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
一些華盛頓州有趣的數字
Statistics show how the state stacks up 第一名: 最低工資每小時 $7.16. 高科技年平均收入 $94,705. 最高的失業保險. 平均每人保費 $695. 第二名: 製造業平均工資每小時 $17.78. 第四名: 失業的人平均領約 18.7 週的失業金. 政府部門員工平均年薪 $43,096. 第九名: 汽油稅. 每加侖 $0.28 美分. 第十名: 89% 的人有高中學歷. 28.8% 的人有學士學歷. 第十二名: 平均每人每年繳交約 $3,729 的稅. 第十三名: 年平均收入 $33,332. 第十五名: 高科技的工作機會. 第二十五名: 46.9% 的道路需要整修. 第四十三名: 65.9% 的人擁有住宅. 這些數字是出自 The 2005 Competitiveness Redbook – National Edition
Washington Firefighters Calendar
網站 Washington State of Council of Firefighters (WSCFF) 贊助的 The WSCFF Burn Foundation. 這是的教育和幫助被火紋身的受害者或家庭. 您可以上網購買 WSCFF 每年出的消防員的”養眼”年度日曆, 贊助這組織.
西雅圖公立圖書館費用調整
從十二月一日開始, 如果想在西雅圖公立圖書館列印電腦上的資料將開始收費. 每一張 10 美分. 另外從 12 月 1 日起, 下列的費用也有所調整. Adult materials overdue: 15 cents a day per item (was 10 cents) Maximum overdue fine: $6 per item (was $4) Large print materials: will accrue fines (had been fine-free) Library Card balance $15 (was $20). Library users with a balance of $15 or more will lose borrowing privileges. Library Card replacement charge for adults and young adults age 13 and older: $1 (no charge before). Initial card is free. Visitor card $15 for three-month card (was $10). Non-resident card $55 for 12-month card (was $50). The Library will not charge for overdue children’s materials, as is currently the policy. Overdue adult materials checked out on a child’s card, however, will accrue fines beginning Dec. 1, 2003. Children who lose their Library Cards will not be charged replacement fees. For more information, call the Borrower Services Department at 206-386-4190
車禍
來美後第一次的出車禍
2003 年 11 月 20 日是我來美第一次出車禍，這次車禍讓我放了約五個星期的假。記得那天是星期四，由於下班後我在 North Seattle Community College 有西班牙語的課程，所以那天我是開車上班。下午五點左右離開公司，準備由 Western Street 進入北上的 Highway 99。 那天的天氣是標準的西雅圖十一月份的天氣；一個毛毛細雨的陰天。
和平常一樣的進入這個交流道，又是一個交通阻塞的一天，一輛車子停在我的前面準備切入 Highway 99，我放慢速度等著他進入。很快的Highway 上有輛車子讓他切入，現在輪到我了。正當看著左後視鏡等著有空位讓我切入，也許是不尋常的煞車聲，心裡突然覺得有什麼危險似的，看看後面剛進入交流道並在我後視鏡內視線出現的車子，再看看 Highway 99 上阻塞的車潮，第一個直覺告訴我，｢我沒有辦法切入 Highway。」就在同時，後面的車子撞了上來。明明知道這裡常常出車禍，但是也料想不到終有一天發生在自己的身上。如果你知道我指的地方，也常常在那裡轉進 Highway 99，那你應該對那糟糕的交流道有印象。之前我在那個交流道已經看過六七次的車禍，親眼看見發生兩次，其中的一次追撞的車子就在我的眼前撞飛了。由於設計上的缺陷，如果有車子停在交流道和 Highway 99 的交會位置上等待進入，剛上交流道的車子是無法看見前面等待的車子，這讓駕駛以為前面是空的，進而加速想要以同等速度切入高速公路，追撞的車禍就因此常常發生，尤其是在天色不佳的時候。
