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November 28, 2011 in City
Wash. state budget goes back to drawing board
Legislature’s special session starts today in a familiar tale of shortages and cuts
Stop us if you’ve heard this one: Washington state’s revenues are down, its demand for services is up. The budget won’t balance. The Legislature needs a special session to make changes. That’s been a regular theme in state government since the beginning of the recession, and it starts all over again today.
During the last decade, the state’s population grew by nearly 900,000 people, and the number of students in public schools and universities also rose. The percentage of residents below the poverty level rose to 12.3 percent from 10.6 percent. As the charts here show, revenue, spending and state employment all grew during good economic times early in the decade, and the state spent more at the end of some two-year budget cycles than it planned to at the beginning.
Supermajority for taxes unconstitutional, judge rules 
DickAdams on November 28 at 7:26 a.m.
The following says it all and is typical of Gregoire. You can BS the people part of the time, but you can`t BS people all the time.
November 27, 2011
OLYMPIA, Wash. — In laying out the case for a possible tax increase, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire stood by a pie chart and talked about how the state had already cut $10.5 billion since 2008.
That number is only true if you stretch the interpretation of what a budget cut is.
Even if her new round of $1.7 billion of budget reductions go through, Washington is still scheduled to spend about $30 billion in its current general fund budget, more than the last budget cycle and only $1.5 billion less than the peak in the 2007-09 budget. Her much bigger calculation comes because of how budget writers view projected growth in government — especially at a time when more people are relying on its services as a safety net.
Many of the hundreds of cuts Gregoire and other Democrats have tallied are simply automatic spending increases that didn’t end up happening. For example, because the state twice suspended automatic cost-of-living adjustments for education employees, budgeters counted it as a “cut” of $682 million. Another “cut” of $344 million is counted because it stopped regular cost-of-living increases for some pensioners.
The $10.5 billion number also includes more than $1 billion dollars that were cut from higher education, but much of that money is still coming in a different way because lawmakers hiked tuition rates to offset the reductions. This year, the state halted new entrants to the Basic Health Plan for low-income residents and counted that as a saving of $130 million.
Some of the other numbers are even more curious. Budget leaders counted a $128 million cut for delaying an education apportionment payment, but the payment was still eventually made. They counted a $69 million cut from state parks, but didn’t take into account that the state filled that void by creating a new fee for park users. They booked another $440 million for an actuarial change in pensions.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on November 28 at 8:12 a.m.
Dick, that’s how budget “cuts” have always been calculated, from the federal level on down. Politicians want to make it look like they are saving a lot of money, whether they actually are or not.
DickAdams on November 28 at 8:21 a.m.
You are correct, Bruce. But to the uniformed, just maybe, after reading my post they may learn something? Bruce you are also correct saying “from the federal level on down” re look like. The city of Spokane budget cuts, is a perfect example.
Indie on November 28 at 8:47 a.m.
Chill out Dickie - if there is a tax increase in the works you and the rest of the state voters will have a say - it will not be crammed down your throat. If you don’t want the continuation of some services just vote no and encourage your friends to do the same. It’s called democracy.
DickAdams on November 28 at 10:41 a.m.
Indie:
You missed the main point, i. e. Gregoire lying to the citizens regarding the cuts made. Gregoire, is a liar pure and simple. The increase in sales tax she is asking is a scare tactic (coupled with LE extinction, BS she talks about) and probably will cause voters to approve it that otherwise the increase would go down in flames. Seems to me, you are somewhat dense.
Jethro_toll on November 28 at 10:44 a.m.
I thought we paid them to do this the last time? We should contract them and if they dont get the job done in the amount of days, then they should just have to get it done on what we give them.
Whats it costing us $32K a day for these clowns to do a kindergarners job?
misjustice on November 28 at 10:57 a.m.
Now, now, Seer - my Peep - I must disagree with you…I believe that Dick is relevant. I may not always agree with him (although frequently I do) but I enjoy reading his posts. And I think that it’s great that he is involved and does the Interwebs thingy!
