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Statements by Rep. Alexander on 2007-09 operating
budget
From
Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Thurston County,
regarding tonight's House vote approving
House Bill 1128, the 2007-09 state operating budget:
"This is not a 'compromise' budget. It is
a compilation budget.
"At 563 pages, I believe this is the
largest state budget in volume ever. At 33.4 billion dollars, I know it
is the largest state budget in dollars ever.
"The state budget has grown by 30 percent in four short years, while our
population and inflation has grown at less than half that rate.
"The spending rate in this budget is
twice the expected rate of revenue growth (15 percent versus 7.5
percent), and this budget spends 1.3 billion dollars more than it
takes in.
"It will take our state from a 2
billion-dollar surplus to a 1 billion-dollar deficit in
four short years and a 2 billion-dollar deficit in less than six
years, according to the governor’s budget office.
"And for the first time in recent history, the new policy additions
($2.1 billion) in this budget exceed the budget necessary to meet
our current obligations ($1.5 billion)."
* * *
"If you look at the new spending, this is
not a public education budget. Both health care and higher
education get more money than K-12. It’s true that this budget
spends an additional 18 percent on K-12 education. Will we see an 18
percent improvement in student performance? I don’t think so. This
Legislature doesn't fund the fundamentals and turned the WASL into the
WAFFLE.
"Even with the large increase in health care funding, the majority party
didn’t do anything to increase access or reduce costs to the
people who make up 70 percent of our economy -- the families of our
small businesses.
"And the increases in spending for our most vulnerable
populations -- people with mental illness, our developmentally disabled,
and our senior citizens in long-term care facilities -- are still
inadequate."
* * *
"There will be a new rainy-day fund, if
the voters agree. I hope they will. But this budget would put the
smallest amount possible into that fund – 1 percent, and in the
second year only.
"This Legislature did nothing to address
the state's 5 billion-dollar unfunded pension liability. Yet some of the
only savings in this budget come from doing away with gain-sharing.
There's a 2 billion-dollar surplus, and this budget saves by taking
from our public employees' pensions.
"Does the majority party expect the people
to believe that every state dollar is being spent well, every program is
working effectively, and every state agency is operating efficiently?
"Unfortunately, this budget continues to discriminate against
public employees by dividing them into classes. One class gets a pay
raise in July, the other must wait until September, just to save 18
million dollars in a 33.4 billion-dollar budget. I wonder how
other legislators with an above-average number of public employees in
their districts will explain a 'yes' vote on this budget. I would have
trouble with that, if I had voted for this."
* * *
"One-hundred five days ago, in our caucus,
we talked about how this session would give Republicans the opportunity
to show the people of our state where we stand, and what we believe.
"Today our caucus again called for restraint. We have listened to the
chief economist and have refused to gamble. The majority party caucus
has passed a budget which gambles that the abnormal economic
growth we saw is normal."
* * *
"When the House adopted the current
operating budget two years ago I predicted that it would lead to a
deficit, based on the economic forecasts of that time.
"I would rather call for restraint, and have the economy perform much
better than anyone expected, than to roll the dice with the
taxpayers’ money, and be wrong.
"This budget rolls the dice. It's
responsive to some groups, but the taxpayers aren’t among
them."
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Contact: Rep. Alexander, (360) 786-7990
Eric Campbell, House Republican Communications, (360) 786-7720
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