Spokane. He is a graduate of Stanford University.

Forget Smarties, VIPs to Canada can dine on seal

If you plan on lunching in Canada's capital with actress Brigette Bardot or Capt. Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Society, do not take either of these high-profile animal rights advocates to the restaurant that serves Canada's House of Commons.

The restaurant for political VIPs and journalists has put seal meat entrees and appetizers on its lunch menu.

A seal meat lunch will be a way of showing support for the controversial seal hunt in waters of Eastern Canada, Canadian Sen. Celine Hervieux-Payette told the Globe and Mail newspaper.

Canada's Governor-General Michaelle Jean may have provided an inspiration for the menu additions. She was seen gnawing on a piece of raw seal heart last year during a tript to the Great White North's north.

The dining room in Ottawa is known for serving all manner of meat, fish and fowl, even on occasion bison.

The seal meat entrees and appetizers come at a time when Canada is fighting a European Union ban on seal products. Films of baby seals being clubbed to death, first shown 40 years ago on the Dick Cavett Show, have ignited one of the world's longest running animal rights controversies.

From Jim Brunner at The Seattle Times:

OLYMPIA -- The state Senate has blocked a proposal that could have severely weakened the authority of the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission.

State lawmakers have passed a passed a bill banning the use of a chemical in baby bottles and "sippy cups" that is designed to harden plastic.

The Senate on Monday signed off on changes made to SB 6248 by the House. It now goes to Gov. Chris Gregoire. If she signs it, beginning July 1 of 2011, the measure would ban the the manufacturing, sale and distribution of plastic containers made with Bisphenol A (BPA) in containers used to hold food or beverages for children under 3 years of age.

Minnesota and Connecticut have similar laws.