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December 15, 2010 in City
Gregoire budget slashes social programs, schools
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire talks about her budget plan as she stands next to a chart showing the state’s projected budget deficit Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010, at the Capitol in Olympia.
(Full-size photo)
OLYMPIA – Saying the state faces an economic crisis that requires deep cuts and government restructuring, Gov. Chris Gregoire today proposed eliminating some state programs for schools and some of the “safety net” for the poor.
Her proposed 2011-13 budget, the starting point for discussions that will dominate next year’s legislative session, calls for what she described as “devastating” reductions.
“I hate my budget. In some places, I don’t even think it’s moral,” an emotional Gregoire said as she introduced a proposed spending plan that she estimates uses the word “eliminate” about 80 times.
Liberals and some state unions agreed, saying Gregoire was balancing the budget by cutting programs for children and the most vulnerable.
Legislative Republicans called it a good starting point. Her fellow Democrats were more non-committal, saying only that it starts a process the Legislature will finish.
The proposal would cut some $2.2 billion from public schools, $1.4 billion from Health and Human Service programs, $631 million from state colleges and universities and $143 million from public safety programs.
It would cancel the state presidential preference primary in 2012 to save $10 million. Some state parks would close, some transfer to local control and the rest would charge fees reflecting the cost of operation.
State workers who care for seniors and the developmentally disabled gathered outside the governor’s office to protest the cuts to key social service programs.
Karen Washington, who works for Chesterfield Services home care in Spokane, said workers who are struggling to make ends meet will have their wages and benefits cut, too. In the end, many patients who are able to remain in their homes or with family because of state services will wind up in more expensive settings like nursing homes and hospitals because of the cuts, she said.
Asking the sick and disabled to shoulder so much of the state’s budget problems “is not only not fair, it’s immoral,” Washington said.
The state teachers union said cuts in education programs will hurt students now and the state in the long run. “We have to plan for the future and that means providing our students with the best schools we possibly can, right now,” Washington Education Association President Mary Lindquist said.
Sen. Joe Zarellli of Ridgefield, the GOP’s chief budget expert in the Senate, called the budget a step in the right direction and said Republicans will have more cost-saving ideas when the Legislature convenes next month, including changes to the qualifications needed to receive social services, reform of bilingual education and more competition for government services from the private sector.
“The Legislature could do worse by taxpayers than to adopt a budget that is the same general size and shape as this one,” Zarelli said in a prepared statement.
Romney/Paul split weighing on county GOP 
hawken on December 15 at 11:06 a.m.
It’s NOT a safety net.
It’s, liberal left, big government, state entitlements and union contracts that have grown to ABSURD proportions!
The bill is long past overdue and now the collection agency,,, the electorate,,,, is demanding that the state get their financial house in order.
No new taxes was sounded loud and clear. Cut big government spending was sounded loud and clear.
Thank goodness for people like Dino Rossi and others in the passed, who required that the state pass a balanced budget provision.
iamrunner on December 15 at 11:15 a.m.
Hawken… Dino has nothing to do with passing a balanced budget provision. Its in our State Constitution that requires the State to pass a balanced budget provision.
greenlibertarian on December 15 at 11:26 a.m.
Trolls are confused by facts.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on December 15 at 11:31 a.m.
Hawken… come on down to Shalom at Central Methodist some morning or a monday dinner and you might re think your position on the need for a safety net…. it can happen to anyone, and i’ve got 25 years of “stories” to prove it….. One diner in 1986 at Emmanuel Lutheran in Seattle was bipolar and alcoholic, and he had been a “Rocket Scientist” at JPL and had helped in a large way to put the man on the moon. in 1969… gus
dukkandpooh on December 15 at 11:35 a.m.
Chef:
There is nothing you are going to say, and nothing Hawken could see in the “real world” that would increase his level of compassion. Just watch…he will continue to post on here endlessly. It’s a losing battle to try to argue with a wingnut.
Theanticscontinue on December 15 at 11:37 a.m.
