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December 16, 2010 in City
Gregoire’s budget lays out harsh cuts
Schools, social services take biggest hits
Gregoire
(Full-size photo)
OLYMPIA – Saying the state faces an economic crisis that requires deep cuts and government restructuring, Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday 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 noncommittal, 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 would 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 
DHF on December 16 at 5:45 a.m.
Sometimes in life you have to make hard choices. Had the Democrat Legislature and the Gov. listened to the voters in 07 who wanted a Rainy Day Fund the impact might not have been so severe. This fiasco was a result of out of control spending without the income to match. You can blame the Democrats and the Gov for this one.
bez233 on December 16 at 6:00 a.m.
IT IS TIME FOR IMPEACHMENT!!
This FAT budget needs to roll back to 2006 when it worked
I didn’t see the govenors wage or benefits decrease.
Corporate welfare wasn’t mentioned? (i.e. Boeings recieves BILLIONS of Washington tax money - that alone would take care of the “shortfall”)
International Unions need to also understand that they are becoming more of a threat to the USA than any terrorist, with unrealistic over compensation.
Just think some 70 years ago there weren’t any taxes and the USA was the most profitable country in the World. (More taxes less power)
soccermomsusie on December 16 at 6:20 a.m.
Bez, you are right about unions! But don’t mention the 70 years ago thing. Unions were more in power then and American manufacturing and the standard of living was pretty high. In fact, America peaked at the same time that unions had the most power.
As unions dwindled, so did the American standard of living. You know that. I know that. But we don’t need to tell the rest of the world this.
The point is we want to make sure our corporate masters (God’s Super Citizens) can rule over us the way the Good Book intended. And unions aren’t part of that plan! It makes the common man too uppitty.
Oh and hey Queen Christine, at least when we make more people homeless (less upkeep), they can enjoy a penny off their can of sodey pop now that the people removed this excessive tax!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!!!
SpokaneLiberal on December 16 at 6:43 a.m.
The US adopted it’s first federal income tax in 1861. At the time most states also had income taxes (many dating from before the revolutionary war). These taxes existed in various forms and legal challenges until 1909 (100 years ago) with the 16th Amendment. That was 100 years ago not 70.
At the time we also got most of our revenue from Tariffs on foreign goods and $$ from the sale of federal lands/timber/mineral rights.
I hate when people just make stuff up.
Scoutster on December 16 at 7:40 a.m.
There is a serious error in this story reflecting a basic ignorance many people have about how things get done in the state.
Ms. Washington’s company, Chesterfield, is a CONTRACTOR for services. The people she employs to do direct care ARE NOT state employees. They do not get PERS, they do not have rich benefits, they don’t have a union. They probably get about $10-$14 hr.
It is wrong to assume that cuts in programs mean cuts in state workers. Most of these cuts will slash the working poor who are at the very bottom of the food chain but do the heavy lifting. The serfs.
liarsinnews on December 16 at 7:58 a.m.
spokaneliberal, forgot to mention that tariffs lead to the Civil War. Honest Abe will verify.
hawken on December 16 at 8:07 a.m.
SpokaneLiberal
When I post such information as you did, I post a link which provides a source for that information.
Please post the links(s) from where you get the information.
I too just hate it when people make stuff up. I’m not saying that you’re making this stuff up…. but kindly post the link(s).
Liberty_Bell on December 16 at 8:16 a.m.
“Man proposes and God disposes…”
U.S. Grant, at Ft. Vancouver 1853
“…While I was stationed on the Pacific coast we were free from Indian wars. There were quite a number of remnants of tribes in the vicinity of Portland in Oregon, and of Fort Vancouver in Washington Territory. They had generally acquired some of the vices of civilization, but none of the virtues, except in individual cases. The Hudson’s Bay Company had held the Northwest with their trading posts for many years before the
United States was represented on the Pacific coast. They still retained posts along the Columbia River and one at Fort Vancouver, when I was there. Their treatment of the Indians had brought out the better qualities of the savages. Farming had been undertaken by the company to supply the Indians with bread and vegetables; they raised some cattle and
horses; and they had now taught the Indians to do the labor of the farm and herd. They always compensated them for their labor, and always gave them goods of uniform quality and at uniform price. Before the advent of the American, the medium of exchange between the Indian and the white man was pelts. Afterward it was silver coin. If an Indian received in the sale of a horse a fifty dollar gold piece, not an infrequent occurrence, the first thing he did was to exchange it for American half dollars. These he could count. He would then commence
his purchases, paying for each article separately, as he got it. He would not trust any one to add up the bill and pay it all at once. At that day fifty dollar gold pieces, not the issue of the government, were common on the Pacific coast. They were called slugs…”
“The best memoirs of any general’s since Caesar’s” Mark Twain
johnclarke on December 16 at 8:26 a.m.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax#United_States
Yes Hawken, you post links - to quotes and nonsense. Never facts.
