Published: Sunday, December 13, 2009
Gov. Gregoire knows her budget is doomed
I'm going to make a bumper sticker for 2010 that reads: It's the Taxes, Stupid.
In the coming months no issue will monopolize debate among the state's lawmakers and residents more than taxes.
Wednesday, Gov. Chris Gregoire put the subject smack in front of the citizenry.
Money is not flowing into the treasury like it used to, she said, and big changes are coming because the state is going to be $2.6 billion short of what's needed to pay the bills.
She unveiled a balanced budget that cut government spending with a chainsaw rather than an X-Acto. The deficit disappeared and with it dozens of programs on which hundreds of thousands of residents now rely for food, medical care and education.
She itemized the casualties that would result then said she couldn't bear to see the state through such a slaying of services. She had been scared straight … to taxes.
She vowed to find enough dollars to ensure survival of the larger programs targeted in her proposal. In a few weeks, she'll put her ideas into another budget, spelling out revenue-raising measures and, she warned, some painful spending cuts.
For the Democratic governor starting a second term, this is a period that could divine if there will be a third.
It's not only what tax is chosen and how much she tries to collect with it. Democrats, who hold the majority in the Legislature, will be sure to have their own ideas and the friends will be haggling over the details.
It's also a matter of how it is chosen.
Two years ago, voters passed Initiative 960, requiring any new or higher tax be approved by either a two-thirds majority in the Legislature or a simple majority vote of the people.
Four days ago, Gregoire didn't seem interested in abiding by those rules. For some time, neither have Democratic leaders in the House and Senate. They've been openly concerned that awaiting a popular vote in November would delay collection of revenue for several months.
No doubt they're also worried about losing the vote and, because most are on the ballot in November, losing office.
There is a tipping point to voters' outrage, and incumbent Democrats in Olympia may be getting closer to it than they realize. Republicans are wishfully predicting 2010 is going to turn out a lot like 1994, when they seized power from Democrats.
For Tim Eyman, it's a moment for gloating.
“We didn't want to be right,” he said Friday in referring to past predictions Democrats would seek to raise taxes without voter approval as soon as they could.
That's why the anti-tax firebrand from Mukilteo didn't wait until January to reveal his 2010 initiative. He is readying his legions of followers for a measure restating the requirement for a two-thirds vote by the Legislature to approve new taxes.
If he gets enough signatures, maybe I can sell him a bumper sticker.
Political reporter Jerry Cornfield's blog, The Petri Dish, is at www.heraldnet.com. Contact him at 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
In the coming months no issue will monopolize debate among the state's lawmakers and residents more than taxes.
Wednesday, Gov. Chris Gregoire put the subject smack in front of the citizenry.
Money is not flowing into the treasury like it used to, she said, and big changes are coming because the state is going to be $2.6 billion short of what's needed to pay the bills.
She unveiled a balanced budget that cut government spending with a chainsaw rather than an X-Acto. The deficit disappeared and with it dozens of programs on which hundreds of thousands of residents now rely for food, medical care and education.
She itemized the casualties that would result then said she couldn't bear to see the state through such a slaying of services. She had been scared straight … to taxes.
She vowed to find enough dollars to ensure survival of the larger programs targeted in her proposal. In a few weeks, she'll put her ideas into another budget, spelling out revenue-raising measures and, she warned, some painful spending cuts.
For the Democratic governor starting a second term, this is a period that could divine if there will be a third.
It's not only what tax is chosen and how much she tries to collect with it. Democrats, who hold the majority in the Legislature, will be sure to have their own ideas and the friends will be haggling over the details.
It's also a matter of how it is chosen.
Two years ago, voters passed Initiative 960, requiring any new or higher tax be approved by either a two-thirds majority in the Legislature or a simple majority vote of the people.
Four days ago, Gregoire didn't seem interested in abiding by those rules. For some time, neither have Democratic leaders in the House and Senate. They've been openly concerned that awaiting a popular vote in November would delay collection of revenue for several months.
No doubt they're also worried about losing the vote and, because most are on the ballot in November, losing office.
There is a tipping point to voters' outrage, and incumbent Democrats in Olympia may be getting closer to it than they realize. Republicans are wishfully predicting 2010 is going to turn out a lot like 1994, when they seized power from Democrats.
For Tim Eyman, it's a moment for gloating.
“We didn't want to be right,” he said Friday in referring to past predictions Democrats would seek to raise taxes without voter approval as soon as they could.
That's why the anti-tax firebrand from Mukilteo didn't wait until January to reveal his 2010 initiative. He is readying his legions of followers for a measure restating the requirement for a two-thirds vote by the Legislature to approve new taxes.
If he gets enough signatures, maybe I can sell him a bumper sticker.
Political reporter Jerry Cornfield's blog, The Petri Dish, is at www.heraldnet.com. Contact him at 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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