March 6, 2009

Our budget problem offers us an opportunity to commit to a prioritized state government

I’ll admit it – I’m somewhat new to the Legislature. I’ve been serving the people of the 18th Legislative District for just over a year. But one of the advantages of being relatively new to the Legislature is that I approach my job with fresh eyes – eyes that emphasize people over politics.

As I watched the Legislature pass a budget last year that spent twice its tax growth rate, I clearly understood our state was headed for a cliff. I joined in a growing chorus of voices demanding that we, as the people’s representatives, set clear priorities and fund only those priorities. After all, taxpayer dollars are limited.

Unfortunately, no one in the majority party has been willing to put the brakes on our state’s runaway $8 billion spending spree. With the inevitable implosion of the subprime market, after three “stimulus” plans by Congress and with our state’s decisions to spend more than it should – our state now faces an $8 billion budget shortfall.

We could have prevented a large portion of our budget shortfall. As we work toward solutions, I believe we need to keep a no-new-taxes pledge so that we do not end up in the same situation in the future.

I commended Gov. Gregoire for introducing a no-new-taxes budget in December. Unfortunately, since then, what I’ve seen is a delicate dance and Democratic legislators in Olympia calling for tax increases. The problem is that core state government priorities – education, public safety, transportation, and safety net programs – have all been pushed to the edge or, in some cases, shoved off the cliff. For example, more than 40,000 folks in need may be kicked out of our safety net basic health program. Also, many vulnerable seniors may lose their important long-term care.

Yet, at the same time, legislator pet projects and other non-critical state agencies and programs continue to receive funding.

Washington’s businesses are also feeling the burden. Government has twisted employers into so many rules and regulations that they are no longer able to bear the burdens – and our economy is bleeding jobs because of it. For example, too many small-business owners continue to pay higher than average unemployment insurance and labor and industry rates.

Now that the state is facing an $8 billion budget shortfall and a declining economy, the primary solution coming from the majority party is to increase taxes. This approach would surely have a chilling effect on every hard-working family and employer in the state. Adding insult to injury, the majority party knows it will not have the two-thirds vote in the Legislature necessary to pass a tax increase. It seems they will likely say “let them eat cake” by tying core state government responsibilities to tax increases, and then kicking the decisions to voters to approve later this year.

This is no way to lead. Taxpayers did not create the problem – and they should not be expected to bail out state government leaders’ poor budgeting choices. I recently hosted a telephone town hall with more than 1,500 residents from our area. We asked poll questions about taxes and the feedback from people was absolutely clear: Don’t raise our taxes.

The first thing the Legislature should do is make the commitment to not spend more money than available taxpayer dollars. It sounds crazy, but this hasn’t been the case the last four years. Families and employers can’t budget that way, and neither should state government.

The second thing the Legislature should do is scrub the budget of all unnecessary spending. We must examine every state agency and program closely and make sure they are efficient and meeting intended goals. If they are not meeting these criteria, then elimination should take place.

Our budget problem offers us an opportunity to commit to a prioritized state government and close the door on wasteful state spending. I see our priorities as the economy, education, public safety, transportation, and protection of our most vulnerable citizens – and our state has collected enough of your tax dollars to fully fund these priorities.

Finally, the state should never make promises it cannot keep. We must be true to our word. Instead of a “let them eat cake” attitude, we need to work together to keep our families and employers healthy and prosperous.

Rep. Jaime Herrera, R-Ridgefield, represents the 18th District and can be contacted at herrera.jaime@leg.wa.gov.

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