Cheezwhiz on December 16 at 8:32 a.m.
Once upon a time, we had a Governor named Locke.
When it came to taxing and spending, he would balk.
There was a huge surplus, too much to spend.
Said we would get checks, the surplus will end!
Never fear! Don’t worry! We’ll get Christine to lead!
She can fix that surplus, our taxes shall breed!
Milk it, squeeze it, shake it, take every dollar you can!
spend it, spend it, spend it, do it all over again!
Our state is now broke, many programs are in doubt.
Don’t worry, at least there’s no surplus to worry about!
Where did it all go? Where did the money get spent?
Magically disappeared! Every dollar, every cent! AMW
Marcus on December 16 at 8:33 a.m.
if the gov and elected state officials were paid the average income for the state of Washington and not more than they might be a little more in tune with actually doing things to help the people of the state which is their job. the Median Household income for Washington is $56,995 (which i would say is higher than the actual average since having no income you would not be included) Gov. Gregoire’s salary is $166,891
http://www.salaries.wa.gov/Salaryschedule19872005.htm
there is a lot of fat to be trimmed there but that’s not going to happen
Liberty_Bell on December 16 at 8:36 a.m.
And Locke Cheezewhiz?
Like United States v. Locke, Christine AG, who think’s Commerce come’s from Olympia?
Oh yes, the great AG, now Governor, at every legal law firms page in America!
A Queen to discuss “MORALITY?”
http://www.davidmoodylaw.com/results/
SpokaneLiberal on December 16 at 8:52 a.m.
Hawken, the man who always demands links but the only links he ever provides are to unrelated things. When he makes an assertion of fact and someone asks for a link he refuses. In fact when arguing over tax cuts for the really wealthy creating jobs he finally just said I don’t have a link it is just logic.
Source for Income Tax originating in 1861: Revenue Act of 1861, sec. 49, ch. 45, 12 Stat. 292, 309
A summary explanation can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenue_Act_of_1861
Source for the 16th Amendment: US Constitution but Congress passed the 16th Amendment in 1909 and it was ratified and in force by 1913.
I am not going to bother with a link to it.
Source on Tariffs, excises, and land sales being the primary source of Revenue: Tariff Act of 1789 (and about 100 other pieces of legislation over 140 years)
Summary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tariff_Act_of_1789
https://ustreas.gov/education/fact-sheets/taxes/ustax.shtml
http://www.usgovernmentrevenue.com/#usgs302a (ad-valorem is usually tariffs and excise taxes, “Remainder” and “Other” were primarily land sales, etc) You can change the years to see it throughout history.
Etc.
hawken on December 16 at 9:00 a.m.
Thank you spokaneliberal….
Wikipedia is an online free-content encyclopedia that anyone can edit and contribute to.
MrNatural on December 16 at 9:12 a.m.
WEEEEEEE! WEE-WEE WEEEEEE!
…all the way home
Seems to me that most states are in debt or denial across the U.S. and as always during troubled times people get gruff and stingy…As for me I’m going to drop a few bucks off at the Christmas Bureau…they seem to be falling a bit behind…best we do our part close to home at least… Matthew 25:31-46
Cheezwhiz on December 16 at 9:18 a.m.
Once upon a time, taxes were thin, wallets were fat .
The cost of living was cheap. We were proud of that.
There was a huge surplus, too much to spend.
Said we would get checks, the surplus will end!
Never fear! Don’t worry! We’ll get Christine to lead!
She can fix that surplus, our taxes shall breed!
Milk it, squeeze it, shake it, take every dollar you can!
spend it, spend it, spend it, do it all over again!
Our state is now broke, many programs are in doubt.
Don’t worry, at least there’s no surplus to worry about!
Where did it all go? Where did the money get spent?
