AWB and its WashACE partners, the Washington Roundtable and the Washington Research Council, have warned that the state's temporary budget surplus does not justify a spending binge in 2007. Today, the Seattle Times weighed in again on the subject:
SPENDING lobbyists who expect a feast in Olympia should curb their appetites. The feast has been eaten. That was the 15.3-percent jump in state spending in the two-year period ending June 30, 2007.
The money's all been spent. If education is a priority, then lawmakers need to cut elsewhere.
In The News Tribune, Peter Callaghan made a similar point on Sunday, observing that the state's structural deficit - longterm spending obligations exceeding anticipated revenues - guarantees future problems. His solution:
Two things can be done to cure such a deficit: The state could spend less or tax more. And if you no longer want to spend less, tax cuts only make the structural deficit worse. Rejecting calls for tax cuts can actually make a legislator seem responsible, even serious.
What lawmakers should do: Ask voters to amend the state constitution to create a tough rainy day account that can’t be spent until the economy sours, negating the need for recession tax hikes and budget cuts.
In a few weeks, Gov. Chris Gregoire releases her budget plan. She and her budget chief have said they intend to be prudent. No one seriously worries about tax hikes next year. The danger is overspending.
