The Governor put this out yesterday…
June 18, 2009
TO: Statewide Elected Officials
Agency Directors
Presidents of Higher Education Institutions
State Boards and Commissions
FROM: Christine O. Gregoire, Governor
SUBJECT: Additional Budget Savings
On June 18th, the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council announced an additional reduction to the General Fund State revenue forecast. Although there are encouraging signs in the national and state economy, the size of the revenue reduction necessitates quick action to curb spending in the 2009-11 biennial budget.
Therefore, I am imposing a hiring cap on executive agencies equal to a 2 percent reduction in their 2009-11 General Fund, budgeted, full time equivalent (FTE) levels and I ask agencies to take additional spending reductions. Implementation instructions will be communicated by the Office of Financial Management before July 1.
As a democrat, I’m tired of reading this stuff. Our tax system is unfair and unreasonably focuses too much on working people. We have no income tax (not even on millionaires) so it’s a great place to be rich and a terrible place to work for a living or rely in anyway on social services if you get in a tight spot.
We, as Democrats, can say we are doing the best we can (or we can tell it like it is.) Here’s how it is. Our Democratic governor and our democratic legislature are not doing enough to make our tax system more fair or to ensure there are enough resources so that government can do what it needs to do. We have cut 40,000 people off health care, closed state parks and cut teachers. It’s not why we elected Democrats in the first place.
I always liked this story from the Seattle Times…July, 2008…
“How state spending rose $8 billion under Gregoire
Since Christine Gregoire was elected governor, state spending has increased $8 billion — a 31 percent increase in the two-year general-fund budget. Gregoire says the state is investing in what matters most: education, health care, public safety. Her Republican challenger, Dino Rossi, says she’s spent more than we can afford.”
And this one from the PI Jan 2009..
“Gregoire’s cuts mirror Rossi’s
Budget plan angers some of governor’s supporters
By CHRIS McGANN
P-I CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT
OLYMPIA — During her re-election campaign, Gov. Chris Gregoire blasted Republican challenger Dino Rossi for decisions he made as the Senate’s lead budget writer in 2003 — such as suspending teacher pay raises mandated by voter initiative and cutting funding for children’s health care.
Gregoire said such moves were out of step with Washington’s values.
But after winning re-election Gregoire proposed balancing the next state budget with the same types of cuts — suspended pay raises and reduced eligibility for children’s health coverage.”
I can see why, as a Democrat, you’re tired of reading this stuff…We all are. Be in great shape if we had that 8 BILLION back.
A lot of folks, both Dems and GOPers know that tax reform is the only sustainable way to get the funding of our state govt and services on an even keel, but proposing a state income tax has been a non-starter for several years. Perhaps this economic downturn will help the issue get some traction and we will make some progress toward tax fairnesss, but some brave souls need to step forward to lead the charge….
So, the only way you Dems will have enough to spend is if you give us “tax reform”? You do indeed mean an income tax, don’t you? You really think that would be enough to feed your insatiable appetite for spending? It’s not the panacea you are making it out to be, as witnessed by this article:
http://www.dollarsandsense.org/blog/2009/06/plunging-state-income-tax-revenues.html
And we need to tax millionaires more? Those nasty people that have the audacity to prosper need to be taught a lesson!
And we have a state where it’s terrible to be on welfare? I like that. Keep up the good work there.
Looks like you Dems are all for more of that good old “wealth redistribution” Why don’t you just say it like you mean it?
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his need”. There’s your manifesto for you!
Typical right wing claptrap, Neal. Let’s take away all the corporate welfare, Farm Bill subsidies to millionaire farmers, no bid government contracts, etc that are funded by tax dollars and see what happens to all those “hard earned” profits. Why don’t you stick with what you believe rather than telling Dems what they believe – oh right. That’s what Limbaugh and Hannity do every day. I case you haven’t noticed, there are many wealthy folks that believe in paying their “fair share” since they directly benefit from the infrastructure financed by the taxpayers.
I do indeed get a kick out of left-wing vitriolic diatribe. Seagal, your postings are as predictable as snow in winter. Corporate welfare? Farm subsidies? No-bid contracts? It would be nice if just once you’d cite statistics to back up your weak points. Here’s some facts for you:
Nationwide (and in WA as well) 82% of business is classified as SMALL BUSINESS. I have owned a few of those myself. Where was my ‘corporate welfare”?