Magically disappeared! Every dollar, every cent! AMW
Liberty Bell, it ain’t easy to write political poems and still be accurate and complete. To be honest, I lived in another State at the beginning of Locke’s term, and came back when he left the office, so I don’t know what the lawsuit you referred to is about. I really don’t want to know either.
I have no idea why anyone voted to re-elect Gregoire. In my opinion, if the ship is sinking, you don’t ask the guy or woman who drilled the holes, to fix the hull. Guess the Left side of the State had their reasons. It shows that it’s entirely possible for Obama to be re-elected to drill more holes in the ship. That worries me.
hawken on December 16 at 9:20 a.m.
Natural… you realize that you run the risk of Diana’s online wrath for citing Scripture? I agree with your point concerning the Christmas Bureau.
SpokaneLiberal on December 16 at 9:25 a.m.
Yes Hawken and I didn’t only link to Wikipedia.
Plus it is footnoted for those who are worried about people like hawken editing it.
Plus wikipedia corrects when people sabotage
http://alumni.media.mit.edu/~fviegas/papers/history_flow.pdf
Plus Wikipedia is as accurate or more accurate than other encyclopedias
Source Nature Magazine 2005, and about 50 other articles and studies to date here are a few
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7070/full/438900a.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100924212131.htm
Liberty_Bell on December 16 at 9:43 a.m.
United States v.Locke; Christine 0, Justice Kennedy 9,
Hire and elect, the American Lawyers with Disabilities Act, and yo too can waste money in Olympia, attempting to defend the indefensable.
“The State of Washington has enacted legislation in an area where the federal interest has been manifest since the beginning of our Republic and is now well established. The authority of Congress to regulate interstate navigation, without embarrassment from intervention of the separate States and resulting difficulties with foreign nations, was cited in the Federalist Papers as one of the reasons for adopting the Constitution. E.g., The Federalist Nos. 44, 12, 64. In 1789, the First Congress enacted a law by which vessels with a federal certificate were entitled to “the benefits granted by any law of the United States.” Act of Sept. 1, 1789, ch. 11, §1, 1 Stat. 55.”
Of course Gary Locke, is now Obama’s Commerce Secretary, and he can’t figure out why the Worlds Laughing, when the Washington State Imbeciles think Commerce comes from Olympia!
Should we discuss Lisa Brown v. Brad Owen?
Vote Imbecile, a Spokane Electorate Requirement!
golfer111 on December 16 at 10:00 a.m.
I think if Teachers are going to get a big pay cut then all of the State workers including WSP, and Firefighters should be in the same boat. Why always education and not other state employees making 100,000 a year. So now teachers (if they still have a job) will have 40 kids in each class. Glad to see our priorities in Washington are set!
MrNatural on December 16 at 10:12 a.m.
…I think Diana miiiiiiiiiight cut me some slack……..”Soros!”
(I know I know not before noon)
cdspokesreader on December 16 at 10:28 a.m.
@golfer - it’s not all the teachers that should take the cut, many of them start out with low wages and many of them pitch in and buy things for their classrooms that the schools no longer provide. Take a look at the salaries of the principals though - most over 100,000 a year and then look at all the department heads in the local school districts - spokane has the most who are making outrageous amounts. All while our kids programs are being cut more and more. I agree some cuts need to be made in government, but not to the people that actually do the work and make about the same or less than people in the private sector. It’s the layers & layers of management, committees and boards that need to be cut.
Dazzeetrader11 on December 16 at 10:28 a.m.
1. WHole truth not just your selected facts. Outside of the unions, any contractor MUST be paid “prevailing wage” whihc is the exact same price as the Unions charge. Labor and Industries voted that in years ago to protect who? The unions!
NY and WA are the two biggestest unions states and L and I runs labor…they’re inside the government and they make the rules…what don’t you get about that. Gregoire saw to it that this would happens. She’s so corrupt…but worse is Lisa Brown who engineered it so the Gov could sign it. And why did Wa St join up with NY? Because the head of all unions in NY moved out to Olympia. DUH!! And why did he move? Because he was invited by Brown and Gregoire! More salary!
Wa St residents have been getting beat up by their own government for years!!
