It’s a busy day in our newspaper cycle today, so I’m going to let the press releases do the talking about today’s big senate budget cuts, which decimate human services, basic health care, education, and pretty much everything that isn’t specifically protected by the state constitution.
First up, the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance:
Affordable housing advocates say the Senate’s budget, which cuts health care, assistance for people too sick or disabled to work, and programs that help former foster youth avoid homelessness, is the wrong approach to balancing the budget in the middle of the most severe recession in modern times.
“We have the power to choose what kind of state we want Washington to be,” said Rachael Myers, Executive Director of the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance. “Everyone should have the opportunity to live in a safe, decent, affordable home. We can make smart investments in housing and other systems that will help people weather this storm or we can make short-sighted cuts. The Senate’s cuts undermine our State’s economic recovery and the wellbeing of families who are struggling. We hope to see our legislators make better choices when the House releases its budget tomorrow.”
The Washington Education Association:
The proposed state budget released today by Senate Ways and Means Chair Margarita Prentice cuts more than $2 billion from K-12 and higher education and could cause as many as 5,000 educators to lose their jobs.
It cuts more than $500 million from higher education, a cut that higher ed won’t recover from in decades. Legislators have said the budget will reduce college enrollment by 10,000 students statewide.
The home health care workers:
While the budget crisis is bad news for all public employees, Senate Democrats chose to inflict the deepest pain on the lowest paid workers — home care workers who care for vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities.
“If budgets reflect values, what does it say about Democrats when they choose to treat the lowest paid employees the worst,” asks SEIU Healthcare 775NW Vice-President Adam Glickman. “The budget cuts wages for home care workers who make $15,000 a year, and will force 6000 caregivers to drop their health coverage. What kind of Democratic value is that?”
The Washington State Hospital Association:
The Senate budget proposal, released today, makes severe cuts to the health care safety net. If enacted, it would cause 45,000 people to become uninsured virtually overnight — on top of the tens of thousands who have already lost their health insurance because of job loss.
“Now is the absolute wrong time to cut services as more people lose their jobs and health insurance,” said Diane Sosne, RN and president of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW. “Eliminating our health care safety net doesn’t mean people don’t need health care — it means they’ll have to get it someplace else at a higher cost, or not at all.”
NARAL Pro-Choice Washington:
Among other steep cuts, the proposed budget slashes $1 million in funding for birth control and other family planning services for low-income women and teens.
“We are disappointed in the Senate budget,” said Karen Cooper, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Washington. “This budget represents a sharp decline in all the services provided by the state, including a 10% cut in family planning care.”
“If these family planning funds are not restored, the consequences will be felt not only by the women of our state, but by taxpayers as well,” added Cooper. “Quite simply, birth control saves money.”
[Added] The Washington Environmental Council:
The proposed state budget would:
Leave our water and coastal areas more susceptible to devastating pollution like oil spills. Weakening of the state oil spills program for the Puget Sound and costal beaches— a $1.9 million reduction will mean 135 fewer vessels boarded and inspected and fewer oil response drills in our waterways. The Oil Spill Oversight Council will also be eliminated.
Reduce public participation in toxic cleanups, which has been a cornerstone of Washington’s way of life. The entire $2 million program is eliminated for public participation grants making it impossible for the public to have a meaningful role in decision making for toxic cleanup in their back yards.
Harm efforts to protect our water quality by elimination of the Water Quality Account which provides the money for local water quality projects around the state like sewage treatment plants. 18 staff would be lost in the Department of Ecology’s water quality program.
Decrease our capacity to clean up Puget Sound. 7 out of 35 Puget Sound clean up staff would be cut in Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Lose experts where they’re critically needed. 75% of scientists for the Forest and Fish rules would be cut, which severely hampers the state’s ability to respond on salmon recovery issues. 73% of staffing around Watershed science would be eliminated, which hampers the state’s ability to respond on salmon recovery issues, as well as around sprawl
Increase risk of fires and infestation in our forests. Due to the elimination of the Department of Natural Resources’ Forest Health Program there would be increased risk of forest fires and infestation of invasive bugs and diseases. Fire protection is reduced by almost $5 million increasing risk of property damage and loss to our timber industry.
Decrease our ability to plan for Washington’s future with a 1/3 cut of Growth Management Act assistance to local governments. Growth Management Act hearing boards have been cut from 3 to 1.