Hawken and Gus both have points, however it is well known that blatant abuse of the system has taken place for so long it needs to be corrected. Gus, the gentleman you mention does need help but I can tell stories that counter yours of numerous individuals that live off the taxpayers because they are either too lazy to go work, won’t work in areas they could actually get work, or believe they are entitled to a share of the largesse.
philipgregory on December 15 at 11:40 a.m.
To just mention Dino Rossi as someone doing anything that doesn’t serve himself or his re-election shows a lack of understanding or appreciation for TRUTH!
The state is throwing the poor and needy out to make up for years of politicians wasting tax payer money.
Diana on December 15 at 11:46 a.m.
Thank goodness the voters rejected Dino Rossi AGAIN.
hawken, got any more bible quotes to support your position? Maybe WWJD?
Oh, and congratulations on not being poor.
lewis8457 on December 15 at 11:49 a.m.
we have far too many able bodied young people on our entitlement systems that have never worked a day in their lives.
While programs for the elderly get cut after they did work most of their lives.
we also have a lot of single moms living off the state and feds. life is tough and there are some lessons to learn one should be don’t have kids you can not afford.
as far as i am concerned if I can l do it so can they. I hired 4 different young people to mow my lawn this year all from my neighborhood all unemployed. they would do it once get paid and i never saw them again.
Hawkin is right it is too easy to sit on your butt and live off the state or feds. And frankly i am tired of paying for it.
MrNatural on December 15 at 11:51 a.m.
Count de Monet: It is said that the people are revolting.
King Louis XVI: You said it! They stink on ice!
ThinkItThrough on December 15 at 11:55 a.m.
iamrunner, check your facts. The Washinton State Constitution does not have a balanced budget provision, although a balanced budget amendment has been a hot topic for many politicians (including Dino the self-serving-liar Rossi) over the last couple of years and something a large percentage of Washington voters have indicated they support.
Not that I agree with most of what the extremists (left or right) spout on this site, but facts are facts.
hawken on December 15 at 11:56 a.m.
Gus…. I have quite allot of experience with the Union Gospel Mission and working with the poor in South America, on the ground, in person.
There’s nothing at Central Methodist that I haven’t seen before.
hawken on December 15 at 11:58 a.m.
Oh yea Gus… since you seem to be good at making false assumptions… I failed to point out that I have built homes in Mexico for the homeless as well.
Please spare me your self righteous, false, assumptions
pseeger on December 15 at 12:08 p.m.
Hawken, how you can call anyone self-righteous is beyond me. You have done many good works, it is apparent, but why must you advertise them to support your goofy politics? One has nothing to do with the other.
johno on December 15 at 12:15 p.m.
Before you start making unfounded accusations against welfare please go to the Washington DSHS website and see what you need to do and be in order to qualify and stay on the program (Temporary Assistance For Needy Families TANF). And see how little families actually receive. Everything is geared toward making families self-sufficient. First, single people do not qualify. Second, you have to be training or looking for work in order to stay on the program. Third, there is a time limit on benefits. Many, many other requirements. Everything is geared toward making families self-sufficient. If you have a better idea on how to pull people out of poverty than this program please let us know. And don’t say”get a job” because there are not enough. Or if you’re alternative is to hold on to your stack of gold and let people and their children suffer then you’ve been blinded by greed!
hawken on December 15 at 12:17 p.m.
pseeger
I understand that much is “beyond you.”
What you fail to acknowledge, the obvious, is that it was Gus… who made the self righteous, false assumptions and erroneous, insulting, implications about me personally.
Your issue with my response to Gus is nothing more than a juvenile “piling on” concerning my correction of the self righteous, false assumptions Gus made about me. Nothing more.
… the context of a discussion really is quite important.
Coffee on December 15 at 12:28 p.m.
You either have to cut the funds for the needy or the the state workers funds. The state workers are unionized so the programs for the needy will have to be cut. Unless we raise the sales tax up to cover both the workers and the needy. The answer to our budget problem is easy, but the choices are the hard.
MrNatural on December 15 at 12:46 p.m.
First Collector: At this festive time of year, Mr. Scrooge, it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute.
Ebenezer: Are there no prisons?
First Collector: Plenty of prisons.
