And what unpleasant choices might those be?
Based on the article, $5 of the so far $8.5 (heading for $10) BILLION deficit is, essentially, taken care of.
That leaves around $3.5 BILLION to take care of.
What confuses me is this: What are the "unpleasant choices?"
First, we eliminate I-728 and I-732 funding. You remember those two initiatives, don't you? Those were the ones that involved classroom size limits and guaranteed pay raises for teachers.
Teachers are government employees.
Now, the WEA thugs who shilled for these two initiatives solemnly swore that we would not need tax increases if they passed; so to get them passed, neither had a designated revenue stream to support them.
Thus the WEA thugs were just the tiniest bit miffed that their initiatives were not funded for a few years... and, based on the WEA's promises, should never had been funded at all.
So, we repeal those initiatives altogether. If the WEA isn't keen on that idea, then they can feel free to float two more initiatives... this time with the taxes attached in the open, instead of hidden.
Next, we suspend all step increases for all government employees at all levels.
Then, we require all government employees at all levels to take 10% pay cuts.
Then we freeze all hiring and implement layoffs until the $3.5 BILLION deficit is eliminated.
Is it unpleasant? Not for me as a citizen. And not nearly as "unpleasant" as the specter of moronic and greedy tax increases.
It's going to be unpleasant for all of the government employee unions; but rest assured, I care exactly as much for them as they do for me.
Many in the legislature have said that our addiction to spending is unsustainable... and they've been saying it for years.
They've also been ignored for years.
The result? An $8.5 BILLION deficit.
Now, the democrats in charge won't implement any of these particular steps... or at least, they won't implement very many of them.
It's not a matter of "choices." It is, instead, a matter of "politics."
We've already seen the Washington State Labor Council's efforts to strong arm the democrats.
There's little doubt that next time they try and muscle their lackeys, they won't do it in any traceable way... but they WILL do it.
So, realistically, we can expect efforts to fund the favorite union programs while "regrettable" cuts will be made to important core services.
Then, the democrats will "regrettably" put BILLIONS in recession-economy-crippling taxes up for a statewide vote... maybe even the dreaded state income tax... again.
They'll portray it completely differently, of course... but that's essentially what we have to look forward to.
Because taking care of the people of this state takes a far, far second place to taking care of the unions that own them.
State budget comes down to unpleasant choices
When it comes to closing the $8.5 billion shortfall in the state budget, the first $5 billion is pretty easy to solve. But that still leaves the state with some gut-wrenching choices to close the rest of the huge budget gap.
Seattle Times Olympia bureau
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OLYMPIA — When it comes to closing the $8.5 billion shortfall in the state budget, the first $5 billion is pretty easy to solve.
All the Legislature has to do is drain the state rainy-day fund, spend a few billion dollars in one-time federal money and cut spending in the current fiscal year with some relatively painless moves, at least compared to what's coming, such as a hiring freeze. Those steps alone would shrink the gap to about $3.5 billion.
The problem: It's still the biggest shortfall in state history. The gap continues to grow. And there are no easy fixes left.
Democrats, who control the House, Senate and governor's office, have little choice but to make deep cuts in some of the very programs they've poured money into during the past four years.
"We're getting to stuff that nobody wants to look at," said Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Medina, co-chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
Democratic leaders won't discuss their thinking in detail, but Tom gave a few examples the Senate is considering: eliminating 10,000 slots for students at the state's colleges and universities; cutting $700 million from the class-size initiative, I-728; and reducing sentences across the board for state inmates by 50 to 60 days.
All three areas, higher education, public schools and public safety, were touted as priorities for Democrats in the past. Now they're targets for spending cuts.
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