Note this stunner from Christine Gregoire during her time spent with our liberal counterparts in the blogosphere last week:
Rossi is charging, for instance, that Gregoire is leading the state into a deep deficit."Thirty states are now sitting on a deficit: we are one of the few in surplus. We are the envy of the country," Gregoire declared.
A surplus, huh? Might want to tell that to the Senate Ways & Means Committee that has been projecting a huge deficit - now up to $2.7 billion - for months now.
Meanwhile, Gregoire's Office of Financial Management still can't be troubled to produce its own public estimate of the deficit that will great the Legislature and Governor during the 2009 session. Indeed, Gregoire's administration has been ignoring reality since nearly the start of this year.
Posted by Eric Earling at August 17, 2008 09:20 AM | Email ThisWhen it comes to energy she is a two time loser, Bio diesel, and the Energy Facility Siting Commission that she appoint Jim Luce to head which is currently wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars defending is illegal acts as chairman in siting a wind farm facility in Kittitas County. Check out the PDC filing for Jim Luce and His Wife (The head of the State Licensing Board) and let's talk patronage for pay.
Posted by: Smokie on August 17, 2008 10:39 AMBesides, the shortfall isn't actualy here yet, so technically there is no deficit. It's kind of like saying " I still have money in my account because all the checks I've written haven't been cashed yet."
Posted by: Ken on August 17, 2008 11:00 AMMORAL: Try to educate everybody you know, about why it is so important to vote for Dino in both the Primary and the General.
And Ken @ #5 said it best on the looming massive State deficit: What blatent chutzpah on the part of Fraudoire.
Would that mean that a State employee would answer their phone up until 6:15 instead of 4:15 PM?
I doubt it, but maybe it's not so bad. I think I'd be willing to pay many of them just to stay home.
I'd give the governor a pay bonus if she would just stay home and watch cable channel 21, 22, 23 all day long, counterbalanced by FOX during her off hours.
Posted by: Bart Cannon on August 17, 2008 01:24 PMThanks but no thanks Gregoire - This family and most of the family's in Washington don't want to see the 2/3's tax limit thrown to your liberal courts to decide, so you can continue your spending spree. No Damn Thanks!
Enough!
Posted by: gs on August 17, 2008 02:00 PMLet's face it; the gubernatorial campaign is a lost cause (again). Don't let it distract you from other important races...like Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI).
The media drone on and on about Terry Bergeson and Randy Dorn, who have all the corrupt endorsements and money. In fact, Bergeson and Dorn have been working together for years, and both have many scandals around their necks.
One candidate for SPI is raising Hell. He has more information on his campaign website (and discusses more issues) than any other candidate in this race. Indeed, he could probably blow any of the gubernatorial candidates out of the water.
We've stood by and watched George W. Bush and the Vichy Democrats flush the economy down the toilet. Can we at least rally behind our schools, behind the children who will inherit our mess?
Check out David Blomstrom's campaign website at www.seattle-mafia.org. Don't let corrupt unions determine the outcome of this race!
Posted by: David Blomstrom on August 17, 2008 07:25 PMThis is what you are supporting by voting Democrat. Vote Democrat you support the Queen's Policies. Think about it when you vote those Democrats back into the house and Senate. Because the legislature is more to blame than the Queen. But the Queen only vetos items that help the state or are tough on Criminals.
Posted by: David Anfinrud on August 17, 2008 10:34 PMConsider voting for Leslie Bloss for State House Rep. 36th District, Position #1.
Posted by: Leslie Bloss on August 18, 2008 11:54 AMHello, I am Jim Vaughn, I am a former US Army Major and a candidate for US Representative. I am a no-nonsense, Blue Dog conservative democrat that has been compared to Scoop Jackson. Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States. Given the limited amount of time, I am going to focus on the economy.
We have a huge budget deficit, a recession in full bloom and now an enormous trade deficit. When the depths of this recession become a reality and we receive fewer dollars from the federal government, the standard answer in our state to fix a problem has been to raise or create new taxes. But this not the answer. We need to run our government like a business. We must hold government agencies accountable for expenditures and accurate reporting.