Ebenezer: And the union workhouses - are they still in operation?
First Collector: They are. I wish I could say they were not.
Ebenezer: Oh, from what you said at first I was afraid that something had happened to stop them in their useful course. I’m very glad to hear it.
First Collector: I don’t think you quite understand us, sir. A few of us are endeavoring to buy the poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth.
Ebenezer: Why?
First Collector: Because it is at Christmastime that want is most keenly felt, and abundance rejoices. Now what can I put you down for?
Ebenezer: Huh! Nothing!
Second Collector: You wish to be anonymous?
Ebenezer: [firmly, but calmly] I wish to be left alone. Since you ask me what I wish sir, that is my answer. I help to support the establishments I have named; those who are badly off must go there.
First Collector: Many can’t go there.
Second Collector: And some would rather die.
Dazzeetrader11 on December 15 at 1:11 p.m.
Cannot trim debt if one doesn’ trim spending. If Gregoire went back to 2005’s budget, there would be no debtin 4 years.
Problem is that she’s change the economy with her greenie rule abd her increaed taxes. Gas anyone?
Wa is now a very high tax St hostile to new business coming.
Support for the indigent has gotten out of hand. It must be stopped. Don’t vote her or Lisa Brown in. If you read this thread, it’s kinda funny..so much anger because Gregoire basically has gone into her “Let them eat cake” mode. Just like Marie 300 years ago. Get ur pitchforks out guys!!
Iamrunner you were corrected by ThinkitThrough. Dino did, in fact balance the budget. No provisions at all. Gregoire’s NEVER had a balanced budget and now you see what happens.Maybe some of those guys on Basic Health will go get some jobs. It’s a bad time for everyone. These Dem and their budgets…just crazy people. If you cannot pay for something, you don’t buy it. SImple huh? Take it away and everyone whines…should never have been there in the first place, Toughen up America. Vote Obama, Verner and Gregoire out.. Rid us the of pensions. Things will work out. I do notice in the list that the unions weren’t touched….wonder why? You KNOW why!
ChefGus/ John Olsen on December 15 at 1:28 p.m.
Hawken… there are no assumptions in my simple offer for you to come on down and see one part of reality in spokane… don’t think i mentioned anything about you personally at all… usually not my style to do that… just a simple offer to see one part of the community that will be hit hard by these draconian cuts… thou doth protest too much…:))
liarsinnews on December 15 at 1:38 p.m.
I hope everybody understands, the unions have no power as far as job stabilization. Gregoire can abolish as many jobs as she wants to. She just doesn`t want too. Gregoire spends money like a drunken sailor. Does she imbibe in the grape??
monkeyman on December 15 at 2:24 p.m.
Hurray for less govt!
Let’s hope they go bankrupt so private companies can run our society (likes of Avista). They are much more efficient. Look at all the money they are able to save to give to their management.
west on December 15 at 2:27 p.m.
You notice that with all this $ 4.5 billion in program cuts..nothing is being said about the unions and tens of thousands of people running them? They are the sacred cows. They all get to keep feeding at the trough..
hawken on December 15 at 2:42 p.m.
Gus… your style is innuendo cloaked in self righteousness.
zelda on December 15 at 3:53 p.m.
Looks like the governor also wants to cut SIRTI’s budget by $200K.
>>Reduce pass-through funding for the Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute, or SIRTI, which delivers entrepreneurial coaching, no- or low-cost business services, access to capital and legal services. SIRTI is encouraged to raise local funds to offset the reduction. ($200,000 GF-S)<<
The Washington Technology Center (Seattle) is looking at a $300K cut.
I like the part about encouraging SIRTI to “raise local funds to offset the reduction.” As if…
zelda on December 15 at 3:57 p.m.
And then there’s this, which will pretty much guarantee Washington state will never again get a visit from a presidential candidate:
Suspend the state presidential primary. Every four years, the state of Washington is required by law to conduct a presidential primary and reimburse counties for the state’s share of election costs for the primary. While the next presidential primary is scheduled in 2012, the Secretary of State will introduce legislation to suspend it. ($10.0 million GF-S)
eagleproducer on December 15 at 4:36 p.m.
