Published: Thursday, November 4, 2010
In our view / State budget
Don't wait on tough choices
State lawmakers left standing after this election needn't waste time pondering the voters' main message. It was unambiguous: Fix the budget mess by cutting spending. Raising taxes is not an option.
The sooner legislative budget writers get to the necessary work of cutting, reprioritizing, resizing and reorganizing, the more positive its impact can be. And regardless of whether Republicans overcome long odds and win control of the state Senate, their gains there and in the House call for a truly bipartisan budget process — one where GOP leaders are legitimate players.
The next two-year budget will require at least $4.5 billion in cuts, based on current spending commitments and revenue projections. State government has made more commitments than it has revenue to meet, a problem that's been brewing for years. Savings that can be agreed upon now and implemented in January can reduce the need for more cuts later.
Even more immediately, lawmakers should work with the governor to make values-based adjustments to $520 million in across-the-board cuts she was required to make for the rest of the current biennium because of falling tax collections.
Earlier calls by Republicans for pre-session budget talks were rejected by Democrats, who argued with some merit that they'd take the blame for cutting popular programs right before the election. With the voting done, such concerns are moot. It's time for lawmakers to get to the serious work they were elected to do. Now.
Ideas for bringing state spending in line with revenues aren't in short supply:
•The governor's Committee on Transforming Washington's Budget came up with a range of recommendations for reform, including ways to reorganize and consolidate state agencies; trying new models for funding higher education; and making the state's Medicaid system more efficient and effective.
•The business-backed Washington Roundtable and Washington Research Council have launched a series of policy recommendations on transforming how state government delivers services, dubbed Thrive Washington.
•The state auditor has completed several extensive performance audits with long lists of savings opportunities. So has the governor's Government Management Accountability & Performance effort. Those ideas should be put into action, not on a shelf to collect dust.
Cutting $4.5 billion or more, and moving toward a truly sustainable state budget, won't be easy. Doing it thoughtfully will require strong, selfless leadership — the kind that takes a long view, puts practical solutions ahead of petty politics, and isn't cowed by lobbyists representing narrow interests.
Is this Legislature up to the challenge? We'll soon see.
The sooner legislative budget writers get to the necessary work of cutting, reprioritizing, resizing and reorganizing, the more positive its impact can be. And regardless of whether Republicans overcome long odds and win control of the state Senate, their gains there and in the House call for a truly bipartisan budget process — one where GOP leaders are legitimate players.
The next two-year budget will require at least $4.5 billion in cuts, based on current spending commitments and revenue projections. State government has made more commitments than it has revenue to meet, a problem that's been brewing for years. Savings that can be agreed upon now and implemented in January can reduce the need for more cuts later.
Even more immediately, lawmakers should work with the governor to make values-based adjustments to $520 million in across-the-board cuts she was required to make for the rest of the current biennium because of falling tax collections.
Earlier calls by Republicans for pre-session budget talks were rejected by Democrats, who argued with some merit that they'd take the blame for cutting popular programs right before the election. With the voting done, such concerns are moot. It's time for lawmakers to get to the serious work they were elected to do. Now.
Ideas for bringing state spending in line with revenues aren't in short supply:
•The governor's Committee on Transforming Washington's Budget came up with a range of recommendations for reform, including ways to reorganize and consolidate state agencies; trying new models for funding higher education; and making the state's Medicaid system more efficient and effective.
•The business-backed Washington Roundtable and Washington Research Council have launched a series of policy recommendations on transforming how state government delivers services, dubbed Thrive Washington.
•The state auditor has completed several extensive performance audits with long lists of savings opportunities. So has the governor's Government Management Accountability & Performance effort. Those ideas should be put into action, not on a shelf to collect dust.
Cutting $4.5 billion or more, and moving toward a truly sustainable state budget, won't be easy. Doing it thoughtfully will require strong, selfless leadership — the kind that takes a long view, puts practical solutions ahead of petty politics, and isn't cowed by lobbyists representing narrow interests.
Is this Legislature up to the challenge? We'll soon see.
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