What is Gregoire’s plan?

When Attorney General Rob McKenna filed a lawsuit to overturn the recently passed health care reform, including unfunded mandates to our state, Gov. Gregoire is quoted as saying, “Who does he represent … not me.”

In this case Mr. McKenna represents citizens that are knowledgeable with the details of the new federal bill and the effect the unfunded mandate will place on the citizens of Washington state. This unfunded mandate is the requirement to fund additional citizens on Medicaid. Granted, the majority of the funding will be allocated from the federal government, but how will Washington state pay its share?

As we all know, Gov. Gregoire and her allies in the Legislature have raised taxes and put the state into further debt to pay for the current budget period. With this added burden of increased Medicaid enrollment, would Gov. Gregoire explain how she plans to budget these additional expenses if our attorney general is unsuccessful in the lawsuit against the federal government?

Will she propose further cutting of services, putting our state in increased debt by selling bonds, or placing additional taxes on the citizens?

Michael Cloke

Spokane