 |
|
|
|
|
| 2/10/2010 2:12:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
|
| Representative Tom Campbell, Senator Randi Becker and Representative JIm McCune pose at the Eatonville Town Hall meeting. |
|
Republican trio paints grim budget picture
by Bruce Smith
Over 80 Eatonville and Graham residents gathered in separate locations Saturday for an historic occasion: all three 2nd Legislative District elected officials - all Republicans - hosted four joint Town Hall meetings, including ones in Yelm and Orting. Senator Randi Becker and Representatives Jim McCune and Tom Campbell spoke to their constituents on the marathon day.
The mood of the Graham audience was often tense, and focused on two primary themes: taxes and big government.
"I'm...so...angry...," one man struggled to enunciate, his rage and despair barely contained as he spoke about his struggle to pay his taxes and keep his business afloat. All three officials spoke to the man's concerns, which were echoed by many others throughout the meeting.
"There is a gap of about $2.6 billion between our expected revenues and projected expenses," Tom Campbell said. "We will close it because the state constitution requires that we do so, but the majority party will only do so by patching it together with new taxes and some spending cuts."
Campbell also said that a fundamental shift has to take place in Olympia, so that state legislators first accept what revenue is available and then prioritize where that money needs to be spent.
As for new taxes, Campbell foresees that about $800 million or more will be raised in a variety of quirky taxes, such as on candy and snack food.
More troubling though, he said the state is planning to repeal many tax exemptions for businesses, a strategy he says will blunt job growth wihout generating the expected monies. He also anticipates about $1.5 billion being slashed from state funding across the board, including education and health care. Currently, public education gets 42 percent of the state budget, while colleges receive over 10 percent.
Jim McCune spoke to the financial specifics of his Governmental Affairs committee, which is slashing $76 million from eighty agencies, with the biggest piece coming from the Department of Corrections. McCune said the DOC will be closing all or parts of several prisons.
Randi Becker stressed that the state needs to renegotiate salary contracts with its employees, particularly those in unions. Becker specifically called for the abolition of "step" payments, which are guaranteed pay increases based on longevity.
"We need to get down to baseline government," she said.
|
Article Comment Submission Form
|
|
|
|
|
