It seems Senate budget-writers didn't even attempt to follow the state's voter-approved spending limit (I-601) this year. (Um. Surprise?)
In response to the question "what I-601 spending limit does the Senate budget assume for 2005-07?" a Senate Ways and Means Committee staff member replied by email:
". . . As you well know, the "2 way street" provisions of 601 allow almost unlimited changes to the limit. We are simply assuming that we move money in and out of the [general fund] in a way to assure that the limit is high enough to support this budget."
The Evergreen Freedom Foundation has written extensively about the breaking of the I-601 spending limit here, here, here and here.
Posted by Marsha Michaelis at March 29, 2005 05:42 PM | Email ThisThey ignored 601 because they know what's best and only care about the voter on election day.
I wonder how many of the Dems in Oly have ever had their own business, or for that matter had a REAL job.
Besides, Chrissy will "reel them in" trying to look like she's in charge and keeping the budget under control while still over spending.
Liars, cheats, and thieves the bunch of them.
Posted by: smoke on March 29, 2005 06:02 PMThey are cooking the books by shuffling funds and expenditures around. This is Dumocrat Generally Accepted Accounting Practices.
Posted by: Norm on March 29, 2005 06:09 PMGranting that it was approved by barely more than 51% of the voters, what is wrong with the idea of setting a limit on taxing and spending after a number of years in which the two rocketed upward?
I-728 and I-732 promised higher spending on public schools and teacher compensation without a tax increase to pay for them. They seem like things a snake oil salesman might foist on the public -- and they came from the collectivist left wing of the political spectrum.
Is it right to raise taxes now that the snake oil has been sold to the gullible masses? Is that how it works?
I suppose so, when the masses also choose leftists as the majority in both houses of the legislature.
Every few years, they have to learn the same lesson over again: Each dollar taken by government from those who earned it is a dollar that can no longer be earned by selling goods and services to the person who once had that dollar.
Unless you want to depend on the government to take someone else's earnings and give them to you, it's a bad deal.
I suspect that people who think it's a good deal simply don't like a capitalist market economy.
Posted by: Micajah on March 29, 2005 06:20 PM1. Limiting budget increase of the gov't by the rate of inflation. (I-601)
2. Promising for higher spending on public schools and teacher compensation without a tax increase to pay for them. (I-728 and I-732)
It sure sounds to me like the second one is the feel-good but good for nothing to me.
Posted by: C. Oh on March 29, 2005 07:48 PM
Sounds familar...replace the word money with "votes" and you have a replay of Nov/Dec 04 Gov Election Count....
Spoken like a true politician. Perfect Goverment at Work...
Posted by: Chris on March 29, 2005 07:50 PMI suppose I should be pleased that you agree with me: "class size reduction" under I-728 and teacher pay raises under I-732 were "snake oil," since they were sold on the pretense that no tax increase was needed to pay for them.
But, I doubt that's what you meant to say.
Posted by: Micajah on March 29, 2005 07:51 PMI-601 - Feel good legislation ? Yes feeling good about protecting people to save more money to support their families and fight against bloated government that socialists crave. I would venture to exhort that those who crave bloated government are lazy b**tards who really lack compassion.
Posted by: KS on March 29, 2005 09:06 PMThere is NO shortfall. You get so much $$$ and that is all you spend.
Oh, we have LESS $$ this time around ???
Then cut the friken fluff. Like state workers who SUCK but will not.... make that: cannot get fired. So what do they do? GET PROMOTED to manage a one person "program" themselves.
I live and play in Oly.....I know the deal
Some folks need to pull their heads out.
Posted by: smoke on March 29, 2005 09:52 PMProperty taxes largely go to schools.
-Assessed value on property in Wa increases about 8-10% each year. At least my pee patch house has & I barely mow the lawn for home improvement.
-Growth, subdivisions, monstrosity castles in Pugetopolis has increased the assessed value of former cow pastures 10-20X and there's shed load of them along the I-5 corridor.
Where the heck is all of this money going?????