Hey Soccer mom..ur SO wrong. The unions didn’t improve the standard of living. Commerce did because of capitalism . The two world wars helped too. Industy had to step up….and with that “step” came jobs…from the private sector. Unions have killed off the US and Wa St. Eliminate the unions and the budget shortfalls will resolve. Notice in her cuts how the UNIONS are absent? There’s reasons…
Labor’s taken over the state and is primarily responsible for the debt. It’s just kept quiet. Shhh…talk about the “wealthy” and how we’ll make me pay for being successful and providing jobs.!!! Distract from the real problem by blaming them! Shhhh…but don’t talk about the corrupt unions! Shh…your re-election chances might suffer….shhhhhh.
Liberty_Bell on December 16 at 10:43 a.m.
Daisy,
You mean the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Take for instance Citizen United, and Justice Kennedy’s Opinion, with Justice Scalia on stage with Obama, “Thats not true.”
Ignorance never before seen, from a Harverd Lawyer named Obama?
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.
golfer111 on December 16 at 10:54 a.m.
@cdspokesreader I was not saying have the teachers take a cut I was saying since education is taking the brunt of this whole cut thing then the rest of state workers should be treated the same. A teacher needs a masters plus 90 credits and 16 years experience to be at the top of the payscale. Firefighters need a high school deploma and make more money. I just think if one takes a cut they should all take a cut….
Thoreau on December 16 at 12:56 p.m.
As far as education cuts go, “cdspokesreader” was correct in claiming that there are too many committees and levels of management. But guess why? Since Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” , schools are mandated to document EVERYTHING, and take measures to prove staff is collaborating. Hence, committees, and scads of paperwork that undermine a trained teacher’s sound judgement. Like everything in NCLB, the government has made demands with zero monetary support. I was disappointed when Obama left NCLB intact. Now schools are facing the D-Day of NCLB : 100% of students must meet or exceed standards on state tests in a couple years. It was impossible from the start, and is even more absurd in the midst of these budget cuts. I’d like to see the government accomplish any agenda item with no money to support it.
Scoutster on December 16 at 3:20 p.m.
Daisy…
I’ve mostly learned to ignore your ignorance, but this I must respond to…Are you really this out of touch?
Look at the beginning wage and benefits for a direct care worker at Lakeland or Eastern State Hospital, and compare that with comparable work in the community.
Not even close.
hawken on December 16 at 7:49 p.m.
Scoutster
You say….
“Look at the beginning wage and benefits for a direct care worker at Lakeland or Eastern State Hospital, and compare that with comparable work in the community.”
I have no idea about the wage and benefits you cite. But, that’s beside the point.
You again, demonstrate the intellectual failure and the incapacity of liberals, when it comes to basic logic.
Your failed, single cite, is a logical fallacy of basic definitions.
It is called a “biased sample.”
From this logical fallacy, you refute the larger facts and use it as a basis to condemn Daisy as ignorant.
As I have said on this blog, many times in the past, I recommend that all liberals enroll in a logic class at Spokane CC. This would be quite helpful. Apparently, many of you didn’t take this class in high school. For those of you who did, I recommend a “refresher course.”
SpokaneLiberal on December 16 at 9:07 p.m.
Speaking of Fallacies how about hawken coming through with a slew.
1. Fallacy of Accident
2. Converse Fallacy
3. Irrelevant conclusion
4. Confirming the Consequent
5. Fallacy of False Cause
6. Straw man
7. Argument by Innuendo
8. Proof by Verbosity
Maybe it is hawken that could benefit from a logic class at SCC.
hawken on December 16 at 9:28 p.m.
spokaneliberal….. dare I ask you for specific examples?
Of course not, you don’t have them…. Accusations are quite easy,,,, require not proof,,, and are intended as character assassination only.
Do you actually think you are fooling people with a brain?
SpokaneLiberal on December 16 at 10:24 p.m.
1. Fallacy of accident: You are a liberal. Liberals lack logic. You lack logic.
2. Irrelevent Conclusion: (discussion about benefits and wages ongoing) hawken: see this is what all you liberals fail at (liberals not in discussion, not part of logical argument)
3. Converse Fallacy: Every liberal I have met lacks logic so liberals must lack logic.
4. Proof by verbosity: look at hawken’s nearly 2000 posts in less than 4 months, with the goal of just out posting everyone.
I have a wife to get back to but the others are there too…
Shazamm on December 19 at 12:54 p.m.
The State could save a ton of money by dispensing with the unions. They spend most of their time tying management in knots and protecting lazy, unproductive employees that would be fired in any other environment. Replace those employees with ones who truly want to work and you would a huge surge in public sector productivity and cost savings.