Wash. Governor Open To Taxes, Fees To Avoid Full $2 Billion In Cuts

NPR ^ | October 27, 2011 | ustin Jenkins

[mdittmar]

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Governor Chris Gregoire says it's time to look for new sources of funding for the state budget. That's a major shift from her position a year ago. The Democrat's comments Thursday came after she proposed another $2 billion in cuts.

About a year ago, Governor Gregoire went before the cameras and proposed $4 billion in spending reductions. This was right after Washington voters had gone to the polls and rejected a tax on soda pop and re-imposed a two-thirds vote requirement for tax hikes in the legislature.

"The only message I have before me right now is an all-cuts budget," Gregoire said. "I am honoring the people of the state of Washington and what they told me."

Flash forward to now and the governor is proposing another $2 billion in cuts. They include service reductions for the developmentally disabled and pregnant women. Less state supervision of sex offenders. And larger class sizes.

But this time Gregoire says she's open to ways to bring in new money to offset some of the cuts.

"We have to ask ourselves now, do we want to look at alternatives of revenue? What might they be and do we want to go there?"

Gregoire says this next $2 billion will cut to the bone of state government. So, she plans to spend the next month studying options for fee hikes, closing tax exemptions and even raising general taxes.

[mdittmar]

A tiger never changes it's spots.

[SkyDancer]

She took over as governor with a budget surplus from the previous admin. albeit a Dem.

[FlingWingFlyer]

A commie ‘RAT “open to taxes”?! No!!! Whodda thunk?!

[Not A Snowbird]

Time to move. But where?

[mdittmar]

East Side,we could use your help.

[boop]

Um, she may not LIKE the 2/3rd tax increase requirement, but she has to abide by it. (Unless the democrats simply ignore the law like they did last time) And this cutting menial things like sex offender supervision programs is just designed to scare people. Next up: she’ll close libraries and parks. Never a word shall be spoken about cutting fat pensions, union bennies, and useless “administration” costs which would go a long way toward reducing the deficit.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Barry uses the same crap anytime someone says tax cuts in his presence. It’s always “the firefighters, policemen and teachers”. Why? Why can’t it be the EPA, HHS, TSA, DHS and the NEA? I’m mean there are hundreds of redundant government agencies that could be shut down AND NEVER BE MISS. Starting with the EPA and DOE.

[mdittmar]

Oh,she talked about cutting the Washington State health care program for the poor,she talk’s alot.

[Hoodat]

This was right after Washington voters had gone to the polls and rejected a tax on soda pop and re-imposed a two-thirds vote requirement for tax hikes in the legislature.

Yet these same voters voted for Democrats. Insanity.

[runninglips]

I heard today that she asked public employees to pay a little more towards medical benefits to save money. The answer from the union was, GO AFTER THE MILLIONAIRES AND BILLIONARES.....now I wonder who put them up to that?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

No doubt about it, Washington State government has already cut everything "right to the bone" and there's nothing left to do but look for new "funding."