The Statewide Poverty Action Network:
The budget proposed by the Senate:
·Cuts 42% of the Basic Health Plan, which provides health care coverage to individuals earning less than 200% of the federal poverty level, or approximately $21,000 per year. This means 40,000 fewer people with health coverage at a time when unemployment rates are at a high and laid off workers have lost coverage provided by employers.
·Reduces vital General Assistance (GA-U) cash grants by 80%. The GA-U program provides small cash grants to adults who are disabled and unable to work. Without these cash grants and the medical coverage that accompanies them, disabled GA-U recipients will not have the means to survive. GA-U medical coverage was also cut by 24%.
·Cuts 75% from Adult Day Health services, which provides skilled nursing and rehabilitative therapy for seniors and adults with medical or disabling conditions. This program also assists with activities of daily living, such as bathing, grooming and toileting.
·Results in major layoffs, with 8,000-9,000 state employees losing their jobs, in addition to the thousands who will be let go because of the reduction in state program funding.
Taken together, there’s only one way to look at this budget: It’s a bloodbath, one in which the poorest and most vulnerable are being asked to sacrifice the most.
It’s called “slashing” for a reason. I think it’s like one of those horror movies where everyone laughs when the slasher appears. Ssshhhh listen for the laughter now.
Raise taxes now! Income taxes, sales taxes, vice taxes, criminal financial penalties.
Well Gregoire and the Democrats are doing the slashing, right?
I don’t see them out there fighting for “change,” do you?
They are pretty good at moaning and whining about structural imperatives which they never propose to do anything about. But that’s about it.
I know who won’t get cut.
Corporate welfare from tax deductions.
There’s no law against Washington borrowing the money we need. We can pay it back when the economy rebounds, and less state spending will make the recession worse.
@5 – I think it’s that type of thinking that got the economy in the mess it is in, in the first place. “I can’t afford it.. but I can get a credit card!”
Disgusting. I’m never voting for anyone who supports these budget cuts ever again, no matter what kind of statement they make about how “painful” it is for them.
Welcome to the GOP’s wet dream.
And of course, even if Gregoire puts a tax increase initiative on the ballot, most people will probably vote against it, because, really, it’s not THEIR health insurance being cut (even as their employers throw more of the burden of funding their plans on the backs of their employees), it’s not THEIR homes being lost (unless of course, they’re already in foreclosure and thinking about finding someplace cheaper to live), it’s not THEIR parents losing a home-care worker (unless of course, it is), it’s not THEIR kids getting crammed into larger classrooms (unless of course they’re enrolled in a public school), etc., etc.
Meanwhile Boeing threatens to pull up stakes and move it’s airplane plants out-of-state if they don’t get a gazillion dollars in tax-breaks (never mind that it would cost them tens of billions of dollars to relocate, retool, and train a new skilled labor force in Tennessee or South Carolina or wherever), and Tim Eyman’s minions will scream bloody murder at mere the thought of paying a little bit more in order to maintain basic public services.
Maybe some of Washington’s wealthier residents would be willing to shoulder a slightly greater tax burden if, instead of calling it a “tax increase” it were presented as a “maybe you won’t get stabbed by a poor person on your way to your car” fee.
Surely even the rich and stupid know enough to be frightened at the prospect of legions of disenfranchised, angry people with nothing to lose and nothing but time on their hands.
Fuck me. Cue the total collapse of the city of Ellensburg in 3…2…
@6
No, it was belief in the discipline of the free market that got us in this mess.
@9: Worked for AIG
Never thought I’d say this about the Oly democrats, but all they care about is insuring that those who make six figures and above have a sustained quality of life, which will keep them in office (since they’re the primary voting base) and tax dollars flowing in. But they’re about to royally screw themselves over when you see a significant rise in crime, unwanted pregnancies, and homelessness in this state.
Okay, I only make $20K a year, but I’d still gladly pay the “‘maybe you won’t get stabbed by a poor person on your way to your car’ fee”….
….if only to keep myself from becoming one of the stabbers.
The line “It’s a bloodbath, one in which the poorest and most vulnerable are being asked to sacrifice the most.” is a bit of a simplification. They are sacrificing the most because for years they have been given the most, without having to pay it back. I pay my taxes in full and have never once used a state service program – I’m not complaining about that since I consider it my duty as a citizen – so I do bear in mind that those who have paid the least receive the most for free. Would I like to see taxes increased to offset some of the damage? Of course; of course I’d prefer a more mixed approach but is it really that surprising to people that those who are cut are the ones who never paid in (or paid the least) in the first place? It’s not as if the gov’t had that many choices; they didn’t, and the ones they did were all bad.
