Paid leave isn't primarily helping people in need, it's going to middle- and upper-income wage earners

What’s the hourly wage of a Paid Family and Medical Leave recipient in Washington state? It’s higher than I’m comfortable with. Lawmakers should explain to all workers why they think it is good policy to take money from low-income workers and give their money to people with ample resources.

Using hourly wage estimates from the Employment Security Department, here are the earnings of people who took the program’s tax dollars in the past fiscal year (July 2022 through June 2023):

• Up to $18/hr: 12%

• Between $18 and $24/hr: 21%

• Between $24 and $35/hr: 26%

• Between $35 and $61/hr: 26%

• More...