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House GOP budget leaders say
NO to tax increases
'Before we talk of tax increases we
need to talk about
downsizing government,' says Alexander
'You
can't take more from people who have less,' says Orcutt
House Republican budget
leaders spoke out today against possible tax increases being considered
by Governor Gregoire and majority Democrats in the Legislature.
In a
blog post today by Olympia reporter Austin Jenkins, Gregoire's new
chief of staff Jay Manning made comments to suggest the administration
is leaning towards tax increases to help balance state spending.
Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia, and ranking
Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee said the governor is
opening the door to tax increases on struggling families without
exhausting all available options.
"Before we talk of tax increases we need to talk about downsizing
government," Alexander said. "We need to take the
time to redefine state government's role in our lives. Are there
services and programs that can best be handled by the private sector?
We've yet to fully embrace the supposed 'third leg' of collective
bargaining by studying and implementing private contract services.
"I do agree with one part of Jay Manning's statement and that is we
can't just cut our way out of our budget hole," Alexander
continued. "There has to be a plan of action -- a reprioritization
and refocus on the core services that government provides.
Families and businesses around our state are having to do more than just
cut, they're having to improvise and get creative. State
government should do the same."
Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, and ranking Republican on the
House Finance Committee, said the governor should be focusing on getting
people back to work and keeping jobs in this state.
"The governor needs to understand there were far too few Washingtonians
making near her $160,000 per year salary and since they've been laid
off, they certainly aren't making it now," Orcutt said.
"Long before they were laid off, she said that we couldn't afford a tax
increase. Well, how can she believe we can afford it now?
"Gregoire said no to tax increases in her 2004 campaign, but raised them
in 2005. She said no to tax increases in her 2008 campaign, yet
she's again contemplating them for 2010," Orcutt
continued. "She needs to stop talking about taxes and start
talking about solutions – solutions to the layoffs, solutions to high
taxes. I guarantee, higher taxes won't solve either problem – it
will only make them worse.
"You can't take more from people who have less," Orcutt
said. "And that's the bottom line. You can't improve the
economy by taking more money out of taxpayers' pockets."
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For more information, contact:
Brendon Wold, Senior
Information Officer:
(509) 921-2356
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