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Record increase in state spending means trouble
for
taxpayers, treasury
Partisan budget
process caps off lackluster session, 20th District lawmakers say
Rep. Gary
Alexander and
Rep. Richard DeBolt say taxpayers would have been better off had the
Legislature adjourned without approving a state operating budget that
requires the largest spending increase in state government history. The
20th District lawmakers say despite $1.3 billion in added spending in
the supplemental budget, it fails to address the real priorities of
citizens.
On a party-line vote today, one day before the scheduled end of the
Legislature’s 60-day session, the House of Representatives passed a
$27.3 billion rewrite of the 2005-07 operating budget that raises
government spending by more than $4 billion from just two years ago.
“I don’t think the majority party’s priorities are the same as
priorities of taxpayers in the 20th District,” said DeBolt, R-Chehalis,
who is House Republican leader. “It’s a record spending increase that
includes $100,000 for a skating exhibition, $250,000 to display a
traveling historical exhibit and $7 million for minor-league baseball
stadiums. But somehow they struggled to find the money to lock up child
rapists for life and ensure vulnerable adults are protected from sex
predators.”
“I’m glad to see the end of this Legislature’s two-year term. The 59th
Legislature’s legacy can be summed up in two words: ‘tax’ and ‘spend.’
The best hope for taxpayers in 2007 is a new Legislature that is
committed to protecting taxpayers.”
“This budget breaks the spending record set less than two weeks ago by
the House Democrats’ budget, which broke the record set by the Senate
Democrats’ budget, which broke the record set in December by the
Democrat governor’s budget proposal,” said Alexander, R-Thurston County,
who is chief budget negotiator for House Republicans. “This is the same
as the budget process we saw last year. It’s as though there is an
ongoing contest to see who can spend the most.”
At least $468 million in the budget is tied to new or expanded programs,
far more than is necessary to make adjustments for unanticipated costs
and urgent needs – the traditional purpose of the supplemental budget
adopted in even-numbered years. The new policy-driven spending could
translate into a billion-dollar “bow wave” of increased costs in the
2007-09 biennium.
In 2005, when revenues couldn’t cover their spending choices, Democrats
responded by raising taxes nearly a half a billion dollars, Alexander
noted. That tax-and-spend budget has now become a
“spend-and-spend-and-spend” budget that virtually wipes out the
projected $1.6 billion revenue surplus, he said.
“The taxpayers would have been much better off if the Democrats had
treated this as a true supplemental budget and made only necessary
adjustments – but that would require fiscal restraint that we haven’t
seen from this Legislature,” Alexander said. “I really hope the next
Legislature puts a stronger emphasis on fiscal responsibility.”
Next year’s budget writers are looking at a $600 million deficit due to
the record spending level, Alexander said, adding that state employees
hoping for a salary increase next year have reason to be concerned that
the general fund is headed for such a huge hole.
The budget Democrats passed today would increase state spending by 17.7
percent over the 2004 supplemental budget and is expected to push the
state treasury into the red by next biennium even if revenue growth
stays steady at nearly 10 percent.
As part of their 2006 legislative agenda known as the Commitment to
Washington, House Republicans proposed a constitutional spending
rainy-day fund and a tax and spending limit similar to the one proposed
by voters in 1993. Majority Democrats failed to consider the spending
restraints, and, in fact, passed a bill to raise the spending cap to
make room for the record expenditures in the budget adopted today.
“Our agenda was a constructive, solution-oriented agenda aimed at
creating a healthy economy where job providers and families can
prosper,” said DeBolt. “We offered proactive solutions to improving our
economy, education, health care and public safety. The results of the
session were mixed – in some cases disappointing. But we will continue
to offer strong leadership and advocate for greater truth in governing.”
# # #
For more information, contact:
Brendon Wold, Public
Information Officer: (360) 786-7698
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