Cascadia today: WA to see economic hit from tariffs + BC's second worst fire season + fall arts in Vancouver
WA could lose 30K jobs due to tariffs
KUOW has an article on a new report from Washington governor Bob Ferguson's office that finds if all Trump's proposed tariffs go into effect, the state could lose more than 30,000 jobs by 2029 and see grocery prices climb 16% in just two years. Nearly 40 percent of all jobs in Washington are related to international trade. Oregon's economy is also trade dependent, with the state importing $28 billion in goods and exporting $34 billion each year.
An autonomous Cascadia could develop a rational, regionally beneficial trade policy that's no longer dependent on the whims of who's in office in DC.
Oregon legislature still in special session
The Oregon legislature remains in special session Oregon Capital Chronicle reports, with Democrats hoping to pass governor Tina Kotek's $4.3 billion, 10-year transportation package. Things are on hold however, because one key vote – Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Gresham – is unable to attend while recovering from surgery. In related news, the Urbanist looks at what's next for Sound Transit, the Puget Sound light rail agency that recently announced it has a $20-30 billion shortfall. A divide on the board is growing between those who want to "complete the spine" – the central line connecting Tacoma, Seattle and Everett – while others want to focus where the most riders (and taxpayers) are: Seattle and its repeatedly-delayed lines to Ballard and West Seattle.
Sound Transit faces tough decisions, and the uneasy and long-fraying regional alliance that holds the enterprise together could be in danger of imploding as the agency navigates another major financial crisis. --Doug Trumm
BC fires force evacuations
CBC reports that more than 1,500 people in Anahim Lake have been evacuated because of a wildfire burning east of Bella Coola. More than 7.3 million hectares have burned in BC this season, making it the second-worst wildfire season on record. A peer-reviewed 2023 study in the journal Nature found that the increase in severe wildfires in the past two decades in BC is due lower moisture as a result of climate change. Too bad BC's ruling party is pushing LNG exports, including the first shipments from the port of Kitimat earlier this year. Thankfully BC has a viable climate focused party: BC Green.
Fall arts in Vancouver
Yes, it's true: summer is coming to a close. But the good news is that means a whole bunch of music, theater, and visual art will be ramping up. The Georgia Straight just published its preview of fall arts in the Vancouver area, with guides to visual art, theatre, as well as all the best music performances in September.
--Andrew Engelson
