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Rep. Norma Smith on passage
of state budget
The
Washington State House of Representatives today passed the
state
operating budget.
Rep. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, issued the following
statement about the budget:
"I
cannot support a budget that is
clearly not sustainable. Only recently we had extraordinary new
revenues, yet spending outpaced tax collections. I believed this
economic crisis presented the Legislature a good opportunity to
restructure spending to ensure state government lives within its means.
Unfortunately, majority leadership did exactly what they have done in
previous budgets - spent more than the state is bringing in.
"Budget writers
raided the capital budget of $777 million, skipped a pension payment of
$449 million and used the federal stimulus of $3 billion to plug the
budget gap without addressing fundamental concerns regarding the
priorities of government. What happens
with the next budget when we do not have these dollars to rely
on? It's irresponsible to the people of this state for the Legislature
to leave them with an I.O.U. that could be ten billion dollars in two
years without any way of paying for it.
"I'm also
disappointed that Republican ideas and solutions were not incorporated
into the budget. We came forward and offered assistance, but were not
invited to the negotiating table. When you have a 'group-think' in which
a few people hold tight control, stifle input from the majority of
members, and then roll out a budget within hours of final vote, it
doesn't allow for creative and innovative solutions.
"We did not
create the budget problems, but we were willing to work with the
majority party to work toward a sustainable budget. Unfortunately, our
offer was not accepted. I fear the choices they made today are going to
haunt the next Legislature and indebt our children for years to come."
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For more information, contact:
Bobbi Cussins, Public Information Officer: (360) 786-7252
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