Thanks to the stupidity of much of our electorate, we now effectively have two Republican Parties in Washington state. One is insane and dominated by social conservatives. The other is socially moderate, economically identical, and calls itself the Democratic Party.
What kind of a pay cut are the Senators taking?
The problem is, there isn’t anything else to cut. They’re cutting the state labor force hugely as well. The size of the deficit is overwhelming. It’s fun to talk about income tax, but they’ll never, ever, ever pass one. So we get to live in a permanent dysfunctional state, like California with their property tax stupidity.
I’m glad to hear the echoes of income tax. IT’S SO OBVIOUS, and this shit bums me out.
Put in place an income tax.
Also, here here to the “maybe you won’t get stabbed by a poor person on your way to your car” fee.
You can buy houses in Cincinatti for $1000 dollars.
Need a home? Move there!
“Birth Control (aka abortion) saves money”
…because it’s a lot cheaper to kill kids than raise them.
This sucks for me. Tomorrow I leave the nursing home and into low income housing. I am single with no family and I was depending on getting a home healthcare worker because there is only so much I can do for myself.
9
There is always some jackass on slog warning about the poor rising up to slaughter the rich.
It ain’t going to happen.
The poor will slaughter each other.
Just like they do now only more.
The rich aren’t rich by accident.
And the poor aren’t poor by accident.
The rich manage to take care of themselves.
Especially if times get tough.
#15 For the record, I have been working and paying taxes for 25 years. I don’t like needing public assistance, but I do. I paid into the system, the system should pay me back.
@5 for the Constitutional WIN!
And Adam Smith based his projections on perfect competition with equal players without subsidies and equivalent information, where the government provided the rule of law and trust busted firms that were too large.
Go back and reread your books – inequities of labor and capital invariably lead to bloody revolutions.
And the winner is . . . George W. Bush, who set out to destroy the middle class and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.
How could this possibly happen in our near perfect utopia of virtually pure Democrat Party rule?
While “the poorest and most vulnerable” are poised to suffer significantly more, and tens of thousands are about to get shut out of a quality education, not to mention another possible chunky addition to the unemployment ranks, all thanks to this budget proposal, I just came across a piece today about a couple that celebrates their 25th wedding anniversary by commissioning the Seattle Symphony to compose a concerto just for them.
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=1…
It’s awfully frustrating to read this, particularly the part where the husband pompously celebrates his tax write-off: “It’s more affordable than you think, it’s also a tax deduction because you’re giving to a 501-3C.” Charles added, “It’s a wonderful way to thank a city that allowed me to become successful…We are receiving much more than we gave in this enterprise.”
This isn’t a GOP wet dream.
It’s the collapse of the Welfare State.
Bloated and in debt,
no more money to buy off the unproductive underclass.
It is and has been inevitable.
All socialist systems collapse this way.
@23: So it’s your belief that violent crime will go down in this Depression? Good luck with that.
Disenfranchising the poor is usually much more expensive in the long run than making socially responsible spending choices. If the poor have healthcare, they won’t rely on getting treatment at the ER and then not paying. If the poor have homes, they won’t be out on the streets asking you for money. If the poor have access to birth control, they won’t be asking for public money to feed, house and educate their unwanted children in a year or two. It is a lengthy list with many unpleasant stops along the way before the torches and pitchforks stage.
I know the rich are rich for a reason. Usually it’s because their parents were rich. But the rich people who believe that doing nothing for the poor is the wisest or even the cheapest option definitely aren’t rich because they’re good at math. Or history.
oh horror – back 6 or 7 years in spending
folks, the state will remain intact, just less money
I think Gregoire is in trouble and Rob McKenna will be the next gov.
ALL Rob has to say I will tell the truth about the finances, and will not raise taxes
Welcome to Gov.Rod in 2012 … gay marriage just went down the tube in the coming decade
#30
FDR averted the Red Revolution in America … you are correct.
Neo cons and R Reagan types have never forgiven him.
It is good idea to think houses in other parts of the US, very good common sense.
30
Read it again, sam.
I believe the poor will prey on the poor.
If the poor have a JOB they don’t have to depend on the government to wipe their asses for them.
