從 2004 年的一月一號開始, 華盛頓州的每小時最低工資調整為 $7.16 元. 這將是全美每小時最低工資最高的州. 全美的每小時平均最低工資自從 1997 年起便沒有變化, 約每小時 $5.15. 這要感謝華盛頓州的選民在 1997 年投票同意. 每小時最低工資應該要隨著物價指數而每年彈性的調整. 2003 年的每小時最低工資為 $7.01 元
上網買香煙嗎? 準備交稅吧!
華盛頓州政府準備開始對那些上網購買香煙逃避交稅的華盛頓州居民征稅. U.S. District Court in Seattle 已經准許華盛頓州 Department of Revenue 對一些網上賣香煙的網站要求提供從 2001 年 1 月 1 號起, 在網上購買香煙的華盛頓居民的列表. 香煙稅提報單 Internet Tobacco Seller Agrees to Turn Over Lists of Washington Customers to Department of Revenue SEATTLE, Wash., Dec. 11, 2003 — A Kentucky company that sells cut-rate cigarettes over the Internet has agreed to provide the Washington State Department of Revenue with lists of its customers so the state can collect unpaid taxes. www.Dirtcheapcig.com, Inc. entered into a stipulated judgment in U.S. District Court in Seattle agreeing to provide the state with the names and addresses of all Washington customers that have purchased cigarettes and other tobacco products since Jan. 1, 2001, and to file monthly reports in the future. Attorney General Christine Gregoire sued the company in October 2002 on behalf of the Department of Revenue. The Department had been unable to get the company to comply with the federal Jenkins Act, which requires remote sellers to provide the customer lists. Congress passed the Jenkins Act in 1955 to reduce the loss of revenue to states caused by failure to pay sales and use taxes on cigarettes shipped across state lines directly to customers. www.dirtcheapcig.com initially contended that it wasn’t required to file the reports, but relented after Judge Robert Lasnik ruled that the Department of Revenue had jurisdiction to enforce the Jenkins Act. Cigarette tax evasion has grown as the tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products has risen, first through legislative action in the mid-1990s and more recently through citizen initiative. Most of the revenues provide affordable health care to families. “Enforcement of our state’s cigarette excise tax is critical to the public health,” said Gregoire. “The court recognized that Internet cigarette sales are not exempt from taxation, and this settlement will help ensure that those taxes are properly paid.” Acting Revenue Director Will Rice said the state will begin sending bills to purchasers for unpaid taxes. Those who fail to comply will be subject to fines and collection action. “Nobody likes paying taxes, but it’s simply not fair to let online retailers undercut state tax systems this way,” said Rice. “Moreover, they mislead their customers into thinking that it is legal to buy cigarettes without paying Washington taxes.” Rice said now that the state has successfully pursued its case against www.dirtcheapcig.com, it may pursue dozens of other Internet sellers who also refuse to provide lists. Some of these vendors, concerned perhaps by the lawsuits brought by Washington and other states, have begun voluntarily providing the lists. For more information contact: Mike Gowrylow (360) 486-2113
Boeing 7E7 將在 Everett 組合
我想這對西雅圖來說是個好消息. 至少 Boeing 的商用客機將繼續在西雅圖存在著. 來西雅圖千萬不要忘了參觀重要的 Boeing Everett Plant Tour Center. • The factory is located in Everett, Washington, 30 miles north of Seattle. • The main factory area is the largest building, by volume, in the world. It encloses 472 million cubic feet of space, while the building covers 98.3 acres. • The Everett Site Wire Shop is the world’s largest wire fabrication plant and covers 330,000 square feet. • Twin administrative office buildings house approximately 7,000 employees and have 1.2 million square feet of floor space, more than Seattle’s tallest building, the 76-story Columbia Center. • The hangar doors at the front of each major assembly bay each are 87 feet high and 300 feet wide, nearly the dimensions of a football field. • The main cafeterias, and their 19 satellite food plazas, serve 17,000 meals per day. • There are 31,361 computing devices and 16,800 computer work stations. They are connected by approximately 12,000 miles of cable pairs. • There are four telephone prefixes dedicated to use by Boeing in the Everett area. They serve 19,000 individual telephones. • Boeing has ranked in the top 5 of the nation’s largest exporters during the past four years. The Everett plant was among the largest single export sites in the U.S. • The Boeing Everett plant is among Washington State’s most popular tourist attractions and provides free guided tours to an average of nearly 100,000 visitors annually. • Some of the factory’s most notable visitors include U.S. President Bill Clinton, U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Chinese President Jiang Zemin; President Zoeharto of Indonesia, Prime Minister Paul Keating of Australia, Prince Phillipe of Spain, King Hussein of Jordan, His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, and others. • Construction on the site began in June 1966, and the buildings were activated less than a year later in May 1967. The first airplane rolled out Sept. 30, 1968, flew Feb. 9, 1969, and entered service June 21, 1970. • During the grading and leveling the site, more than 8.5 million cubic yards of earth was moved – more than 4 times the amount moved in constructing Grand Coulee Dam. • The flight-line fueling system can fuel three aircraft simultaneously at a rate of approximately 1,800 gallons per minute. • The 18 overhead cranes make an average of 250 lifts per day from a height nearly nine stories (90 feet) above the floor. For 777 final assembly, eight 40-ton cranes were added. • Computer-controlled automated riveting machines put 50,000 to 52,000 rivets into each 747/767 wing panel set, attaching chord-like stiffeners to strengthen inside surfaces. There are approximately 18,000 fasteners per wing panel (four panels per wing) for a total of 72,000 fasteners per airplane. Each of the 10 machines can drill, ream, countersink, insert, squeeze, and shave smooth one rivet every 10 seconds. The machine selects and places the correct rivet from among 30 different types. • On the 777 assembly line, six CD-ROM-controlled automated riveting machines can insert 7 fasteners per minute. In addition to rivets, these machines also install bolts. The 777 four-panel wing set requires 68,000 fasteners. 資料: Boeing