Masha, has linked to herself four times as she is the EFF, or at least an employee there.
I-728, I-732, and I-601 are all state laws and are not constitutional amendments. If you dislike public schools, and prefer private ones, you will necessarily likely dislike the first two and love the last, and visa versa.
Posted by: Erik on March 29, 2005 10:17 PMThe Democrats ARE out of their minds if they think the people of this State are going to allow them to raise taxes..and ignore I-601 without a legal challenge!
With the Rossi election contest about to make headlines again - the Dems timing in announcing their plans for tax increases is...........perfect!
And the teachers keep supporting the Democratic Party. I don't get it. They must be blind in one eye and can't see out the other.
Posted by: Janet on March 29, 2005 11:40 PMWashington needs to 1.eliminate its min. wage, 2.pass state "right to work" laws, 3. "Bust the teacher trust" and introduce competitive market forces in education, including charter schools/vouchers, merit pay, and pay incentives to teach in inner cities and underserved areas.
That's a good start anyway, and no I am not holding my breath! Gee...what party is vehemently opposed to all three??
Dems want to overturn the will of the voters with affirmative action and now tax increases...Hello?? If you are not outraged you are not paying attention!
But... blogs like this give me hope for the future of this state and I sense there is a conservative revolution brewing in Washington! Keep fighting the good fight SoundPolitics!
Violating I601 is just another example of their pre-historic, dinosaur-brained approach to government.
Posted by: DeadManVoting (aka Iguana) on March 30, 2005 12:19 AMI think it was a knee-jerk reaction to Bush. The so-called "moderates" of King County got caught up in all the silly manufactured anger at Bush and, feeling the pressure of progressive weenies, decided they had to take a stand and vote for Dems at every opportunity.
So, now we end up going against the grain of history and with a bunch of liberal dems that worship Jimmy Carter. The state is going down the tubes and the damage done may be irreversable. We are going to be stuck with an anti-business reputation that will take years and years to shake off.
Posted by: DeadManVoting (aka Iguana) on March 30, 2005 12:55 AMFirst, recognize that there is a new (and in my opinion "illegal") primary system in place, but it's one we must work with - likely that there won't be any Libertarians on the general election ballot. With that, I think the party needs to have one person become the "headline" person (perhaps Dino Rossi), and take a page out of Newt Gingrich's 1994 strategy: Create a "Contract With Washington" - 10 promises that ALL Republican legilators will sign, and work towards, if elected.
The Democrats control the Senate? By how much? Almost as close as the Gregoire/Rossi race, if you analyze it. Weinstein (D) won the 41st District with 50.9% of the vote (and I doubt Jim Horn (R) knocked on any doors). Pridemore (D) won the 49th District with 50.7% of the vote.
In the House, Dems won close races with the following:
Kilmer (D) 49.7%
Sullivan (D) 52.3%
Green (D) 50.2%
Springer (D) 51.3%
Ericks (D) 51.3%
Simpson (D) 51.8%
With a "Contract With Washington" you won't have the same old B.S. that both parties yap about when they knock on your door. You'll have concrete, in writing, signed promises... to get things done and undo the downhill spiral that Illegit-oire & Co. are taking us on. Of course, she'll benefit somewhat from the upswing in the economy that began before her innauguration. But, it can be done.... you've got to make the Legislature a state-wide issue, not a local, grip & grin, "Hi, I'm Brian Weinstein, (a trial lawyer) and I'm nicer than my opponent."
The teachers' unions support the Democratic Party. Teachers themselves are just cannon fodder for the politicos in the Unions. That being said, the unions salt the general run of teachers with sufficient activists/commisars to maintain the appearance of general support and to ostracize those who might stray.
alaric
Posted by: alaric on March 30, 2005 06:47 AMWhen D & G (Durkan and Gregoire) were elected, I went to my wallet to try to lock it up; the good news was it was already empty and won't be affected by this crew.
It just has to be difficult to be a die-hard Democrat today.
