Gregoire (Wash. state) budget would slash programs, cut $4 billion

[Newsjock]

Source: Seattle Times

Gov. Chris Gregoire on Wednesday proposed unprecedented budget cuts that wipe out some state programs to the poor, slash spending on education, cut pay for state workers, close prisons and reduce ferry runs.

No corner of the budget appeared left untouched.

State Arts Commission, gone.

State tourism office, gone.

The Basic Health Plan, which provides subsidized insurance for the working poor, gone.

Also eliminated under the proposal: Disability Lifeline, a program that provides cash payments to the disabled poor; programs for gifted students in public schools; McNeil Island Corrections Center; and the Maple Lane School for juvenile offenders in Rochester.

... The bleeding goes on and on for nearly 30 pages. And that's just the summary.

Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2013685184_budget16m.html

[KamaAina]

1. Looks like a preview of what's coming in California

where Gov.-elect Brown -- like Gregoire, a Dem! -- just told us to "sit down" when we read the budget he's gonna drop on us on Jan. 10.

Propoertionately, $4 billion in cuts for Washington state would equal about $20 billion here. :scared:

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. Thank God we rejected the income tax on the rich!!!

Those sneaky bastards in Olympia might have applied it to me!

:sarcasm:

Welcome to the Republican tax template. No income tax, reliance on sin, sales and property taxes.

The most regressive tax structure in the country, coming to a government near you.

[kath]

6. Here in the Bible Belt, they LOOOOOOVE high sales taxes on GROCERIES - talk about regressive.

Makes me so freakin' angry :grr:

[Bette Noir]

3. Damn.

[Angry Dragon]

4. Any cuts in there for the legislature or govenor??

[freshwest]

5. They've been cutting aid for DD clients

For over two years now. It's terrifying to those who love them. It is time to face it for what it is, although many of us saw the writing on the wall some years ago. The gloves are coming off.

Thank the DLC, talk radio, US Chamber of Commerce and cable news outlets managing the thinking of half the people. Gregoire left some funding in areas I'll explain that make this more humane than it appears at first blush.

She's dealing with a lot of GOP and they've fought her tooth and nail since she was elected. The problem is that although I have some good representatives in the legislature and at the federal level, they have been outnumbered and outgunned by the lobbyists on the other side of the aisle for years.

I talked with one of my representatives a few years back about this and said I didn't recognize the DP, it was all DINOs. My rep was most definitely not a DINO, but the pressure was intense, near the heart attack level. The high handed methods to suppress the votes my rep made to stand by liberal social values to help people were eventually illegal. A dirty, well-funded war is being waged on all progressives that most people never see.

At the risk of sounding less outraged than I actually am, I still have to say that it could be a lot worse.

[NeoConsSuck]

7. Everyone stay calm

Relax, don't resist, it's all part of the plan:

The Build America Bonds program was not included in the tax cut package, again, something Obama rolled over on.

http://blogs.reuters.com/james-pethokoukis/2010/12/07/secret-gop-plan-push-states-to-declare-bankruptcy-and-smash-unions/

[jaybeat]

8. Here's what happens when tax increases are "off the table"

No new taxes, no federal bailout

Unlike the last budget, higher taxes are not being considered. A Tim Eyman initiative approved by voters in November requires a two-thirds vote in the Legislature, or voter approval, to increase taxes. It's hard to imagine a supermajority of Democrats and Republicans agreeing to boost taxes.

In addition, Congress has made it clear that no more bailouts will be coming to prop up state budgets. The federal government helped soften the blow of cuts in the last budget with more than $3 billion in aid.

That leaves state lawmakers with cuts.

Destruction of the State of Washington, courtesy of a corrupt, anti-tax, professional initiative sponsor, the rich ideologues who fund him, the right-wing media to parrot his lies as truth, and the gullible idiots who believe it and vote for them.

I expect a bathtub is being shipped to Olympia as we speak.

[killbotfactory]

9. This is really disgusting to me

WA voters shot themselves in the foot based on bad advice.