February 12, 2009
There Will Be Blood
The Seattle Times encourages Democrats in the Legislature to wake up and smell what they've been shoveling:
Because some budget items, such as basic education, cannot be cut at all, other things may have to be slashed 40 percent, she says. Senate Democrats may vote out a tax increase -- but any tax increase would go to recession-battered voters.
Our point is this: No matter what happens, big spending cuts are inevitable. The deficit is simply too large. And that means legislators had better start agreeing on cuts -- substantial ones -- right now.
Governor Gregoire seems to get the severity of the crisis - even if her realpolitik now is appalling compared to her "we don't have a deficit" approach to the campaign last year. Some members of the Legislature seem to get it, but clearly there is no critical mass for making tough decisions.
Huge problem (that has to be solved this session) + lack of political courage = a very, very ugly legislative session.
Hint to GOP: get your candidate recruitment for 2010 going now!
Posted by Eric Earling at February 12, 2009
10:31 AM | Email This
1. Not to worry, the ONE will save them. (-:
Granted our grandchildern are shafted.
2. Still want to replace the viaduct with that $4B++++ tunnel Christine? Or maybe it's time to go with the half-billion refit instead...
3. Is is just me or is govenor Gregoire coming off as weak on this as she has on every other major decision that faced her? I haven't seen any take charge moments, only a weak video plea for anyone out there to give her suggestions. The only strength she ever showed was her school marm, fist-shaking while telling us that there is no deficit*. She's got her head stuck pretty deep in the sand, luckily for her, it makes easier to talk out of her butt.
*current spending, not proposed budget, 'cause by golly, that's HUGE!
4. That'll be fun to watch. You're talking about people in Olympia that call a smaller than expected growth of government a "cut". I'm pretty sure they don't even understand the concept of doing with LESS actual money than they did the year prior. Their brains are not wired to understand what that even means, much less act on it.
5. I honestly don't get all the drama here. Obama will provide the bailout for all blue states, 100% guaranteed. There is nothing to see here folks.
6. I everyone asleep?
Warren Cromwell wrote "Report: Climate Change to Wallop State" in yesterdays Seattle Times. Gregoire is presenting Phil Mote's model references predicting gloom and catastrophic warming that needs to be fixed by the Western Climate Initiative carbon emissions cap and trade scam.
http://icecap.us/index.php
http://climatesci.org/2009/02/04/dissecting-a-real-climate-text-by-hendrik-tennekes/
If the Legislature bites, Washington's economy will be wrecked for decades.
7. Democrats were either dumb enough to believe her rhetoric, or willfully destructive in voting for her, even knowing that she would have to change her tune to match the deficit.
Either way, that's the hallmark of the current WA Progressive:
Trusting so thoroughly in government as to blindly ignore efficiency and accountability, while simultaneously doing everything possible to grab and hold power.
8. It is really disheartening to see so many people in our state just mindlessly continue to check the box next to any candidate that has a "D" next to their name. They so hate anything Republican they would rather live with these hapless legislators and their incredibly poor leadership and nonsensical fiscal policies than accept anything Republican. I don't know if they are capable of changing and like lemmings will just follow the democrats to their doom.
9. Talk about financial fiddling while Rome burns:
If Sen. Zarelli is right about WA being 1 billion underwater by 30 June (probably); and then the shortfall for next biennium is another 8 billion (if they're lucky):
That's at least a NINE BILLION dollar gap that has to be closed.
What do y'all think the odds are that WA voters will agree to a massive tax increase in the current economic climage ??... Right.
Bringing us to what is a key point in the linked SeaTimes piece; that IMO a lot of people are still not fully appreciating:
Because of Constitutional and other legal restrictions, a major portion of yearly state expenditures can only be reduced slightly if at all.
Fast-forward to what it will mean in the real world if as the piece noted ''other things may have to be slashed 40 percent''.
Ugly doesn't even begin to describe it.
I repeat a variant of what I said before:
Those in charge in Oly brought it not only on themselves (just reward), they brought it on all of us. Only remaining question is how broad and deep the collateral damage will be. . . . .
10. I signed up for notification of bills that increase tax and fees and let me tell you something--I am stunned by the sheer number coming out of Olympia! This may be a slightly skewed view but sheesh! It looks like they are doing nothing down there but trying to SPEND money!
11. @3: I'd say it is just you. It's pretty obvious the obstruction here is coming from Lisa Brown and Frank Chopp.
12. Gregoire has done NOTHING of substance.
Her relative inaction thus far is making the Budget situation worse everyday. GOOD!
The ONLY way to reform government is to take away the money & start over.
Gary Locke and Locke's former Budget Director called Gregoire's actions to date INSIGNIFICANT.
The newspapers make headlines out of dinky, window-dressing cuts.
She should have shit-canned 10,000 State Employees over a year ago.
The Unions OWN her.
Vote HELL NO on any & all tax increases.
13. Where is the state hiring Freeze Mr. Cynical, I joined their damn listserver just to watch the massive outpouring of jobs, while a staggering debt looms.
Gregoire has no power what so ever if she cannot even hold the state to a hiring freeze.
14. The legislature is waiting for their pablum cut from the Obama before they cut any programs.
15. One does wonder if we'll see a repeat of '94. the dems seem to have forgotten what their rampages of '93 brought the following year against them.
16. There is no deficit you silly people. Gregoire said so during the campaign.
17. Here is a link to the Science and Public Policy Institute website that contains climate profiles of several states including Washington. The profiles are loaded with data that contradicts claims and justification for cap and trade and other constraints on CO2 emissions and other decarbonization efforts.
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/state_climate_profiles.html