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State lawmakers must pass a
no-new-taxes budget,
fundamentally improve the process
As I sit
down to write you, state lawmakers are determining their budget
proposals. The challenge is addressing an unprecedented $9 billion
shortfall before the end of the legislative session on April 26.
Many people are wondering how our state got into such a deep hole.
While a struggling economy has contributed to the problem, the majority
party has increased state spending by $8 billion, or 33 percent, the
last four years. This is not to assign blame, but to understand the
origins of the problem.
A fact often lost in the debate is our
state will likely have more tax collections for its next budget compared
to its current one. This means, despite our economic woes, our state may
have more to spend in its 2009-11 budget. When we consider this
information with the size of the budget shortfall, it’s clear our state
has a spending problem.
State lawmakers must decide if they want
to streamline state government or raise taxes – or a combination of
both. Despite what you may hear, our state can – and must – pass a
budget that does not raise taxes on families and employers. When
declining consumer spending is hurting tax collections, taking more
money out of the pockets of hard-working people would only intensify our
economic challenges.
This is why I support a no-new-taxes
budget. Such an approach would require restructuring state government,
and our state has never had a better opportunity to look inward,
identify savings and pursue improvements. This is absolutely vital for
our state’s finances and economy.
Restructuring state government
begins by establishing priorities, which I see as K-12 education, public
safety and the protection of our most vulnerable citizens. State
lawmakers should fully fund the programs and services that support these
priorities, then have a healthy debate with what to do with remaining
tax collections.
What must be avoided is a loose-threaded,
patchwork budget that relies on one-time federal dollars, fund transfers
and creative accounting. I also fear the majority party wants to
increase taxes through the initiative or referendum processes. Both
approaches would display a lack of leadership at a time when our state
so desperately needs it. Avoiding necessary decisions would only push
our budget problem down the road, and voters deserve more from their
state lawmakers.
As I advocate for a no-new-taxes budget that
restructures and prioritizes state government, I’m also working with my
House Republican colleagues to fundamentally improve the budget process.
Our legislative package, if passed, would ensure budget sustainability,
transparency and accountability in the future. The goal is to prevent
the current budget problem from ever happening again.
For
example, I’m sponsoring a measure that would require the state to put
more money into its rainy day fund during good economic times. If we had
done this a few years ago, our budget problem would be much smaller
today. I’m also supporting legislation that would require the
Legislature to adopt a balanced budget, establish a state spending
limit, ensure that the costs of proposed legislation are known before
votes are taken on them, and give more time for state lawmakers and the
public to review budgets prior to them being put to a vote.
These proposals are rooted in common sense and fairness to taxpayers,
and their principles are similar to what responsible families and
employers are doing. The bottom line is we need a budget that is
sustainable, transparent and able to weather economic storms. And state
lawmakers should be held accountable for these outcomes.
State Representative Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, is assistant ranking
Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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