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13th District lawmakers vote against
'irresponsible' House state operating budget
State
spending grows 33 percent – or $8.2 billion –
since Gregoire, Democrats take control of budget process
State lawmakers from the
13th District voted no on a House state operating budget today calling it
irresponsible and a poor use of taxpayer dollars.
“It is very irresponsible
for the state to spend $1.3 billion more than in takes in for revenues.
This is a poor budget that the average taxpayer is going to have to pay
more for in years to come,” said
Rep. Bill Hinkle,
R-Cle Elum. “We need a budget that uses Priorities of Government
principles, gives a responsible amount of the surplus back to taxpayers,
and leaves enough left over for a rainy day fund and economic downturn.”
The state operating budget
pays for K-12 public schools, human services, higher education, debt
services, prisons/corrections, natural resources, special
appropriations, and legislative, judicial and government operations.
“It concerns me the budget
has grown 33 percent since Democrats and Governor Gregoire took control
of the process. This equates to $8.2 billion and that burden is put on
families and small employers,” said
Rep. Judy Warnick,
R-Moses Lake. “It is just as important to be fiscally responsible during
good economics times as it is during tough times. The budget passed
today encourages an economic downtown as opposed to responsibly
preparing for one.”
The House Democrat budget
does not include a constitutional rainy day fund that would set a
responsible amount of money aside and protect the state during economic
downturns. Bob Russell, a local second generation owner of a small
business in Moses Lake, weighed in on issue.
“I don’t understand why we
should spend our entire surplus when times are good so that we have
nothing for the rainy day-type situation. I certainly don’t want to see
taxes increased. That’s not going to help business, especially if we go
into some sort of a down cycle,” said Russell. “If we’ve got the money,
let’s put a little bit aside and be prudent about how we spent it today.
It’s like a kid in a candy store – you can’t have it all.”
House Republicans are also
concerned about spending $2.2 billion on new policy additions, including
around 3,800 new state government employees, while Democrats fail to
find any new efficiency or cuts in existing state programs.
“We’re adding around 3,800
new state employees. That’s more people than the
combined populations of
Warden and Kittitas,” said Warnick. “Each new state employee comes at a
significant cost. We simply cannot sustain this type of state government
growth without future tax increases.”
According to the Office of
Financial Management, an agency that provides fiscal services and policy
support for the state, even with a strong economy the projected reserves
for the state’s operating budget would be in a huge deficit by 2010.
“This budget bets
everything on a very strong economy. While I’m optimistic in our state’s
economy, we need to budget on worse case scenarios as opposed to best
case scenarios,” said Hinkle. “It’s troubling that our very own state
fiscal advisors tell us the state operating budget is headed for a
deficit – even in good economic conditions.”
For more information on
Hinkle visit:
http://www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Hinkle
For more information on Warnick visit:
http://www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Warnick
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For more information, contact:
John Handy, Assistant Director:
(360) 786-5758 or John
Sattgast, Information Officer: (360) 786-7257
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