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Alexander: Watch for
legislative Democrats to exceed Gregoire’s massive spending increases
Governor’s
budget proposal would steer state from surplus to deficit
Rep. Gary
Alexander,
R-Olympia and Republican leader on the House Appropriations Committee,
issued this statement today following the release of Gov. Christine
Gregoire’s proposed 2007-09 state operating budget:
“I’m pleased the governor supports the idea of a constitutionally
protected rainy-day fund, and is requesting money for local economic
development, but I’m disappointed and concerned by what else I see – and
don’t see – in her budget proposal.
“There are no savings and reductions of any significance. No evidence of
any efforts to hold down health care spending, despite the governor's
strong statements two years ago that something must be done to reduce
the costs of care. It’s not apparent that the Priorities of Government
or her own GMAP processes were used to prioritize resources to the most
effective uses. None of the ‘surplus’ is returned to the people in the
form of tax cuts. It would make sense to view this unanticipated revenue
as one-time money and use a big piece of it to pay down the state’s
unfunded pension liability, or for other one-shot expenditures that
would produce real savings to taxpayers in future years. Instead, her
budget is full of new and expanded programs that drive costs into the
next biennium.
“I’m probably most dismayed at the admission that the nearly $2 billion
budget ‘surplus’ will be gone within four years, according to her own
budget staff, to be replaced by a deficit. And that’s assuming we
continue to see relatively stable revenue collections. How does
knowingly spending the state into a hole get us off the budget
rollercoaster? A few years down the road it’ll become necessary to tap
the rainy-day fund just to maintain the expectations being created in
this budget.
“This budget continues the Democrat trend of gimmicks that artificially
inflate the state spending limit to permit double-digit percentage
spending increases. And it’s disconcerting that this budget is
structured in a way that makes it difficult to make common-sense
comparisons, like calculating the increase in spending from one biennium
to the next.
“Remember how the budget process has turned out the past two years. The
governor’s budget proposal comes out first, and is outdone than the
Senate Democrats’ budget proposal, which is then exceeded than the House
Democrats’ budget proposal, which ends up being less than the so-called
‘compromise’ budget agreed to by all three sides It’s very likely that
the significant spending increases seen in this plan will be outdone not
once or twice but three times before a final budget is adopted in the
spring.
“The state spending limit has become a sideshow, to the detriment of
Washington taxpayers and families. The House Republican Truth in
Budgeting plan is a way back to the fiscal discipline the families and
employers of Washington deserve, and I hope the legislative budget
writers consider it as we get into the session.”
# # #
House Republican Truth in Budgeting Proposals
Constitutional Spending Limit: Provide true restraints on
spending as voters intended with the approval of I-601. A constitutional
spending limit would prevent budget writers from gaming the system to
meet their spending desires.
Constitutionally Secure Reserve Fund: Democrat budgets have
repeatedly reflected a lack of spending restraint. Money in reserve is
as good as spent. A constitutionally secure reserve would ensure savings
for a rainy day and require a two-thirds majority to spend.
A Constitutional 60 Percent Vote Requirement to Raise Taxes:
Democrats have twice amended I-601 to skirt voter-approved limits on tax
increases to pay for their spending increases. A 60 percent vote
requirement would virtually assure bipartisan approval.
Sunshine Law for Budget: Require a seven-day sunshine period
from the time a budget is proposed to the time it can be passed out of
the chamber of origin. The public deserves a chance to know what’s in
the biggest bill of every session.
Stop the Pork Politics: In 1995, when House Republicans had
the majority in the House, the capital budget had one local project
(Pacific Science Center Funding). The 2005-07 supplemental capital
budget proposed by House Democrats contained 107 local projects at a
cost of $108 million.
End the Budget Shell Games: Eliminate dedicated funds that are
used as hiding places for more spending and make budgets understandable
only to Olympia insiders. Let the public see how its money is being
spent.
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