Like Baby, Budget Is A Good Start

Gary Locke, whose wife gave birth to a baby girl Sunday, has delivered his first state budget proposal as Washington’s new governor. Congratulations are in order - on both counts.

Locke’s budget reflects priorities that will be good for this state. Priorities consistent with a new parent whose eye is on the future. Priorities consistent with a grandson of immigrants who knows firsthand the rewards of hard work and good education. Priorities consistent with his campaign promises for better public schools and colleges.

Of course, the governor’s proposal has shortcomings that legislators must address.

Nevertheless, the spending plan makes an important break from Locke’s two Democratic predecessors, who, with their rhetoric, supported education, but, with their budgets, fattened the social services bureaucracy.

Three-fourths of Locke’s additions to the state budget go to education. More than half of his spending cuts come from the Department of Social and Health Services.

Locke proposes to boost the enrollment at public colleges and universities by 6,310 students. Community and technical colleges, essential to welfare reform and work force training, would get 3,688 of that total. This takes a major step toward preparing the children of baby boomers for a strong role in our economy and society.

But the governor’s call for an 8.3 percent tuition increase is a blot on an otherwise good education plan. Before it shakes down students, this state should get more instructional productivity out of its university faculties. Already, tuition is an obstacle; over the past generation, it has risen far more rapidly than the earning power of students who are struggling to pay their way. The best financial aid, since aid is not offered to the middle class, is affordable tuition.

Locke proposes big, welcome investments in educational buildings. But he would delay and string out construction funding for a key health sciences building in Spokane; this will increase its cost and stands in odious contrast to his generosity toward West Side projects.

Taxpayers should applaud Locke’s plans to add yardsticks for agency performance and incentives for agencies to operate at lower costs. But the public still is waiting for this state to end its ban on privatization, which other governments use to promote efficiency and innovation.

Last, but not least, Locke does not yet offer a plan to beef up the severely underfunded transportation budget. But he promises to develop one. Good. Locke would know why this is a priority if he’d had to drive his wife to the hospital over Spokane’s cratered roads.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = John Webster/For the editorial board