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Rep. Alexander's statement on Senate
Democrat budget proposal
'While
Washington families are making do with less, state government is going
to get more. This budget spends more money than the last one,'
says Alexander
Rep.
Gary Alexander, R-Olympia, released the following statement today
regarding the Washington State Senate Democrat budget proposal:
"The Senate's
solution to closing the state's nearly-$9 billion budget shortfall is
shortsighted, relies too much on one-time money, attempts to bait the
public into buying off on a tax increase, and sets us up for budget
shortfalls again in the near future.
"It seems Senate
budget writers still don't get it. While Washington families are
making do with less, state government is going to get more. This
next biennium's budget actually spends more money than the last one when
you add the one-time funding from the federal stimulus and capital
budget transfers.
"Instead of
streamlining government and delivering services more efficiently and
effectively, the Senate proposes to use nearly $5 billion in one-time
federal and state money to backfill the overspending of the last four
years. Because we're not actually making systemic changes to the
process, we're going to be right back in the same situation in the very
immediate future.
"The Senate
proposes to borrow money for operating expenses by transferring capital
budget dollars to the operating budget. The reduction in capital
budget money will then be backfilled by more bonding. In essence,
we're placing daily expenses on the state's credit card which is a
horrible and shortsighted budgeting practice. This sets us up for
deficit spending down the road.
"Finally, making
the most dramatic cuts in K-12 education is, I believe, a way of making
the most noise possible with the budget reductions as a way to convince
the public that a tax increase for education is needed. This is
not so. We can balance the budget, fund education and protect our
most vulnerable without raising taxes on hard-working families.
"Borrowing
against our future, relying upon one-time money, and hoping for a tax
increase at the ballot is not the type of leadership our state needs
right now."
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For more information, contact:
Brendon Wold, Senior
Information Officer: (360) 786-7698
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