把車子停好，確定自己的車子沒有擋到其他的車輛，拿出紙和筆想到先寫下對方的車牌和保險等資料。注意到那位小姐的車子一點事也沒有，保險桿上連個痕跡也沒有，實在是太神了，也因此她一直咬定我車子下凹的保險桿，和後車身上的撞痕不是她撞的。心裡想著，｢這有得耗了。」我站在兩輛車子的中間和她辯解，不過我們兩個也沒有辯太久，大概也沒有 20 秒吧，緊接著聽到一陣緊急煞車的聲音，第三輛車子冒失的往後面撞了上來。這一次是猛烈許多，第三輛車子直直的鑽進第二輛車子下面，把第二輛車子從後面狠狠的給推高了起來，第二輛車子被往上推高的同時也往前撞了上來，不幸的我就剛好在我的車和第兩輛車的中間，當場就成了夾心餅乾。還真成了夾心餅乾，因為第二輛車後面被推高的同時，前面的保險桿剛好就壓到我的右腳，動彈不得。第二輛車的駕駛站得較外側，往外一跳，並沒有被撞到。動彈不得的我，由於腳踝被第二輛車的保險桿壓著，趕快請第二輛車的駕駛把我的車往前移一點，但是她太害怕了，她害怕如果把我的車往前移，她的車子將會往下把我壓得更緊。請了幾次，她還是不願意，最後只見第三輛車的駕駛，和 119 講著電話從後面走來，我趕忙請她把我的車往前移一點。她做了，讓我可以把我的腳從保險桿下移了出來。
很快的，我發現我傷得比我想像還要嚴重，我完全沒有辦法走路，在第二輛車的駕駛攙扶之下，我勉強的坐到路旁。骨盆那時只要我靜靜的坐著，不要把整個身體的重量壓迫，並沒有很疼痛。只是不知道為什麼，我的全身開始發抖，可是天氣並不覺得冷，但就是一直的發抖著。由於我一直的發抖，第二輛車的駕駛把我抱住，幫我取暖，也順便承認她的過失。不久，有一輛警車來了，很快的把狀況了解後，和他的對講機講了更多的資訊。消防車隨後也趕到，可是並沒有他們可以表現的機會。他們只是量了我一下血壓，和請我指出我是痛在那裡。目前為止，警察沒有問我任何的資訊，他只告訴我，救護車很快就到了，所有我的資料他會從電腦裡面調閱出來。
救護車是最後到達，不過在此之前，他們已經把狀況了解得差不多。救護車只是來載我去醫院急診室，救護車上的醫護人員問我是否有想去特定的醫院，由於我並沒有特別的想去那所醫院，所以他們就決定直接把我送去最近的醫院。當警察把所有資訊收集完全，他給了我他的名片和這個車禍的 case number，並祝我早日康復，救護車便把我載去醫院。儘管在美國進出急診室至少也十次以上，不過還是第一次坐救護車，由於我並沒有性命危險，所以救護車也沒有以警鈴聲開道，而慢慢的跟著車潮。
當他們帶我到 Harborview Medical Center 的時候，我發現我當初的決定是錯誤的，應該請他們把我送去離家近的 Stevens Hospital，因為整個急診室可以用人山人海來形容。我整整在 Triage 的位置等了將近 30 分鐘，之前還有兩位危急的病患『插隊』。不過還是和載我去急診室的駕駛聊了一下，想不到他還曾經是微軟 MSN.COM 的員工，不過在 2000 年的時候被裁員了。終於我在這個急診室有個可以躺下來的床位。。。走道上。華盛頓州第一級的急診中心真的不是浪得虛名，雖然還不至於滿地的血，地上總是有些血斑散佈，不遠處有個清潔員正在用拖把擦拭更大片的血跡，廁所裡面更要小心翼翼的墊著腳走。消毒水，血腥味，汗臭味和酒味讓人覺得這地方的不尋常。別懷疑，的確是汗臭味和酒味。躺在我腳旁床位上的那個傢伙，除了醫療人員，還有警察相伴。我想他們只是把他帶來做血液方面的檢驗(毒品或酒精)？因為在醫療人員抽過血後，警察便把他給帶走了。在這裡，如果被分配到個房間，千萬別高興，為什麼會有如此的『禮遇』，只有性命危險的重症病患才會被推進房間。如果是被分配到個走道上的床位，千萬別抱怨，只有輕傷的患者才有此『關照』。 我並沒有太多的時間可以四處張望，因為我自己的疼痛越來越重，可是並沒有人理我，由於我沒有帶手錶，我並不知道我等了多久。最後終於有位女實習醫師表明是我的醫生，並問了我狀況，我粗略的跟她講如何發生，並告訴她我那裡痛，她觸診了一下，告訴我會讓我去照 X-光，我順便問她如果她可以給我些止痛藥？止痛藥很快的送來，只不過是藥量加倍的 Tylenol。不久，我被抬到 X-光室照 X-光，然後被抬回來，丟到一邊等。又不知道過了多久，另一位女實習醫師過來表明是我的醫生，她並說先前的另一位實習醫師已經下班了，重覆的告訴她事情是如何的發生，同樣的觸診，同樣的她又要我去照 X-光。我告訴她我已經照過一次了，只是她認為先前的前身和後面並沒有看出什麼，所以她想要照些其他角度的。在她走之前，又要了次止痛藥，然後一樣的，又被抬去 X-光室照 X-光，這一次多照了側面和 45 度的角度。抬回來後，又被丟到一邊等。約十幾分鐘後，她帶了位復健師，她告訴我，從 X-光上並沒有看見任何斷骨頭的情況，可能只是有裂痕，她請我明天再去自己的家庭醫師那裡確認。由於我無法行走，那位復健師就是要教我如何使用拐杖，練習了約十幾分鐘，實習醫師趕過來告訴我，我已經準備被 Discharge 了，因為 I-5 高速公路上發生連環車禍，有不少的傷者會被送到急診室，他們必須要趕快空出床位。就這樣的，我被趕了出來。我記得那天晚上還下雪呢！
利用急診室裡的公用電話叫了部計程車，痛回家後看了時鐘，上面指著凌晨零時二十分。在美國進出急診室已經數次(多到已經數不清次數了)，那裡不是醫病的地方。如果有任何醫療問題，不是生死交關，絕對不要上急診室，因為他們會百分之一百在檢查過後，把您給請回家，然後告訴您明天去看您自己的家庭醫生，急診室只是救有生命危險的病人。