Spokane7
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November 15, 2009 in City
Spokane’s leaner than the mean
The 2010 budget for Spokane shows that city government is comparatively lean. Some examples:
Revenue per person in Seattle and Tacoma is $1,540. In Spokane, it’s $863.
Expenses per person are $1,424 for Seattle-Tacoma and $716 for Spokane.
Current daily fire staffing in Seattle is 209 people. In Tacoma, it’s 81. In Spokane, it’s 58.
There are 2.13 police officers per 1,000 residents in Seattle. In Tacoma, it’s 1.81. In Spokane, it’s 1.37. (These are 2006 figures.)
The total tax burden for Spokane residents is 8.9 percent of income. In Idaho, it’s 10.1 percent of income.
Now whether government is lean enough for residents is another matter. Since there is a long-term structural deficit and city leaders never propose significant tax increases, the answer appears to be no. It looks as if the only place to save money would be in salaries and benefits, since staffing levels are already comparatively low.
No dollar left behinD. The U.S. Department of Education recently released guidelines for states wishing to compete for the $4.35 billion in Race to the Top funds, and it appears as if Washington state has some heavy lifting to do before it’s considered innovative enough to qualify.
Applications for the first round close in December. Then states have another shot at the funds during a second round that ends in June.
Washington state is a long shot for round one because it cannot demonstrate the sort of bold innovations that the Obama administration is calling for. It does not have charter schools, which allow for more experimentation, and the prospect of quickly adopting them is practically nil. The teachers union is adamantly opposed and voters have rejected charters three times.
But the biggest stumbling block, as the Seattle Times recently reported, is that it is against the law for the state to take over a failing school. That would appear to be a must-have component for Race to the Top applicants.
States can be awarded anywhere from $21 million to $700 million, depending on their size. That’s a lot of money for a revenue-strapped state like Washington to leave on the table, especially as it searches for a way to raise the $1 billion needed to follow through on last session’s education reform package. If the Legislature truly wants federal aid, then it has a monstrous cram session ahead of it.
Smart Bombs is written by Associate Editor Gary Crooks and appears Wednesdays and Sundays on the Opinion page.
Smart Bombs: Greatest generation? Not us 
westside on November 15 at 9:14 a.m.
Easy math, Puget Sound wages are twice Spokane wages, hence more money for government employees…Spokane is a poor, yet city officials like to pay Seattle wages….impossible!! Go east of Spokane, cities like Missoula, Great Falls..you think government employees make Spokane goverment wages? No..they pay what the local population is getting payed…… and can sustain…. Finally the world’s depressed economy and wages are affecting government salaries, wages…down..to the private sectors reality.
westside on November 15 at 9:17 a.m.
Easy math, Puget Sound wages are twice Spokane wages, hence more money for government employees…Spokane is poor, yet city officials like to pay Seattle wages….impossible!! Go east of Spokane, cities like Missoula, Great Falls..you think government employees make Spokane city wages? No..they pay what the local population is getting payed…… and can sustain…. Finally the world’s depressed economy and wages are affecting government salaries, wages……..down..to the private sectors reality.
Rifleman__Dodd on November 15 at 10:09 a.m.
and just where is all that Federal money coming from? our pockets or the Feds magic printing presses?
When will politicians and editors realize that money does not grow on trees? It HAS to come from someones pocket.
Ninch on November 15 at 10:29 a.m.
EDUCATION SCAM. Obama and his boyfriend Arne are using the extraordinary give-away of $5 billion (from stimulus package) to take over the nations schools by destroying state rights. Just to be eligible for the grant (Race to the Top) Arne set up preconditions as “incentives” which require many states to change their education laws to allow federal intrusion. I do not think that is a good tradeoff… too much like promises made to Native Americans in exchange for their lands.
BTW: Here is a FACT….It was the citizens of Washington who voted down charter schools. Putting all responsibility on the union is a falsehood.
Lulubelle on November 15 at 12:31 p.m.
The old adage is true……….”you get what you pay for”.
Some folks in Spokane are willing to settle for less under the guise of being lovers of freedom, individuality, the “don’t tread on me” teabagger types. More likely it’ s “take care of #1 greed and cheapness…….get a gander at the typical tax protester…….it shows.
rshroll on November 15 at 2:00 p.m.
Significantly lower total tax burden in Spokane than in extraordinarily conservative Idaho?! I was surprised to read that fact. I don’t like paying higher taxes, but am realistic about the importance of taxes. Public Safety, Public Health, education, health, infrastructure, transportation, roads, etc…taxes pay for some of the most important things in our society. It may be time for Spokane residents to pony up a few more cents here and there.
liarsinnews on November 15 at 3:11 p.m.
Its obvious to me, Gary Crooks numbers were given to him by Gavin Cooley or his ilk. Seems to me, Crooks knows little to nothing about the city of Spokane`s 2010 budget. One of many examples would be comparing Seattle (stupid in the first place) regarding water rates where during budget explanations, bragging that Spokane is so much lower. 1) unless the measurements have changed, price per unit differs. 2) If the unit measures have changed and are now the same, the water usage by users in Spokane use so much more, because of our super dry climate in the summers, our bills are much higher than those in Seattle. Notwithstanding, Spokane`s city utility tax of 25% (the effective rate). No, Mr. Crooks, you don`t know very much about the budget and your source sucked you in. I could give you many examples but I will not waste my time with someone with a limited knowledge of the facts.
John_Waite on November 15 at 6:40 p.m.
Lulubelle - Normally I’m with you on most things, but I think Joe Average in Spokane is feeing tapped out. I certainly am. And I’m no Glen Beck guy, but things have to change. We are not getting “what we paid for”. We are paying way more than we should for what we are not getting. Communities and government don’t work when you overpay for services. And payment has to be based on local standards.
Dick Adams - I’m sure Gary and everyone knows the utility tax problem in Spokane. I’m not sure I understand what your point is in regards to the article. But i am interested in knowing. Please clarify.
John at www.makegovwork.org