State service cuts protested

Associated Press

OLYMPIA — Thousands of state workers and social services advocates gathered at the Capitol Monday to demand lawmakers maintain livable wages and stop cuts to human services.

"We’re asking the Governor and the state legislators not to balance the budget on the backs of our poor, on people with disabilities, children and senior citizens," said Rick Bender, president of the Washington State Labor Council.

More than 2,500 people gathered at the Capitol steps as part of a "Save Our State" rally for the preservation of state services and the protection of public and private sector workers who provide them. Groups included members of the Children’s Alliance, Washington Association of Churches and the Living Wage Movement.

Lawmakers this session are grappling with a $1.25 billion budget shortfall. Gov. Gary Locke has proposed a combination of spending cuts, federal aid, use of reserves, and "sin tax" increases.

Other sources of revenue must be found to develop realistic and long-term solutions to the budget hole, said Dorry Elias of the Minority Executive Directors Coalition of King County.

"We stand in front of the state Capitol where our elected leaders simply choose not to take a stand to secure our human services safety net," Elias said.

Legislators also must pass an economic stimulus package that includes a transportation budget to fund all modes of transportation, said Ron McGaha, of the International Association of Machinists.

Locke has asked lawmakers to approve a package that includes a multibillion-dollar roads plan and a state construction budget. He said the highway plan would generate 20,000 jobs.

"If the Legislature can find the courage to build a baseball stadium, it should be able to find the courage to build a road so we can go to the game," he said.

Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Roy, attended the rally and listened to speakers as they demanded legislators find viable solutions to the state budget without slashing heath care and human services.

Locke has proposed cutting reimbursement rates for nursing homes and pharmacy services for Medicaid clients by about $35 million each.

"The Governor has put us on a death spiral with health care right now," Campbell said.

Campbell said he hopes lawmakers from both sides of the aisle can find a solution.

"We’re very polarized," he said. "If anything should bring people together, it should be this group right here."

Following the rally, state troopers temporarily locked the Capitol doors after students held a sit-in outside Locke’s office.

A group of about 100 students from Washington universities and colleges gathered at the Capitol to protest proposed tuition increases of more than 12 percent to help make up for Locke’s proposed $54 million dollar cut in higher education.

Seattle Central Community College student Emily Reilly said students are also taxpayers and they deserve to be heard.

"Literally, people are being locked out of public education," Reilly said.

Trooper Willie Boxhoorn said the students were asked to leave the building after they began chanting.

"When they were asked to leave they refused," Boxhoorn said. "To ensure the safety of the building and the people inside, we had to lock the doors temporarily."