Those hoping beyond hope that the Washington State Legislature would attempt to soften yet another $6 billion-or-so budget shortfall by boldly proposing new revenue sources, might be disheartened to learn that the House Democratic Caucus kicked off its latest round of belt-tightening last Friday by eliminating the House Finance Committee… the panel that considers all revenue proposals. That was the word from Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, who I cornered at last night’s 37th LD Dems holiday party.
I guess with the passage of Tim Eyman’s I-1053, and the governor’s subsequent no-new-tax pledge, there wasn’t going to be much for the committee to do, and so its responsibilities were folded into that of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which now becomes all the more powerful in the wake of this leaner/meaner House reorganization.
But before the anti-tax crowd rejoices too loudly at this symbolic victory, they should remember that while the occasional tax increase did make it through the Finance Committee and onto the floor, by far the larger chunk of the panel’s legacy this past decade was its crafting of the billions of dollars of special interest tax exemptions that ultimately helped plunge our state budget into its current fiscal crevasse.
So a good part of me can’t help but mutter “good riddance” at the committee’s demise.
Our state legislature is virtually useless. There are pockets of people with good ideas, but only the turds floated to the top. So the “leadership” dictates everything or nothing, depending. I’m sure we’ll have several solid proposals on stuff that doesn’t matter.
*snicker*
Uhhmmm yeah, the problem was the special interest tax breaks.
How about when the Gov took office, the budget stood at $55 Billion, and her very first budget ballooned to $61.6 Billion, then too $71.1 Billion. Might that have anything to do with it??? Nooooo, just raise taxes to cover it right?
*snicker*
http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/budget/index_lbns.asp
@2 …almost all of which involved the restoration of previous “temporary” cuts during earlier budget crises, something the previous governor didn’t have the balls to do. (Which would explain why he now works for Obama.)
It isn’t a question of “taxes” or “no taxes”…it’s an issue of who gets taxed. Our state system hits working families the hardest, and special interests the least. Both parties have perpetuated the problem. The chair of the House Finance Committee, Rep. Ross Hunter, a 17-year employee of Microsoft, literally pushed through billions in special deals for Microsoft alone. That’s the problem. I’m with Goldy on this one. Good riddance.
Taking wealth from one group of people (the taxpayers) and giving it to others (Boeing, et al)?
Isn’t that socialism AND welfare.
re 2: Costs always go up. Why don’t you take 1890 as your baseline for comparison? (snigger)
@3
Either way, new spending or restoration of previous spending we can’t afford, this govenor has broken the back of this state with her fiscal policies.
Right Stuff-
It’s never a spending problem for these greedy leftist bastards.
Taking more & more money away from those who earned it to spend it frivolously on pet issues creating bigger government is the true definition of GREED!
Right Stuff-
Is it a “fiscal policy” to do whatever the Union bosses tell her to do??
I guess it is…albeit a bad one that has caused the poop to hit the fan.
What ever happened to the governors hiring freeze for state employees? She has personally approved the hiring of 1700 new state employees since her promise not to hire any new state employees.
its damn near comical…and criminal.
When will they announce committee assignments.
It was supposed to be back on the 8th.