Spokane7
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April 6, 2011 in City
Gov. Gregoire skeptical of Spokane medical school funding plan
OLYMPIA – A House spending plan that includes $35 million to build a medical school in Spokane is “a problem” because it adds debt to the state, Gov. Chris Gregoire said Tuesday.
The House Capital Budget, released Monday, has millions more for construction projects than the budget Gregoire proposed in December; it gets extra money from bond sales through what she said she considers a gimmick. Instead of selling bonds only in the first year of the biennium, the state would sell them in both years.
“They have split up the capital budget over two years. That grows debt,” she said at a news conference. “That is a problem for me.”
Gregoire said she supports a Biomedical and Health Services Building at Riverpoint but couldn’t find room for it in her budget. If the Senate, which will produce its own capital budget in the next week or so, finds a way to pay for it without extra debt “I’m all for it,” she said.
The governor also was skeptical of a plan in the House general operating budget proposal to sell the state’s liquor distribution center to generate $300 million for programs. The Office of Financial Management will review the proposal.
“I don’t want to start with criticism of the House budget. I think they stepped up,” she said. “But it’s not an end (the session) budget. Some of it doesn’t work.”
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garmiester on April 06 at 7:31 a.m.
Dear Gov. Gregoire,
Yet again another example on how the state of Washington is divided between the have’s and have nots. If this 35 million medical building project would have beeen built on the west side, you would never hear a wisper from you.
Maybe its time to succeed from the state of Washington, and add the panhandle of Idaho and become the 51st state.
Maybe then we would get the needed funding for projects that are normally put on the back burner for the west side projects , like the needed project for duck bridges over freeways.
Wake up Gov. Gregoire and look over the mountains of Washington, you will see that we are part of your state too.
terryalan on April 06 at 8:05 a.m.
Darned straight we are part of the state….we share the budget miseries too and this Medical Building project needs to be postponed at least, if not out and out killed
Dazzeetrader11 on April 08 at 11:42 a.m.
Spokane doesn’t need a new building on Riverpoint.
The building is possible but the ongoing funding is all union as is the cost for the construction itself.
Gregoire should lower taxes instead of investing tax money is a unneeded building. She right to hold off.