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PRESS RELEASE
 March 1, 2002
State budget headlines Deficit growing at a rate of $2,188 per minute, $131,250 per hour, $3,150,000 per day.* Governor Locke’s response: he sends emails to state workers and issues non-binding directives asking them to cut their spending. Legislature’s response: lawmakers talk about tax increases and wait for the governor to do something. * Calculated by dividing the $2.27 billion dollar deficit into 730 days of the biennium. At current rate of spending, state will run out of money on April 19, 2003.* The state is currently budgeted to spend $1.82 billion more than its revenue forecast. Recent forecasts project an additional cost of $450 million for new caseloads, which means a total deficit of $2.27 billion this biennium. * Based on EFF estimate. Our estimate is based on official forecasts. If spending continues at current rate, state projected to start next biennium with $443 million deficit.
Governor’s inaction makes necessary cuts far deeper.* Each day, as the state continues to spend at current levels, the amount of money left from which Governor Locke can cut to make up for the $2.27 billion shortage becomes smaller. If the governor acts today . . .
If he waits . . .
July 1, 2002 - 19.7% cut required * Percentages based on EFF estimates. Our estimates are based on official forecasts. State law requires governor to order immediate across-the-board cuts when there is a projected or actual cash deficit. State Treasurer Mike Murphy announced on February 19, 2002, that our state’s General Fund is currently $812 million in the red. He projected that if no action is taken the cash deficit will reach more than $2 billion by November, and grow even higher by April of 2003. You can read the law for yourself or RCW 43.88.110(8), RCW 43.88.050, RCW 43.88.260, RCW 43.88.270. Our state is expected to suffer a recession-related economic downturn until 2004-05, meaning problems must be solved now. There is no fairy godmother in sight! Contact: Marsha Richards, Communications Director, (360) 956-3482
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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..." |