I just love the reporting in this article. The first entity specifically mentioned for cuts is a Cowles Gang organization they employ as a tax write-off. Oh, boo, hoo, the state will stop subsidizing one of the richest families in the state.
Zelda: The further deterioration of democracy you state in your last post is alarming.
Diana on December 15 at 4:57 p.m.
ChefGus is about the least self-righteous and most honest commenter on these blogs.
He has been around for a long time and is very well-respected around here, unlike some others.
Just sayin’, hawken.
misjustice on December 15 at 6:14 p.m.
@ Diana; I second that. Chef rocks. hawken has to try and tear down other people because that’s the only way that he can feel good about himself. And talk about projecting…
I, for one, will be very glad when he starts his new job as a tow truck driver. Just sayin’.
@ Mr. Natch; thanks for the Scrooge reference, very timely; unfortunately.
maynard on December 15 at 6:34 p.m.
This budget does not even address fixing the budget for our legislatures and senators. For example, quit handing out benefits to senators and legislators after they leave office. Quit giving retirement programs to our elected officials.
Being an elected official was NEVER intended to be a career; it was intended to be a temporary job. We need to demand a state constitutional ammendment to limit terms of both legislators and senators to two four year terms, same as the govenor. They don’t get retirment benefits and after their term has ended - so does all the benefits. This should really improve our budget.
misjustice on December 15 at 6:46 p.m.
@ Maynard; now, that’s change I can believe in! Good idea!
; )
Dazzeetrader11 on December 15 at 7:27 p.m.
Stop the unions, stop their pensions paid for by the taxpayer, stop their outrageous wages, cut the number of jobs, cut social programs and their spinoffs…Wa ST gets on stable footing again. Develop incentives for companies to come to the State like Idaho does.
Nothing works unless the unions are defrocked. Noticing her long list of cutting…no mention of Unions. They threaten and control. They need to go. Many think the “rich” whatever that means…should give up more because they do so well for 20 years. Many think the wealth came at the expense of the “worker” …whatever that means. Well…take a look at the unions.they’ve done better than any business. Time to make them pony up….unless the process is a “pick and chose” cafeteria operation…..Or how about the casinos? Gregoire touch neither because they give her huge money to be elected. It’s simple bribery….and the taxpayer pays for it.
Alfredo on December 15 at 7:52 p.m.
Man, its sad to see how many of you people really hate to see state employees earn a fair wage which sets the bar higher for other employers. I’m assuming you’re all employers who would love to do away with minimum wage, any benefits and be able to work your employees like indentured servants.
I don’t get it, I also don’t get how slashing jobs saves the economy…its fuzzy logic and I’m only using that term because any other thing I could say
would be censored.
And yes, let’s cut education even more to ensure we raise future sheep who will vote ‘publican.
misjustice on December 15 at 8:35 p.m.
@ Alfredo: I think it is the race to the bottom, caused by the global jobs auction and fueled by corporate greed, that causes some of our fellow citizens to attack state/gubmint workers.
The Republican’ts, by running up huge deficits with their credit card capitalism, have just about brought about Norquist’s goal. One more election cycle, with unlimited anonymous money, should just about do it for them.
Liberty_Bell on December 15 at 8:41 p.m.
Short Memories in Spokane?
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/poi/opinion/30811169.html?period=W&mpStartDate=11-28-2010
Vote Liar, the democratic party’s speciality!
mikeln on December 15 at 8:49 p.m.
One statement stood out to me, the one about more competitive bidding from the private sector. Does this mean an end to the good old boys club? Yeah, right. America better wake up, cutting education the way it has been cut can only mean trouble for us in the near future. You have to ask yourself, could the reason for this be they just don’t plan on providing employment for us so why waste money on our education? I know this sounds paranoid but when something is going on that cannot end good for our country and has not been reconized as the terrible threat it is, I have to be somewhat alarmed
Liberty_Bell on December 15 at 8:51 p.m.
“We’re just going become a nation of idiots.” No-BS?
Already Happened, study your education system, that taught these great economic guru’s?
