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When people see a headline about Puget Sound Energy seeking another major rate increase, the natural reaction is to blame the company whose name appears on the bill. That reaction is understandable, but it is incomplete. This is not simply a PSE-at-fault issue. It is, to a meaningful extent, the result of policy decisions made by the Washington State Legislature over the last several years. Two laws matter here: the Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) and the Climate Com

Illustrative Example Washington State’s SB 5993 would cap interest on medical debt at 1% simple interest per year , including post-judgment interest, and prohibit interest during certain charity care review periods. On its face, the policy is straightforward: reduce the rate at which unpaid medical bills grow. For voters, the consumer benefit is easy to grasp. The institutional implications are more complex. This analysis outlines both. What the Bill Changes SB 5993 would: C

Recently, I sold a rental property I owned inside the Urban Growth Area. It was a 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath single-family home renting for $3,000 per month. In today’s market, that was a reasonable rate for the area. The parcel was zoned R-7600 — approximately six homes per acre. Because the lot was just over half an acre and contained only one home, it was technically “underdeveloped” relative to the zoning capacity. A developer purchased my property — along with adjacent parcels

As ballots are counted Tuesday night across Washington State, one thing should be kept firmly in mind:  social media is not the electorate . In the weeks leading up to this election, online spaces have been saturated with opposition to school levies and bonds. The tone is often categorical and anti-tax, giving the impression of overwhelming resistance. But visibility is not the same as participation. This election is less about sentiment expressed online and more about  noise

Washington is one of a handful of states with Public Hospital Districts (PHDs) —locally governed public entities created by voters to ensure access to hospital care. At a high level: What Is a Public Hospital District? A Public Hospital District is a municipal corporation , similar to a fire district or school district. It exists because voters approved it. Key characteristics: Owned by the public Governed by elected commissioners Accountable at the ballot box Authorized und

Ballot measures don't behave like candidate races—and treating them the same way is a common mistake. There's no biography to define, no debate performance to spin, and often no clear partisan cue for voters to fall back on. Instead, ballot campaigns live or die on clarity, trust, and timing. Voters are deciding whether to change the rules of their community, raise their own taxes, or authorize new authority—often with limited attention and even less patience. In this environ

Across Washington, voters are being asked—again—to approve school bonds and levies. For many households, especially those without children in the system, the question is straightforward: Why are taxes going up when enrollment is down and the state supposedly “fully funds” education? This post is not advocacy. It is a  fact-based explanation  of what voters are actually being asked to approve—and why frustration around these measures is so common. Bonds vs. Levies: The Basics

Campaigns are still too often run on instinct. A few conversations at the grocery store. A packed town hall. A volunteer who “knows the district.” A consultant who swears a tactic worked in a different race, in a different year, under different conditions. It feels like strategy. But more often, it’s familiarity masquerading as certainty. The truth is more direct: “Feels” is not a methodology. It’s a shortcut—and it’s frequently biased by personal experience, prior campaigns

For years, small businesses assumed TV advertising was out of reach—too expensive, too broad, and too risky. But that world no longer exists. Today, thanks to data-driven digital TV and streaming platforms, local businesses can run highly targeted TV ads that reach the right people at the right time, without wasting a single dollar on audiences that don’t matter to their business. At Rock Chalk Strategies , this is exactly what we do. TV Advertising Has Changed — And It Favo

When a large-scale development project stalls, the impact ripples far beyond the construction site. The recent news of The City of Cle...