1. Accountancy, State Board of
   
2. Actuary, Office of the State
   
3. Administrative Hearings, Office of
   
4. African-American Affairs, Washington State Commission on
   
5. Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington
   
6. Agriculture, Department of
   
7. Air National Guard
   
8. Apple Commission
   
9. Archaeology & Historic Preservation, Department of
   
10. Architects, Board of Registration for
    
11. Army National Guard
    
12. Arts Commission, Washington State
    
13. Asian Pacific American Affairs, State of Washington Commission on
    
14. Asparagus Commission
    
15. Attorney General, Office of the
    
16. Audit and Review Committee, Joint Legislative
    
17. Auditor, Washington State
    
18. Aviation, Department of Transportation
    
19. Beef Commission
    
20. Beer Commission
    
21. Biodiversity Council
    
22. Blind, Department of Services for the
    
23. Blind, Washington State School for the
    
24. Blueberry Commission
    
25. Building Code Council, State
    
26. Caseload Forecast Council, State of Washington
    
27. Center for Childhood Deafness and Hearing Loss, Washington State
    
28. Chief Information Officer, Office of the
    
29. Citizens Commission on Salaries for Elected Officials, Washington
    
30. Civil Legal Aid, Office of
    
31. Code Reviser Statute Law Committee
    
32. Columbia River Gorge Commission
    
33. Combined Fund Drive
    
34. Commerce, Department of
    
35. Community & Technical Colleges, State Board for
    
36. Conservation Commission, State
    
37. Consolidated Technology Services
    
38. Corrections, Department of
    
39. County Road Administration Board
    
40. Court of Appeals
    
41. Courts, Administrative Office of the
    
42. Criminal Justice Training Commission, Washington State
    
43. Dairy Products Commission
    
44. Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Office of the
    
45. Developmental Disabilities Council
    
46. Disability Issues and Employment, Governor's Committee on
    
47. Early Learning, Department of
    
48. Ecology, Department of
    
49. Economic and Revenue Forecast Council
    
50. Economic Development Commission
    
51. Economic Development Finance Authority
    
52. Education Research and Data Center
    
53. Education, State Board of
    
54. Emergency Management Division
    
55. Employment Security, Department of
    
56. Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council
    
57. Engineers and Land Surveyors, Board of Registration for
    
58. Enterprise Services, Department of
    
59. Environmental and Land Use Hearings Office
    
60. Executive Ethics Board
    
61. Expenditure Limit Committee
    
62. Extension Energy Program
    
63. Family Policy Council
    
64. Financial Institutions, Department of
    
65. Financial Management, Office of
    
66. Fish and Wildlife, Department of
    
67. Forest Practices Appeals Board
    
68. Forest Practices Board
    
69. Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board
    
70. Fruit Commission
    
71. Gambling Commission, Washington State
    
72. Geographic Information Council, Washington State
    
73. Governor, Office of the
    
74. Governor's Office of Indian Affairs
    
75. Grain Commission
    
76. Hardwoods Commission
    
77. Health Care Authority, Washington State
    
78. Health Care Facilities Authority
    
79. Health, Department of
    
80. Health, Washington State Board of
    
81. Higher Education Coordinating Board
    
82. Higher Education Facilities Authority
    
83. Hispanic Affairs, Washington State Commission on
    
84. Historical Society, Eastern Washington State
    
85. History Museum, State
    
86. Home Care Referral Registry
    
87. Horse Racing Commission, Washington State
    
88. House of Representatives, Washington State
    
89. Housing Finance Commission
    
90. Human Resources Director, Office of the State
    
91. Human Rights Commission
    
92. Hydraulics Appeals Board
    
93. Marine Employees Commission
    
94. Medical Quality Assurance Commission
    
95. Military Department
    
96. Minority and Justice Commission, State
    
97. Minority and Women's Business Enterprises, Office of
    
98. Monitoring Salmon Recovery and Watershed Health, Forum on
    
99. National and Community Service, Commission for
    
100. Natural Resources, Department of
     
101. Northwest Cherries
     
102. Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
     
103. Northwest Power and Conservation Council
     
104. Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission
     
105. Ombudsman, Office of the Education
     
106. Ombudsman, Office of the Family and Children's
     
107. Ombudsman, Open Government
     
108. Parks and Recreation Commission, State
     
109. Pension Policy, Select Committee on
     
110. Personnel Resources Board
     
111. Pesticide Registration, State Commission on
     
112. Pharmacy, Board of
     
113. Pilotage Commissioners, Board of
     
114. Pollution Control Hearings Board
     
115. Pollution Liability Insurance Agency, Washington State
     
116. Potato Commission
     
117. Productivity Board
     
118. Professional Educator Standards Board
     
119. Psychology, Board of
     
120. Public Defense, Office of
     
121. Public Deposit Protection Commission
     
122. Public Disclosure Commission
     
123. Public Employees Benefits Board Program
     
124. Public Employment Relations Commission
     
125. Public Instruction, Office of Superintendent of
     
126. Public Policy, Washington State Institute for
     
127. Public Works Board
     
128. Puget Sound Partnership
     
129. Real Estate Appraiser Commission
     
130. Real Estate Commission
     
131. Recreation and Conservation Office
     
132. Red Raspberry Commission
     
133. Redistricting Committee, State
     
134. Regulatory Assistance, Office of
     
135. Retirement Systems, Department of
     
136. Revenue, Department of
     
137. Salaries for Elected Officials, Citizens Commission on
     
138. Salmon Recovery Funding Board
     
139. Salmon Recovery Office, Governor's
     
140. School Directors' Association, State
     
141. Secretary of State, Office of the
     
142. Seed Potato Commission
     
143. Senate, Washington State
     
144. Sentencing Guidelines Commission
     
145. Shorelines Hearings Board
     
146. Social and Health Services, Department of
     
147. Spokane Intercollegiate Research & Technology Institute
     
148. State Convention & Trade Center
     
149. State Fire Marshal, Office of the
     
150. State Patrol, Washington
     
151. Supreme Court
     
152. Tax Appeals, Board of
     
153. Tax Preferences, Citizen Commission for Performance Measurement of
     
154. Tobacco Settlement Authority
     
155. Traffic Records Committee
     
156. Traffic Safety Commission
     
157. Transportation Commission, State
     
158. Transportation Improvement Board
     
159. Transportation, Department of
     
160. Treasurer, Office of the State
     
161. Tree Fruit Research Commission
     
162. TVW, Public Affairs Network
     
163. Utilities and Transportation Commission
     
164. Veterans Affairs, Department of
     
165. Volunteer Firefighters & Reserve Officers, Board for
     
166. Washington Wellness
     
167. Wine Commission
     
168. Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board

[B Knotts]

Unfortunately, some of that is probably mandated by the federal government.

Certainly, the Gorge Commission is. Without it, Gorge landowners like me would be free to paint our houses unapproved colors!

This election cannot be about merely getting rid of Obama. We must actually reduce the size and scope of government, including drastically reducing federal mandates and regulations.

[poindexter]

Hello income tax.

[boop]

Oh, gee, I guess there’s NOTHING to cut. Where would Washington be without the Seed Potato Commission?

[Ron C.]

Recommend cutting that count from 168 to 20 at least - they would do best to cut it to less than 12.

Can you find the 'essentials'? Help the lady out - out of office - if she can't see the obvious.

[nascarnation]

America is self-selecting into two basic groups.
My guess Wash State will fall in with Calif, NY, etc.

[boop]

I agree. I only see a handful of things that are even REMOTELY necessary. And even then you could cut those budgets by about 50%.

[Parmy]

Most of us on the East side didn’t vote for this ‘dingbat’. Most of us didn’t vote for porculus Patty or spendy Maria.

[Cen-Tejas]

why cut to 12...............a hundred years ago it was zero.................and Washington State got along just fine............!!

[achilles2000]

California ;-)