“race to the bottom” mis-justice?
Where are the worlds great engineers, and scientists coming from, it hasent been the USA for decades.
Babyboomers, this is what hapens when reality is left behind.
Liberty_Bell on December 15 at 9:03 p.m.
Vote Democrat, and then wonder why your party’s blowing smoke up your nickers in a twist, you got just what you wanted.
Just like Justice Kennedy’s Citizen United Opinion, GO! Obama GO!
When word concerning the plot of the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington reached the circles of Government, some officials sought, by persuasion, to discourage its distribution. See Smoodin, “Compulsory” Viewing for Every Citizen: Mr. Smith and the Rhetoric of Reception, 35 Cinema Journal 3, 19, and n. 52 (Winter 1996) (citing Mr. Smith Riles Washington, Time, Oct. 30, 1939, p. 49); Nugent, Capra’s Capitol Offense, N. Y. Times, Oct. 29, 1939, p. X5. Under Austin , though, officials could have done more than discourage its distribution—they could have banned the film. After all, it, like Hillary, was speech funded by a corporation that was critical of Members of Congress. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington may be fiction and caricature; but fiction and caricature can be a powerful force.
Modern day movies, television comedies, or skits on Youtube.com might portray public officials or public policies in unflattering ways. Yet if a covered transmission during the blackout period creates the background for candidate endorsement or opposition, a felony occurs solely because a corporation, other than an exempt media corporation, has made the “purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit, or gift of money or anything of value” in order to engage in political speech. 2 U. S. C. §431(9)(A)(i). Speech would be suppressed in the realm where its necessity is most evident: in the public dialogue preceding a real election. Governments are often hostile to speech, but under our law and our tradition it seems stranger than fiction for our Government to make this political speech a crime. Yet this is the statute’s purpose and design.
Some members of the public might consider Hillary to be insightful and instructive; some might find it to be neither high art nor a fair discussion on how to set the Nation’s course; still others simply might suspend judgment on these points but decide to think more about issues and candidates. Those choices and assessments, however, are not for the Government to make. “The First Amendment underwrites the freedom to experiment and to create in the realm of thought and speech. Citizens must be free to use new forms, and new forums, for the expression of ideas. The civic discourse belongs to the people, and the Government may not prescribe the means used to conduct it.” McConnell , supra , at 341 (opinion of Kennedy, J. ).
The judgment of the District Court is reversed with respect to the constitutionality of 2 U. S. C. §441b’s restrictions on corporate independent expenditures. The judgment is affirmed with respect to BCRA’s disclaimer and disclosure requirements. The case is remanded for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.
It is so ordered.
cjdavis54 on December 15 at 9:59 p.m.
I think the Governor needs to take a pay cut, and all the other elected officials…
I also think that Maynard Ross Jr. is on the right track by ending the Retirement benefits for State and Federal Elected officials. AND I think they should have to pay for their own body guards, private jets, Limo’s etc.
I’d sure like to have been able to collect all that stuff after having worked for no more than 8 years…
Of course where do they want to cut the budget…to the one’s who need it the most. So that their relatives will vote to allow taxes to be increased…And then the Governor can give herself another big raise..
Also…I think that the Elected officials should be made to have the same health care as the ones on Public assistance and see how long it takes for that to be revamped. Same goes with the Feds
Take away some of their perks and see how much faster the budget gets balanced!
lowtechmaster on December 15 at 10:13 p.m.
I believe that the Washington State Constitution indicates that the primary responsibility of the state is education. The governor’s budget clearly does not meet that responsibility, even though the state has lost at least one court case over school funding. I hope another law suit is filed. The state needs term limits on all elected officials at all levels. The state needs to prohibit any elected official from getting any kind of pension benefits because of their elective office. The state needs to prevent all elected officials from getting health benefits on the state after they are out of office. Also, end all other perks for elected officials at all levels. Then anyone who ran for office at any level would be interested in representing their constituents, rather than enriching themselves. [I believe all of the above should also apply to all federal elected and appointed officials as well.]
Mr_Bloggy on December 15 at 10:13 p.m.