Posted by: swatter on March 30, 2005 07:00 AMFYI? check out who voted for this one, Don Benton.
WHATyou BEEn SmOking?
Correct me if I am wrong but I am under the impression that when a program is created in Olymia, the funding is only required for one year. Back when the Lottery was introduced, a percentage was to go to schools. Interestingly enough, they only funded schools out of that windfall for 2 years then went back, hat in hand, levying us to death. Think of all the items that have had funding that are no longer receiving the moneis from their original source tell me where that money has gone. There is a much bigger picture here that people are failing to see and that's the revenues being syphoned ( sp ) off and not being accounted for.
Then there are the extortionist practices of DSHS that have not been reported. I cite one example.
Several years ago, my daughter and her husband were down and out and had to ask DSHS for some help.They got some food stamps for the 3 boys as he looked for a new job. During this period they separated and my daughter got a "GRANT" from the federal government to relocate. The grant took some time to arrive after approval and shortly after it was awarded, their tax return arrrived. She was assured that this in no way affected her grant. This was in 2000. I am happy to say the two resolved their marital differences and have recently purchased a home, but low and behold, up pops DSHS and demands repayment of the Federal Grant. They slap a lein on the Escrow account and collected the $2900.00 that the Feds awarded. Do you think that DSHS gave this money back to Uncle Sam?
I don't and I don't think this is the only case where DSHS is finding loopholes to go after families and indivduals who were awarded federal funds and pocketed it for their coffers.
Mind you, during this process, my daughter had CPS conveniently drop in and do a welfare check on the kids as a reminder of who has the power.
I am taking my complaint to the AG's office as I feel a fraud is being perpetrated here. We have ceded too much power to these departments and taken it away from the people ie: the legislators.
If we don't stand up and take back the rights we are losing, we may as well stop complaining and become the sheep we are accused of being.
That's my rant, have a nice day
Jim L
I submitted my question above on spending outsripping the insane increase in property tax revenue to the D from Shelton. It should be interesting to see how he explains the NEED to outspend 15-20% raise.
Posted by: Andy on March 30, 2005 09:36 AMSounds like you would be in favor of I-900, which will allow the State Auditor to undertake Performance Audits of governmental agencies. Washington State is currently the ONLY state in the union in which performance audits are strictly prohibited.
I encourage you to sign one of the petitions going around to get I-900 on the ballot. If you cannot find one, go to your local Kinko's - they all have the ability to print out an I-900 petition. Even if it is only for your signature, sign it and mail it in!
I'd like to see a governor take a vow to cut 30% of DSHS. They are a mafia.
Posted by: Andy on March 30, 2005 10:09 AMJim
JimL and all:
Sounds like you would be in favor of I-900, which will allow the State Auditor to undertake Performance Audits of governmental agencies. Washington State is currently the ONLY state in the union in which performance audits are strictly prohibited.
"The Daily Zero."
Besides not reporting much, it doesn't support local businesses.....read the Daily Zero and you'd think you'd have to go to Seattle for entertainment.....in a town that has live music someplace almost every night of the week!
Posted by: smoke on March 30, 2005 01:06 PMGregoire (continously demostrating why she lost the Governor's Race...until she had a little help from her friends) shows no real leadership nor any real clue on how to manage the state budget. On top of that, the Legislature felt it necessary to outdo he so-called legacy Budget by increasing more of her tax ideas.
What I keep hearing from some of these folks is that they are trying to make WA the "kind of State they want to live in". These statements are same kind of statements made by CA politicians back when they took all branches of government there...the results, loss of business, loss of residence, higher taxes, over-regulation, and on and on and on....
Posted by: flexnfx on March 30, 2005 01:37 PMOn the "Owympian's" site there was supposed to be a capital chat with Karen Frasier today- I had submitted two hardball questions in advance (with good home training). Surprise surprise she cancelled.
I then submitted my question on spending outsripping the insane increase in property tax revenue to the D from Shelton.
Surprise surprise he cancelled too for the session running late.