I’d originally intended for this post to go to HA, but I’ve written on this subject so many times before, I decided wonkify the readers at Slog:
Indeed, by nearly any meaningful measure, Washington’s state and local governments have been steadily shrinking over most of the past two decades, through both boom times and bust. You wouldn’t know it from reading the papers, but state tax revenue as a percentage of the total economy has fallen from 6.6% in 1995 to about 5.5% today, while per capita state spending in IPD-adjusted dollars fell by 10% over the same period.
And those aren’t numbers you can easily dismiss as mere liberal claptrap. Eventhe conservative Tax Foundation — the same think tank frequently cited by Tim Eyman — reports that our state and local tax burden plunged from 10.4% in 1994 to 8.9% in 2008, dropping Washington from 17th to 35th place nationally in only fifteen short years.
You know… Dems gone wild.
But just so you don’t feel cheated, I saved the recycled graphic above for HA. As always, read the whole thing.
Great stuff Goldy.
Hey Goldy!
This last Sunday THE Diane Tebelius wandered up my driveway while I was detailing the Mrs.’ Minivan. I tried to be polite but then she busted out, “And the Democrats who’ve been in power for too long are killing business in Washington with taxes.”
“Now hang on. Forbes magazine in it’s last ranking listed Washington as #2 in the nation for business climate when factoring in education of employees, quality of life, environmental restrictions AND TAX BURDEN. So if you want my vote, who is going to pay for emergency services if you’re telling me you’re going to lower personal property taxes AND business taxes?”
She stammered a bit and then offered, “The B&O tax in the state is killing….”
“You will not get my vote. Please step off my property. If you can’t back up your bullshit rhetoric without going to the fake rationale soundbite, you aren’t qualified for office.”
Welcome to the Blueing suburbs, Ma’am.
@2 Sweet! I bet that felt good.
2
Outstanding. Telling Tebelius to get off your propoerty? Wow, I’d have paid to do that.
When they give them all 401k’s and bag the massive Cadillac benefit and retirement plans, we’ll be happy!
Massive Cadillac benefit and retirement plans? Why is it that conservatives hate the idea of people living a middle-class life? These are not gold plated plans, but they do allow people to live with a reasonable degree of comfort.
Isn’t that what used to be the American dream? Why are they against that? Why do we want government workers to follow in the footsteps of Walmart employees? Who do the conservatives think are going to buy stuff, thereby keeping the economy humming?
If this commentator were complaining about PERS 1 retirement benefits I’d agree that they were a bit rich, but they have been eclipsed by PERS 2 and PERS 3. Meanwhile, healthcare benefits may often be better than the gutted plans offered in the private sector, but they are also managed better from a cost-control standpoint (because of heightened governmental oversight!). But even if they weren’t, why adopt a “race to the bottom” attitude that denies adequate healthcare to anyone but the rich?
Also, the implicit assumption seems to be that government can attract high-quality employees without providing a competitive compensation package. Are the laws of supply and demand somehow ruled void for the public sector when it is considered sacrosanct in the private sector?
What a muddled, hypocritical attack on the people who provide basic — and even life-preserving — services that we all depend upon. Perhaps Id would be happier living in Alabama.
What? The anti-fact Republicans are just making things up? NO!? I’ve never seen that before! Are you trying to tell me gays don’t have magic super powers to “choose” their sexual orientation (which no straight person has by the way) and any gay marriage destroys straight marriages? Are you trying to tell me there ARE no WMDs in Iraq? Are you trying to tell me the massive, out of control, ever increasing, ballooning, wildly uncontrollable, unmanageable, unstoppable state budget is in fact SHRINKING not eating all of our states resources? Huh. Wow. I’m not sure I can trust Republicans with facts. Next you’re going to tell me the Earth in fact isn’t 6,000 years old and men didn’t ride dinosaurs. Golly I just don’t know what to think.
Here’s an idea Democrats. You CAN spend wildly (ie. be a Republican) if you want (I’m glad you aren’t though). But if you want, just “make up” a reason for it and claim it will pay for itself. It doesn’t have to be real or make any sense, just accuse your opponents of hating America and working for enemy (what Republicans do) and you can pass any crazy budget. Trillions to ‘spend down’ the Soviets that will pay for itself in ‘peace dividends’ latter? LOL Sure. Trillion to fight a war in Iraq that will pay for itself in oil? LOL Sure.
@6, Oh don’t pay him any mind. He’s trained to repeat what his masters tell him. ‘Id’ is, afterall, short for ‘useful Idiot’.
I like your article but what is the fresh news about Washington state tax deduction. I think e filing is the best option for my federal tax return preparation.
@6 Add to that the fact that 401k invests in the private sector and has an on average lower ROE (Return On Investment, for the Republicans out there who seem to have fallen asleep in Econ 101 and never bothered to read any further) while the pensions of government employees are usually actual pensions, with money set aside and invested in long term portfolios like government bonds.
Why can Republicans never explain why they want government employees to invest in provate retirement plans when they constantly under-perform (another big word) and frequently bankrupt the pension systems that invest in them? Enron anyone? CalPers investment in SVU’s and CDO’s?
@6
PERS 1 wasn’t particularly gold plated, maybe compared to PERS 2, PERS 3, or a 401k but not to what Federal employees got during the same time period or even what some private sector employees were promised at the time.
People who retired on PERS 1 simply are able to have a comfortable retirement. Don’t get me wrong even PERS 3 is much better than what the private sector offers, but that isn’t saying much.
Then again, to hear conservatives talk all government employees should be forced to work 20 hours a day for $0.50/day and live under bridges and eat out of dumpsters when they can’t drag themselves to work anymore.
After all if you were a truely worthwhile person you would have been born to rich parents or gone to work on Wall Street.