Congress wasn’t the only place where Democrats were celebrating last week’s electoral tsunami. In Olympia, where Democrats already had majorities in the House and Senate – not to mention the governor’s mansion – the Blue Wave swelled their ranks even more.
With eye-popping Democrat majorities (depending on the outcome of close races, it looks like 32-17 in the Senate and 63-35 in the House), fears of a budget feeding frenzy are understandable. Plenty of special interests invested effort and money to get those majorities, and they’ll expect to be rewarded.
If Democrats expect to remain in charge for long, they’d better be prepared to say no. Frequently.
In recent years, leaders of both parties have bought into the importance of keeping Washington competitive. Gov. Chris Gregoire certainly has. She understands that good-paying jobs migrate to states where the cost of doing business is reasonable, and where an educated workforce and reliable transportation are in place.
To make smart, strategic investments in its future, the state must get its fiscal house in order. The current strong economy and the budget surplus it’s producing give the governor and lawmakers an opportunity to chip away at some of the systemic problems that are projected to cause big budget shortfalls in coming years. Doing so will take fortitude.
Democrats must say no to schemes that put off the state’s pension obligations, schemes that yield a little more money today but cost much more in the future. They must say no to health-insurance mandates that raise everyone’s health-care costs. They must say no to state employees who demand better salary and benefit packages than are common in the private sector. Costs of workers’ compensation and unemployment benefits mustn’t put Washington at a competitive disadvantage.
Budget priorities should reflect the goal of keeping Washington competitive and its economy strong. For example, Washington ranks 46th in the nation in the number of citizens working toward a bachelor’s degree. Smart investments in higher education are needed to ensure that well-paid workers don’t have to be imported from other states or other countries. More must also be done to improve K-12 math education, where recent WASL scores confirm that we’re coming up short.
Washington voters are an independent lot. The swing vote went to the Democrats this year, based largely on dissatisfaction with the performance of Republicans in the other Washington. If Democrats in Olympia use their big majorities to overreach, it’s a good bet voters will push back – hard.
Their goal should be to put the state on a productive and sustainable path. That will take wise, responsible leadership, and a willingness to make difficult choices.
Here’s hoping they’re up to it.
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