In fact, I Love Dick!
; )
In the public sphere all voices deserve to be heard, even those we may disagree with or those some may deem to be irrelevant.
Just sayin’…
Coffee on November 28 at 11:11 a.m.
I am still working full time and I think Dick makes some good points. I may not agree all the time, but I agree more of the time with him than not. Keep up the good work Dick.
DickAdams on November 28 at 11:38 a.m.
Seer, I`m reluctant to send this answer but I will. Before I retired (with over 30 years of service), I contributed (deducted monthly from my pay check) 1% of my income to United Fund for my last 13 years of employment, as well as many other charities sending them a check. One other donation I made annually for years was money to send kids to summer camp at no cost to their families. Do you contribute to the less fortunate? Seems to me your in the habit of tearing people down inferring we do nothing to help people. I wonder with your big mouth, how benevolent you are? Of course there is no way of telling if your speaking the truth when you hide behind a moniker. At least people that know me can attest to opines being accurate. IMO, all posters should use their real names so we know if they are liars or not. I`ll guess some of the stuff you write would not be posted using your real name.
mare2924 on November 28 at 11:57 a.m.
Looks like the editors aren’t doing their job on the graphics. DSHS has the largest share of employees, not higher education!
jddavis on November 28 at 12:24 p.m.
DickAdams—Old School! I like that.
You may or may not agree with him, but if you pay attention you just might learn something.
Orphan on November 28 at 4:05 p.m.
MisJ I am impressed, I mean really impressed. If we ever meet I owe you a glass of Old Vine Zin.
Seer if you were in power I am afraid you would be a very good tyrant. It actually scares me that yu may be incharge of something or somebody. I agree with MisJ you need to be heard the more the better thats what keeps us from making more mistakes than we already do.
cryssT on November 28 at 6:41 p.m.
“Looks like the editors aren’t doing their job on the graphics. DSHS has the largest share of employees, not higher education!”
Nope, HigherEd has more employees - There are 4 Universities, 1 State college and innumerable Community Colleges. Each College is its own agency. Professors, instructors and staff are all counted as HigherEd. DSHS is the largest agency but not the most employees.
http://lbloom.net/ for a list of employees
http://pamroachreport.blogspot.com/2009/03/susan-dreyfus-to-head-dshs.html … DSHS is Washington’s largest state agency, with more than 19,000 employees and a combined state and federal two-year budget of about $20 billion. Each year, more than 2 million Washington residents turn to the agency for help. Its five divisions are responsible for an array of social services, including medical assistance, mental health services, vocational rehabilitation, food assistance, child welfare, care for the frail elderly and disabled adults, child support enforcement, juvenile rehabilitation, and alcohol and substance abuse prevention and treatment.
Pigrobin on November 28 at 7:00 p.m.
Was the Seer gagged? I see no posts. I feel cheated.
DickAdams on November 28 at 8:57 p.m.
Its a few minuets to 9pm and I thought I`d check in expecting that Seer had replied to my post @ 11:30am. I responded to another post of Seer`s today where he was in error twice in the same post. Seer said, Ron Wells purchased the old Carnegie Library on cedar and first avenue. Seer was wrong, it was Jim Franks. Next,Seer was saying something that obviously he did not know the facts when Seer said, even gazillionaire Andrew Carnegie donated “one” library to Spokane. Wrong!! Carnegie donated more than
“one” library to the Lilac City.
jddavis: I read just about all of what posters add to a given story and do learn about stuff and what they have to say. Just because I don`t acknowledge stories I totally agree with, I do learn. Furthermore, I do not get personal with a writer unless they do it first. Then its up to anybody, me included, to retaliate and let the chips fall where they may.
jddavis on November 29 at 9:30 a.m.
DIck—I was referring to you; paying attention to you. Sorry if I wasn’t clear.
Keep posting your supported opinions/positions!