In regards to accurate reporting, I have concerns when our governor claims that Washington State is one of the five best states to do business in according to Forbes Magazine. My campaign contacted the author Kurt Badenhausen, at Forbes Magazine and questioned the rating in light of the B&O Tax. Kurt replied, "Thank you for the insights on the B&O tax issue. He went on to say that WA scores poorly in their rating of states on taxes..." In addition, the Olympia Business Watch this past May stated: We are the 14th highest state for business taxes in FY 2007. Now Forbes states that we are the third best state for business. WHAT. As any small business owner in this state about how the business climate. So much for accurate reporting.
I am also concerned that when the Senate Ways & Means Committee came out with its $2.4 billion deficit projection, Christine Gregoire's budget chief, Victor Moore, said "I'm not giving any credence to that number," Moore said his office will come out with its own projection later. Again, so much for accurate reporting. These are serious times and we need leaders to acknowledge the situation and provide real solutions.
An article in today's Seattle Times states that Gov. Christine Gregoire says higher taxes are "absolutely" a last resort in her plans for balancing the state budget. But if any new taxes are needed, she says they should go to voters for approval. I say it's about time.
Currently, the residents of Washington State are paying over 50 different types of taxes, the latest being the internet tax and our state continues to focus on creating new taxes. This past March, the Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on two income tax proposals. Given the governors inaccurate reporting and past tax happy term, I do not trust or nor do I believe her.
Now let's talk about "tax expenditures" -- loopholes and subsidies -- extended to individual companies and entire sectors which have cut a huge hole in the state revenue base, which is replenished with largely regressive taxes on those least able to pay. For example the B&O Tax where Boeing pays under $3K for $1m in sales and a small business owner like me pays $15K.
I am also disgusted when I read in the Seattle PI that the Indian tribes' payoff $650,000 to the state Democratic party, and $49,000 directly to Gov. Chris Gregoire, in return for Gregoire's 2005 killing of a gambling compact which could have brought more than $140 million in annual revenues to the state. The compact Gregoire renegotiated with the Spokane tribe brings no revenue to the state. Obviously the our governor is not concerned about being fiscally conservative because $140 M is a great start on paying down the $2.5 B Deficit.
I am angered at politicians that are more concerned about getting money from special interests rather than representing the voters. Casinos are not people. Corporations are not people. Special interest groups are not people. Yet the governor gives away our tax dollars for her own political gain. An incident, which took place on Thursday, December 16, 1773, which sparked the American Revolution and remains to this day one of the most iconic events of the era. This event is known as the Boston Tea Party. History is repeating itself and the citizens of our state are faced with taxation without representation.
Not only are we taxed to death in this state, we continually see or tax dollars wasted. For example, why are we paying TransCore $18.7 million dollars to collect the tolls on the Narrows Bridge, when we pay people on L&I, Welfare and Unemployment to sit at home? This is one of hundreds of examples of fiscal irresponsibility that I can cite.
As a conservative Blue Dog Democrat, I will not play partisan politics. I will represent the citizens of our state and stand up to my party when I disagree. I stand for the person, not the party. I vote for the issues in-lieu-of party politics. I will do what is best for our citizens and our country. When I am elected the voice of the people will be heard.
When I am elected, I am concerned that my battles in Washington DC to obtain federal dollars for our state will be similar to the problems we experience with foreign aid where the dollars sent do not result in food, medical supplies for the poor and needy, but get siphoned off by the corrupt leaders in the 3rd World countries. As a former Major in the US Army, running for US Representative and as a Democrat, I say to our Governor Gregoire, forgot who you represent and you lost my vote.
To the 25th LD, you have a choice to endorse me as a candidate that cares and will fight for the people, or endorse Darcy Burner who is another Christine Gregoire. In doing so you send a clear message that you either care about the people or that you are going to continue to play partisan politics and ignore their concerns.
Didn't Gregoire, a few weeks ago, call for a hiring freeze for state employees? Wait a second . .
Oh yeah, I thought so. The P.I. on August 5th: "The Money Squeeze: Gregoire orders hiring freeze, cutbacks
The measures suggest the governor might be looking ahead to a serious deficit in the next budget. Gregoire and her staff have disputed the number, but some budget minders say the gap could reach $2.7 billion."
So then she says that everything is fine? We have a surplus? "Thirty states are now sitting on a deficit: we are one of the few in surplus. We are the envy of the country"
Help me out here. Is she lying? Tell me it ain't so. Maybe All Facts Support My Confusions will check in and explain this to me.
Help me Facts. Help me.
Posted by: G Jiggy on August 19, 2008 04:23 PM