A Seattle Times headline tells us that the “State budget comes down to unpleasant choices.”
Kicking kids off health insurance and out of college, laying off tens of thousands of employees, reducing sentences of state inmates, eliminating social services when they’re desperately needed most… choices like that are merely “unpleasant.”
Oh. Well, I guess in that case, the Times ed board is right in arguing for a cuts-only budget. We can certainly handle a little unpleasantness if it means keeping a few more dollars in our wallets.
The Blethen family, owners of the Seattle Times, face unpleasant choices too: Either lay off editorial staff or continue watching their inherited family fortune bleed away in financial losses.
The essence of the Times story is that the $8.5 billion budget problem really is a $3.5 billion budget problem. That’s still a lot of money, but we could get 85% of it by revoking the $3 billion of state handouts to Boeing.
Or why don’t we just extend the existing sales tax to inheritances?
Cynical’s mama so ugly she…, oh wait, I should stay at least somewhat on topic.
My bet is that Seattle will be the first major American city without a daily newspaper.
I want everyone to pull back and notice what Goldy is doing. Look at the big picture. Is he going after the people who are actually making the cuts?
@5 Wrong. He’s going after those who insist the only way to close the gap is to have more people living in cardboard boxes under the freeway.
OTOH, I have yet to see your impassioned defense of social services and education, or for raising taxes. Now, why is that? Is it because you are expending shoe leather on a ‘real story’? We can’t wait.
@6
Did you read the article Goldy linked to? Did you notice how the Times editorial board was merely restating what Democratic leaders said?
“We’re getting to stuff that nobody wants to look at,” said Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, co-chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.”
“Tom gave a few examples the Senate is considering: eliminating 10,000 slots for students at the state’s colleges and universities; cutting $700 million from the class-size initiative, I-728; and reducing sentences across the board for state inmates by 50 to 60 days.”
And all the Times did was repeat what Tom said, that the have little choice but to make some cuts.
BTW, I can tell you don’t have a college degree. You weren’t taught to think critically, like I was.
@7 You? Think critically? That’s almost as funny as Cynical humping a goat.
Here’s another money-saving idea: Cancel all subscriptions to the Seattle Times. Every little saving helps.
I’m kinda lookin’ forward to that day when the Times hasn’t got any more revenue to tax.
The answer? 100% estate tax.
@7: Troll says:
Pretty funny troll – sorry but getting out of theird grade doesn’t count as college – as much as you might wish it to be so.
If you are capable of thinking critically, then why are you such a big supporter of GW Bush?
Anyone who can think critically would realize that:
1. Bush was in charge of the largest deficit in history, while simultaneously causing the worste economic conditions since the gtreeat depression.
2. Bush lied his way into wasting over 1 trillin dollars on an unecessary war in Iraq.
3. Bush lied about torturing and extraordinary rendition of prisoners and broke the constitution, the geneva convention treaty and the law.
The legislators certainly are not willing to share the details of their plan for cuts or tneir plan for taxes. Right now it is all “speculation.” It makes me angry, really. They’ve been pretty clear with higher education and told the various presidents to prepare for 20% cuts. But then it’s just on the table. Nothign is decided yet. They are going to raise this and that. But wait, no, it’s just part of the discussion and nothing has been decided yet.
I think the plan is to cut, literally, and then run. Leave it to the last minute, allow for no press time, and then leave town.
No discussion of how the stimulus will actually impact education. There’s at least a $39 Billion pot of money for direct aid to education K-12 and higher education, but no one is saying where it will go or how much.
So much for transparency. It seems that the only journalist who knows what the hell he/she is doing is at TNT.
Goldy–
Spoken like the Ultimate Socialist you are!
Good luck in your tax increase adventures.
Wear a flak-jacket!~
Democrats will make cuts in the visible areas that pain consumers most but won’t do any substantive cuts, like: perhaps privatizing the ferries and liquor stores. They could sell off the land and facilities of Evergreen State College. Everybody knows it’s a farce anyways.
Then…they could make temporary pay cuts in all political appointees earning over $100K. The Prez of U/W makes $800K. They can’t find someone qualified at $700K? The administrative chief of Harborview makes $400K. He/she can’t live on $360K? The Port of Seattle? The governor’s staff advisors? The Governor, herself. She makes about $160K AND lives in a frikken mansion! She can’t get by on $150K?
It’s a start.
“The Prez of U/W makes $800K. They can’t find someone qualified at $700K?”
Ho ho. You know what just the search for a new University Prez costs, champ? Once you figure in time spent by those running the search, paying headhunters, flying in candidates, negotiating and funding relocation costs, and the time and money lost getting a new executive up to speed, it’s a hell of a lot more than $100k.
Oh, and that assumes that the new prez brings as much money into the U through charitable donations and grants. The difference between a really good prez and a mediocre one is many many tens of millions.
Now here is the question: you gonna throw Emmert, a demonstrably good fundraiser, over the rail for an unknown? Just so you can pretend to “save” $100k a year?
…Not to say that I wouldn’t jettison the football coach…