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COMMENTARY
 December 17, 2002 Contact: Marsha Richards, Communications Director Embracing "Priorities of Government" Today Governor Locke delivered on his promise to submit a budget based on core functions of state government and balanced within forecasted revenues. While we may disagree with some of the governor's outcomes, he should be commended for drafting a budget focused on priorities and results. We believe the governor was sincere when he said that his budget proposal is "not a Trojan horse for a tax increase." Now the real work must begin. The public and legislature, who were not involved in the governor's innovative core function budget model, now need to get involved in the process. The legislature should embrace the governor's model for budgeting based on core functions. Echoing Governor Locke's statement that "tax dollars should work as hard as the people who earn them," EFF challenges legislators to adopt a concurrent resolution for what they believe are the core functions of government, and then structure the work of policy committees around those functions. The tools to do this are already available to legislators, they simply must be willing to step up to the challenge. "The budget is the most important piece of legislation that will come out of this session," said Bob Williams, president of EFF. "If legislators truly want to make their mark on the direction of the state, they will determine government's core functions and measure every program and expenditure against that standard." The governor has followed through and laid out his priorities: Now it is up to the legislature to improve the process or get out of the way. "Business as usual by the legislature will not accomplish anything for taxpayers," said Williams. "If legislators refuse to step up to the plate and determine their own core functions and spending priorities, they should adopt Locke's budget as is and go home." EFF will be submitting a detailed recommendation to the legislature in the near future on how to effectively adopt this process. Governor Locke's 2003-05 proposed spending plan
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1 Part Honesty; 2 Parts Arrogance At a March 23, 2005, House Appropriations hearing on a bill to gut the voter-approved I-601 spending limit, Rep. Jim McIntire (D) asked a supporter of I-601’s two-third supermajority requirement for the legislature to raise taxes the following question: "Can you name a time when we [legislators] have actually not just set it [supermajority requirement] aside by majority vote? I mean, this is in many respects a procedural motion that has no bearing. It’s a statutory constraint that cannot constrain any legislature that chooses as a majority to set it aside . . . have we ever used a supermajority [to raise taxes]?" - Rep. Jim McIntire (D - 46) Despite the arrogance of some state officials, Washington's constitution is clear: "All political power is inherent in the people..." |