Shorter fiscal conservative: Let the poor and destitute and their children starve to death or die of simple untreated infections. Teach em to be leaches in a time where the rich have to fight for more tax cuts.
cryssT on December 15 at 10:45 p.m.
8,200 State employees have already lost jobs and another 1,200 jobs are slated to be eliminated. No COLAs for State employees the last two years and yes, those should have been forgone. Just remember, there were many years in the 1990’s that the State made lots of money (remember expensive car tabs) and State employees didn’t get any kind of COLA. A twenty-five percent increase in the monthly health benefits is upcoming and last year the office co-pays and prescription co-pays doubled. An upcoming 3% pay cut starting July 2011 (if the Legislator approves the budget) and yet some of you will never be satisfied until the State reverts to corduroy roads (look it up). Somehow 10,000 laid off State employees is about 10% of the State workforce and slightly exceeds the average unemployment for this State. When it comes to pension problems - PERS1 employees contributed 6% of the gross of each and EVERY paycheck for 30+ years - it’s the Legislator that didn’t add the funding that the State is legally bound to pay. Read and learn before you presume.
greenlibertarian on December 15 at 10:46 p.m.
Ha ha, Liberty Bell can’t tell the difference between citizens and corporations.
Such stunning ignorance.
Dazzeetrader11 on December 15 at 10:52 p.m.
You know Bloggy.,..you’re so full of chit your eyes are brown. Noneof that happens or will happen. Nice to emotionalise an issue…but it’s what Alinsky used to do. Just socialist babble.
We need to cut spending. Unions are the worst offenders and yet she won’t touch them. You know why.
RId the state roles od the unions, cut the social programs and education can be funded.
SIRTI has produced “what” in its 20 years? It’s budget is in the millions and nothing has been produced except a lot of coffee drinkers and lots of lunches. $200 K at sirti is nothing. Nice big office building and nice views but nothing else. Nothing.
If SIRTI was eliminated, nobody would know. It’s exactly these little wuiet programs that do nothing but exist because of somebody’s idea of quiet pork. They exist long enough and people simply assume they do something. NOTHIN since 1990. Not one thing….but a huge black hole for taxpayers’ money.
Dazzeetrader11 on December 15 at 11:39 p.m.
Green Lib…you could take lessons from Liberty Bell. Dems have been nasty liars hiding the ball from the Repubs and form the taxpayers.
No wonder they’re pushing this Omnibus bill through..like healthcare…they don’t want anyone to know what they’re up to. And yet, those who aren’t informed honestly are the same who pay for this awful garbage.
Remember in November 2012
polistra on December 16 at 5:04 a.m.
Takes guts for ANY politician to cut ANY spending. And it takes special guts for a Democrat politician to cut education spending.
Gregoire has guts, and most of these changes will end up improving the state in the long run, especially the education cuts.
polistra on December 16 at 5:04 a.m.
Takes guts for ANY politician to cut ANY spending. And it takes special guts for a Democrat politician to cut education spending.
Gregoire has guts, and most of these changes will end up improving the state in the long run, especially the education cuts.
greenlibertarian on December 16 at 2:43 p.m.
It takes a special kind of blind ignorance to pronounce that SIRTI has never done anything, not one thing.
Attagirl, Daisy. True to form as usual.
DayJ55 on December 16 at 10:41 p.m.
You give them more they spend more. Time to say this is what your getting…..deal with it.
gb333 on December 20 at 11:41 a.m.
Sometimes, I do think that Unions abuse their power, but on the other hand, the middle class hasn’t gotten a raise since like 1980. So this leads me to believe that keeping Unions around is a good thing. I just hope that they can start to realize when they are getting too greedy, but if Unions all went away, the American people will suffer.
There is a balance somewhere. Business can be squeezed out by taxes and unions, but they can also abuse the workers that basically make them money.
In my opinion, a lot of people need to stop choosing sides, and need to start getting more informed on individual issues, because many of you are simply angry, and don’t know why.
I commend Gregoire on making the tough choices to balance the budget. I can feel for those families that are going to be left out in the cold, but what can you do?