If you want to know why the Washington State legislature can’t seem to pass a budget, it’s because Republicans have forgotten how to do math.
Oh, I’m not talking about budget math; Republicans have never been very good at that. I’m talking about electoral math. The Democrats control the state house. The Democrats control the governor’s mansion (and have for over 30 years). The Democrats control both US senate seats, six of ten US house seats, and seven of eight statewide executive offices. The Democratic nominee has won Washington State in seven straight presidential elections.
Washington is a Democratic state.
Yet weirdly, Republicans believe their three-seat majority in the state senate somehow gives them an electoral mandate to unilaterally impose their will on the rest of the state:
Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, said Democrats are wasting taxpayers’ dollars by keeping lawmakers in Olympia longer.
“There’s just one thing standing in the way of a deal — the House Democrats’ unreasonable insistence on raising taxes solely for the sake of raising taxes,” Benton said in an email.
Right. It’s the Democrats who are standing in the way of a deal. Gimme a fucking break.
Look, the Republicans control the state senate, so they deserve something. Can’t pass a budget without them. No doubt about that. But compromise is a two-way street, and the problem is that today’s Republican Party is ideologically incapable of compromise on many key issues. For example, taxes. A majority of Republicans will never vote to approve something called a “tax.” For any reason. Ever. So they demand that the Democrats fold entirely on that.
Then there is transit. The Republicans largely have the transportation funding proposal they want—lots of tasty pork for their home districts. But they’re ideologically opposed to funding light rail, even when it’s not their money. And so they refuse to give Sound Transit the $15 billion in local taxing authority it needs to go to voters with a package that builds enough rail in each of the subareas to give it a chance of passing. Instead, they think they have an electoral mandate to insist on an ST3-crippling $11 billion in authority—not enough to get to either Tacoma or Everett, and not enough to get to both West Seattle and Ballard. Because Republicans can’t do the electoral math.
But the bigger danger would be if the Democrats can’t do the electoral math either.
The Democrats control two-thirds of state government. And if they want to hold on to the two-thirds they have (and have a hope of retaking the senate) then they can’t disillusion the Democratic base by rewarding the three-seat senate Republican majority for their uncompromising obstruction. Politically, capitulation is neither a responsible nor viable option.
The Republicans control only one-third of government. Give them a third of what they want. If Republicans want anymore than that, force them to make a case for it at the polls.
When Republicans think shutting down the government is a good thing, it gives them no reason to compromise.
I don’t think they will compromise and the government will shut down for at least a little bit. This will bite Republicans in the ass in 2016.
“And so they refuse to give Sound Transit the $15 billion in local taxing authority it needs to go to voters with a package that builds enough rail in each of the subareas to give it a chance of passing.”
This is stupid. ST should build rail that’s needed, not rail that’s needed to get the votes needed to build more rail.
“This is stupid. ST should build rail that’s needed, not rail that’s needed to get the votes needed to build more rail.”
@2, no, what’s stupid is that we are getting billions spent on highway expansion because that is “transportation” but we are getting nothing (except the right to ask tri-county voters to tax themselves more to pay for light rail) because we spent all the money on new highways that we can’t afford to maintain.
We should really be funding transit as the default and then making people vote to raise $8B to expand highways for SOV drivers.
The other thing is that in the house the dems don’t have a significant lead and Republicans don’t think they have the votes for their own package. They want to get fringe Democrats to vote on capital gains tax because they think they can busy that to take the majority in the house in 2016.
Could it be that Andy Hill wants to say no new taxes in a race for governor that he might hardline his way into a shut down which could kill his gubernatorial hopes?
With this the last budget before 2016 it is very interesting.
@3 My position on this matter is that the legislature should give ST the authority to ask voters to approve the taxes that are needed to build the light rail that is needed, in other words a rational transportation policy, not one driven by political expediencies.
@5 one candidate for Seattle City Council has the idea that if Olympic wants to play politics that Seattle should look into funding it for themselves.
“Seattle does not need Olympia’s permission to be a great city.” -Michael Maddux- candidate for Seattle City Council District 4.
Sorry for not really adding any value to the discussion, but plain and simple Republicans are a bunch of Nazis and the biggest fucking hypocrites.
Well how long until the governor tells all the members of both houses you are going to make some sausage and you aren’t leaving the building until the sausage making is done and its signed. Then it will come down to who can out stubborn who.
Schools almost out and all those teachers can be in Olympia in a couple of weeks. It will be fun in Olympia and well the legislators had better hope they have AC of course the Governor might arrange for it to not work. Might bring a tear to someone’s eyes after three or four days.
yes. But why can’t Democrats change their …. having more D’s than R’s….into…..making the R’s compromise?
D’s continually whine that rural counties take more government resources. But the D’s let them.
D’s continually whine that the state funds highways, not transit. But the D’s let the Rs achive this, they don’t cut off the highway funding.
It seems like only one side is playing hardball and a big bully is making the nice kids toe his line. bully being the Rs, nice guys being the D’s.
Why dont’ they use the power they have, cut off things the Rs want, or simply tell the supreme court the following plan for taxes and budget should be ordered by the court?
it’s not use begging the Rs to compromise. this sounds like whining to mommy. Grow up, Ds, MAKE them do it, give them some pain is how you do it. NOT continuing to fund the rural counties and begging and whining about how they don’t realize they now owe us something. it’s just so weak.
ST, they won’t give $15 B? cut off all highway funding for the 2/3 the state that is not the sound region.
ST they won’t give $15B? end ferry subsidies then. fuck it. we provide transit for cars, not people anyway.