The Seattle Times is reporting that under the auspices of the fringe lefters running this state, we've been buried in yet ANOTHER mountain of debt in addition to the mountain range that simple idiot in the White House has used toi enslave our future generations.
But even before we are enveloped with depression over the massive federal debt, we have one much closer to home:
Dealing with Debt
Huge debt handcuffs state in bad times
Washington's money troubles go deeper than a multibillion-dollar hole in the budget. The state's also acquired a mountain of debt.
Seattle Times Olympia bureau
RelatedOLYMPIA — Washington's money troubles go deeper than a multibillion-dollar hole in the budget. The state also has acquired a mountain of debt.
The total amount of money owed for construction projects, not including transportation, has jumped 66 percent since 2000 to more than $10 billion. State payments on that debt will approach $2 billion in the next two-year budget.
That's roughly 6 percent of all state general-fund spending.
Twenty years ago, Washington was paying roughly $560 million on debt, about 3.6 percent of state spending at the time, according to a Senate Ways and Means Committee analysis.
The current budget crisis has many lawmakers looking wistfully at all the money going to pay debt. They wish they had it back.
"If we want more cash in the general fund and we can't raise taxes, over the long run we have to bring down the interest payments," said Senate Ways and Means Chairman Ed Murray, D-Seattle.
"Here we are with a $5 billion deficit we have to fix this session, but we're going to take $2 billion out of the operating budget just on debt service."
Of course, given that you would be hard pressed to find anyone in Olympia who has spent and wasted more money then Murray, (Maybe if your name is "Murray," you have a genetic spending problem?) there is a certain level of irony that the Times quoted him.
Democrats at all levels have been warned for years that their spending was unsustainable. And democrats at the state level have controlled government literally for decades... and this mess is what we have to show for it.Sheesh.
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And now, Patty and Maria won't be able to parachute very much spending cash back into this state anymore. (except some rare cases like possibly capital side of transporation and infrastructure improvements.)
ReplyDeleteSo where are we going to get this money to fix the holes? Sounds like to me there is going to be a huge push for new state taxes and fees just like every other session.
Basic Health and state parks was just the start.
Here is another NICE article for you! :)
ReplyDeleteVery similar to what the article you posted but a lot more information and data... And its good! And if you think the state government hasn't ways to play with your tax dollars, watch out, because they will come up with a new one.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2014125005_debt04m.html
Well, Anon... it is a good story... but it's the exact one I use at the link.
ReplyDelete