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House Democrat budget would set spending record
Lack of
fiscal restraint, budget gimmicks instantly move
state treasury toward the red
As
Rep. Gary
Alexander
feared, House Democrats today showed they are still reigning champions
of big-spending with their rewrite of the state’s 2005-07 operating
budget. The House budget would allocate an additional $1.326 billion
from the state’s general fund, topping the Senate by $15 million.
“This will be the largest spending increase in state history by a long
shot, and Republicans can’t stop it because we once again haven’t been
allowed a seat at the negotiating table. I won’t be surprised to see a
repeat of 2005, meaning the House, Senate and governor will agree on a
final budget that’s even higher than any budget proposal we’ve seen so
far. The Democrats just don’t seem to know when to say ‘no,’ or
‘enough.’ The taxpayers’ money is being spent on arrival,” said
Alexander, R-Thurston County.
New spending driven by policy changes, typically not so prevalent in a
mid-term budget, totals $425 million. Those commitments alone would
represent the better part of a billion dollars if continued in the next
biennium, Alexander noted.
The House budget leaves an ending balance of $238 million, well under 1
percent of the $27 billion-
plus in spending proposed. Alexander dismissed Democrat claims that
appropriating some $850 million to a quartet of separate accounts is
equivalent to putting them in reserve.
“An appropriation is an appropriation – it’s an authorization to spend.
The only money that isn’t spoken for is the irresponsibly small amount
they leave for the ending balance,” he said. “Shifting money into
various accounts isn’t the same as putting it in reserve. It’s deferred
spending. Like a family putting away money for Christmas, it’s not the
same as plain old savings, and the Democrats have put more on layaway
than the taxpayers can afford.”
Alexander, budget leader for House Republicans, figures the House budget
will leave lawmakers a hole of at least $600 million to fill next year
when it’s time to write the next biennial operating budget. He said that
estimate, based on projections from the governor’s budget office, paves
the way for Democrats to approve a second round of tax increases in
three years if they continue to control the lawmaking process.
“One way or another the Democrats have committed to spend almost
everything available to them at a time when we could and should be
building a responsible reserve to protect taxpayers in preparation for
the next biennium,” Alexander explained. “Do they remember whose money
they’re spending?”
Alexander said there are a number of unnecessary expenditures in the
operating budget, as well as the capital construction budget, also
released today. But he said the main objection among Republicans is a
fundamental difference in how government spends taxpayer money and
delivers services.
“We’ve introduced legislation this session that would make bold
structural changes in government, save a ton of money and restore truth
to the budget process,” he said, “but Democrats have shown little
interest in our budget reforms.
“It took the 10 years ending with 2003-05 – that’s five budget cycles –
for state spending out of the general fund to increase by $7 billion.
The Democrats would raise the general fund spending by nearly $4 billion
in a single budget cycle, from 2003-05 to the current biennium. At the
rate they’re spending the treasury is headed for the red even if the
economy remains steady. And we know from last year how the Democrats are
more than willing to raise taxes to balance a budget,” Alexander pointed
out.
# # #
For more information, contact:
Brendon Wold, Public
Information Officer: (360) 786-7698
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