Ultimately it it what the poor do for themselves, not what the rich or the government do ‘for’ the poor, that will determine if they have rewarding lives.
Cut cut cut, don’t these idiots know that this will backfire on them.
Whitout a healthy, safe, employed population who will vote their fat asses into the legislature?
I had a friend who died last week…she actually WAS mugged and knifed on the way to her car (she was stabbed though, not slashed). This happened in the quaintest little village in the UK. So the threat of it happening here and to more people I may know and SOON is very, very real. Desperation is rising everywhere.
@15 seeinganotherside – you’ve never used a state program? wha-huh?
Did you go to public school or college in this state? Do you drive the state roads? Have you ever visited a State Park? You use the services of the DMV if you are a licenced driver with a car registered in this state. If you live in this state you also benefit from state public safety investments (jails, state police, courts, emergency management).
See here for more: http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/budget/detai…
@33 – are you among the nearly 9% unemployed in this state looking for work?! I am – and had all of *one* job interview in the past six months, and I’ve been trying hard to find a job – *any* job.
What can the poor “do for themselves” to improve their lot in life when there are virtually no options to be found? In addition to vital services to help them survive, this state budget proposal is about to decimate education on all levels. There goes job training basic and higher education as we know it.
If you have any better ideas, we’re all ears.
Meanwhile, our state leadership is spending $277 million to somehow combat congestion on I-405 (oh, wait, make that an additional $40 million for a second I-405 project in the Bothell area as well).
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa…
Has anyone heard from Osama tim Eyman lately? Is he hiding in a cave in Edmonds?
The Statewide Poverty Action Network, Washington Environmental Council,NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, home health care workers,Washington Low Income Housing Alliance
You mean all the moochers?
BTW renters, every time a vote comes up for property taxes I let the renters at my two properties know what ever the tax raise is, it goes straight onto their rent. No free lunches kiddies.
“I’ve been trying hard to find a job – *any* job. “
@37. Wendy’s in Ballard has had a help wanted sign up for over a month.
Hate to break up the “just institute an income tax,” but WA already collects far more tax per capita ($2239) than Oregon ($1700) and almost as much as California ($2392.)
So while an income tax would be more progressive than a sales tax, and is a good idea, it’s not like we have some great pool of untapped tax out there due to our not having an income tax. If you just added an income tax on top of everything, you would merely be adding to already high property and sales taxes.
I don’t know what the solution is. But looking to an income tax, when the legislature has already shown it has zero- none, nada- interest in this solution seems particularly cruel given that it would be ineffective in addition to all the other problems.
Yes, Stupid White Man is very tough on his imaginary renters at his imaginary rental property, which is good – they are the only people in the universe who respect him.
Actually, they don’t respect him either. They make fun of his bad breath and seeming total lack of a penis, and they intend to take the imaginary appliances with them when they skip out on the imaginary rent.
@41: radical re-structuring of the tax system in this state – a progressive income tax coupled with significant reductions in regressive sales taxes & a new-found discipline in which every program is not funded by a new property tax.
we have to stop funding schools with logging, too.
<3 @42.
@41, tax revenue correlates pretty closely to state income GDP. We’re quite a bit richer than Oregon, and almost as rich as California.
37
I hope something works out for you soon, it is terrible right now.
After the recession/depression hits it is a little late to take measures.
Getting a good education and training to be able to earn a decent living (before you start having kids, btw) is an important first step. Then get educated/trained for a backup career in case something happens to your job or the entire industry you work in. Save several months worth of living expenses in accessible funds. Buy only as much house as you need and can afford and don’t get in debt. Save and pay for it consumer items when you get them; differed gratification. Make good marriage decisions and stay married; more than even education level the best predictor of if someone will end up in poverty is the ability to stay married.
These are obviously not short term measures but life decisions.
I was responding to @30 who was listing a host of needs the government is evidently supposed to meet for the ‘poor’. The first step is to take responsibility for our own lives.
Good luck again.
so, this pretty much ends all the pie-in-the-sky plans to rebuild viaducts and bridges and build light rail lines all over the area, right?
Wrong. Learn a little something about how government works, and how projects are funded, then come back when you don’t sound like an idiot.
I’d like to know how much of the budget gap could be closed if there were a $50,000 yearly wage cap put on all state workers.
@43, @45: my point is that a state income tax is not money wedged in the seat cushions waiting to be found. We already carry a substantial tax load, and implementing an income tax would be unlikely to solve our current shortfall.