Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Seattle Times asks a good question: how would you plug the $2 billion state budget hole?

The Seattle Times asks the question:

How would you fill expected $2 billion state budget hole?

For me, it's easy:

Declaring an emergency, I would look at the total budget slice that goes to state personnel; pay, benefits, retirement.

I would remove $2 billion from that slice.

Simple, really.

Because if public employees don't like what we're paying them... they can always quit.

Just sayin'.

2 comments:

Blogging around the Pacific Northwest said...

Kelly, we both know it will never happen. The governor will find a way to cut other ways instead of across the board in head count. And it will probably be a direct aim at medicaid and basic health.

AND/OR They'll work to put a measure ont he ballot for February or May for a targeted tax increase probably for education.

K.J. Hinton said...

But the likelihood of a tax increase passing in this economy is very slight.

The cuts, as I understand it, are supposed to be implemented even before session starts in January. Getting bleeding taxpayers to do more?

Well, I believe we've seen the future in the form of Eyman's budget limit initiative, I-1053, requiring a 2/3rds vote to raise taxes and the destruction at the polls of the left's state income tax, I-1098, where the people of this state even rejected ripping off the "rich" for more money.

They no doubt will try an initiative to jack up taxes. But passage?

They'd better have a fall back position... and massive, system wide personnel cuts are all they'll have left.