In Washington state, 71% of farms are under 100 acres. The federal subsidy averages out to 14 bucks an acre. Now, some farmers get more (mostly wheat, ergo you don’t pay 10 bucks a loaf for bread) and many get nothing. How much subsidy do you think our orchardists get here in this valley? If they get so much, why do so many fail eventually?
How many Washington businesses benefit by no-bid contracts? How many in Yakima? Were there any abuses in this state?
Here’s a no-bid contract for you…You like this one?
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003948586_favorfactory14m.html
Take some time to do some research before you sling red herrings at me again. Better yet, go out and start your own corporation or farm, if you think it’s so easy to get rich.
It’s easy to see you subscribe to the theory “Don’t waste a good recession” when you call for higher taxes. No surprise you think all the taxes should be on someone else.
Your manifesto and hatred of the perceived “bourgeoisie” gets more transparent daily. I’m sure your buddies on here are giving you high Marx for it, though.
eburger, we have a state sales tax…the more you buy, the more taxes you pay. If you are poor you obviously do not have the money to buy much, therefore you pay a little amount of tax, the more money you have the more you buy, and pay more taxes, so how is it a great place to be rich, and a horrible place to work for a living?
“We have cut 40,000 people off health care, closed state parks and cut teachers. It’s not why we elected Democrats in the first place.” *** you are right, you didn’t elect democrats to make the hard decisions to make budget cuts, you elected them to “get even with the evil rich man” and increase taxes, so you can receive instead of contribute. You elect democrats on a promise that you will not have to worry about putting gas in your car or worry about paying your mortgage, and free health care that the rich pay for, but at least you don’t have to pay for it…right? as reality sets in and you start to read more of “this stuff” remember that the “shrinking republican party” was right after all.
What young jason fails to see here is that the poor buy the necessities for living. They have no choices, no “disposable income” to dispose of in a jet ski or a second computer, or a kitchen makeover. This is what makes a sales tax one of the most regressive taxes there is, because it hits the poor on a harder level that the wealthy, who have that disposable income to buy non-essentials as well as food, gas, and utilities. Yea, on a dollar level, the wealthy pay more. So what? It does not in any way prevent you from buying the jet ski; it just gives you something to complain about as you ride along.
One more thing you are wrong on jason- we didn’t elect Democrats to “get even with the evil rich man”. We elected them because we believe that every resident and citizen is important, regardless of economic or social status. If we felt that the wealthy are an endangered species needing even more tax breaks and other protectionisms, while we screwed the poor and middle-class even further into the ground, we’d vote for republicant’s.
Drew, in a way you are making my point, the poor do not have “disposable income” and therefore do not purchase the items that generate a lot of tax money, they buy things that they NEED.”the poor buy the necessities for living”***and the rich don’t? come on…the state’s sales tax system is based on consumption, if you don’t buy you don’t get taxed, if you buy a lot you get taxed a lot. Food is not taxed, so you can buy the “necessities” without getting “screwed” buy the wealthy.
You said that “we didn’t elect Democrats to “get even with the evil rich man”. We elected them because we believe that every resident and citizen is important, regardless of economic or social status.” but you didn’t deny that you wanted them to raise taxes or any of the other things that I wrote…I find that very interesting.
I vote for republicans (most of the time) because I also believe that every resident and citizen is important, regardless of economic or social status, and I support policy that makes it easier for people to succeed and become wealthy, while the democrats stifle that effort, by making you dependant on government handouts.
I DON’T vote for the republicans, because they say the poor, disabled, unemployed, the troops, the vets, the working class, the public schools, the unions, single parents, and minorities are not their problem. It’s not representation of the people; it’s alienation the republican party believes in.
They do? republicans actually say all that? I would sure like to see some quotes from republicans that say that stuff.
Back to the real issue…eburger said “We have cut 40,000 people off health care, closed state parks and cut teachers. It’s not why we elected Democrats in the first place.” he also said he was “tired of reading this stuff” meaning he is tired of reading how our governor is actually trying to balance our budget, she is not making these decisions lightly and does not want to raise our taxes. My guess is he would like to read about how she is taxing us all into poverty, increasing spending on every entitlement program and even starting new ones in the name of “helping the poor”.
Our governor is a democrat and she is the one doing what you so disapprove of, balancing the budget, is a crime in your eyes, unless she raises taxes.