WCIT Has Issues
I’ve spent a lot of time so far on this blog talking big picture. I wanted to give you a sense of what I consider to be in the realm of policies that WCIT needs to tackle. I wanted to talk to you about how we were going to generally …
Read MoreInternational Trade…Don’t Just Take My Word For it!
Do y’all remember the PBS show Reading Rainbow? The host, LeVar Burton, would talk about his book recommendations, and then say “But you don’t have to take my word for it”…and the show would cut to videos of children making their own testimonials for those books. That’s exactly what I …
Read MoreThe Import-ance of Import-ing
Sorry for the post title, but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. You should hear my schtick about the Port of Portland (or the Taco of Tacoma…it gets worse from there). But, in addition to being incredibly funny, the post title makes a vital point about the ways we need …
Read MoreWashington Trade Policy News Round-up: Starbucks & Ste. Michelle
It’s time once again for a regular feature here on the State of Trade blog: the Washington Trade Policy News Round-Up. Or “here’s a bunch of stuff about trade that I noticed and wanted to point out.” It’s a totally unscientific look at stories in the news that I happened …
Read MoreWhat Should the Theme of the Washington Trade Conference Be?
One of the signature events of the Washington Council on International Trade was always the “Senators Conference.” So called because, well, it always featured both of Washington state’s U.S. Senators at a conference talking about international trade policy. For example – as a fun, historical momento – here’s Senator Murray’s …
Read MoreCrosscut Picks up the International Trade = International Business Theme
Three weeks on the job, two profiles in the news. First the Puget Sound Business Journal and now Crosscut.com. Not too shabby. But what I like about the Crosscut article is not just the opportunity to stare at my own headshot. Although, hey, nice smile. Instead, I think the article …
Read MoreIn Defense of International Junkets
This week, Publicola posted a news item on the travel expenses of Seattle City Councilmembers. Although there’s nothing editorial in the article, it has all the telltale signs of criticism of government travel: 1) the outrageous sounding headline (“City Spent Tens of Thousands on Council Incumbents’ Travel”), and 2) the …
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