Over the last three years, Washington State has slashed $10 billion from its budget as revenues have fallen during the Great Recession. Cuts, cuts, cuts—to aid for the sick and elderly, to tuition assistance at public universities, to the state’s “disability lifeline.” Now, with a special session set to begin on November 28 because of a new $1.4 billion projected revenue shortfall, more cuts are probably coming.
Every department in the state is under orders from Democratic governor Chris Gregoire to offer up suggestions for hacking another 5 to 10 percent out of their planned spending. What would this newest round of budget slicing look like if implemented?
“It’s going to hurt a lot of people,” said Kathy Spears, spokeswoman for the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), describing the potential impact of a 10 percent cut to her department. Having already lost $2.2 billion in funding over the last three years, shed 2,903 employees, and reduced services all over the state, DSHS recently sent the governor $866 million more in possible cuts, including the total elimination of the state’s food assistance program (which would save $18 million). The food program serves about 13,000 legal immigrants who don’t qualify for federal food assistance because of their alien status.
There’s plenty more potential hurt, including DSHS’s proposed closure of two wards at Western State Hospital that currently serve 52 patients with conditions such as traumatic brain injury or dementia (savings: $5 million) and reductions in foster care, juvenile rehabilitation, and substance abuse treatment programs (savings: $118 million).
Over at the Department of Corrections, Secretary Bernie Warner sent the governor a plan for $160 million in savings under a 10 percent cut scenario. This plan would involve the early release of about 1,000 offenders—some of them violent offenders—and the halting of community supervision for about 15,000 released offenders who still need monitoring.
“We’re not endorsing this option,” Warner said. “It has obvious public-safety implications.” But that’s what it would look like if his agency’s budget—already slashed by about $270 million over three years, leading to the closure of three prisons and 1,200 eliminated positions—had to be cut 10 percent more.
Offered up for the budget knife by other state agencies: a $225 million hit to higher education, $240,000 in cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs, a $581,000 reduction in Hanford cleanup spending, a $96,000 reduction in spending to help salmon, and a “transfer” of responsibility for inspecting ski lifts that could save the state $60,000.
Oh, and then there’s the $94,000 cut proposed by the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council—you know, the people who warn us when revenue is about to drop by, say, $1.4 billion. The agency warned Gregoire that a “10 percent cut will eliminate our agency, because we will not have the rudimentary necessities to fulfill our core mission.” Agency director Arun Raha predicted “total disaster” if that were to come to pass.
It didn’t have to be this way. Last November, voters could have approved an income tax on the 34,000 wealthiest Washingtonians, which would have brought in about $4.6 billion over two years. Or this spring, lawmakers could have mustered the political courage—and the required two-thirds majority—to raise taxes themselves. Or they could have closed some of the tax loopholes that cost Washington $6.5 billion annually (while benefiting Wall Street banks, plastic surgeons, and owners of private jets).
But none of this happened, so here we are.
What does Governor Gregoire make of these grim scenarios and dire warnings, delivered by state departments at her command?
At the moment, it seems, very little.
Gregoire’s office said that because she’s required to work within the existing revenue structure when making budget proposals, her November proposal to the state legislature will take the same approach as the “immoral” (her words) budget that she put forward this spring: all cuts. 
It’s the no win situation everyone feared, ending the loopholes was the only really wise thing brought forward, but the politicians benefit from those loopholes as well people, as do actual doctors, and the worthless psychologists.
The last several budgets have “cut to the bone.” At this point, the only thing left is outright amputation, and that rarely goes well for the patient.
“Which foot shall we chop off? Come on, come on, one of them has to go: which would you rather lose?”
I-502
http://www.newapproachwa.org/
Kidnapping was popular during the last Depression.
I hope you’re not suggesting kidnapping Gregoire? Well, they may pay you to KEEP her…or do vile things to her. Yes, her new freaking cuts are going to hurt a lot of people. POOR people. I hope hell exists, because that cunt is going there! I hope she ends her days crippled, broke, in agonizing pain that she can get no assistance for, her family having long abandoned her or died in a bizarre honey badger/circus freak accident. The evil she has done, she does not deserve a comfortable or happy life. She deserves a life of misery, haunted by constant nightmares of the things she’s done to people. Not a night of rest should this soulless bitch get without reminders of what SHE has done to people. When she came in, there was a surplus, but she spent, and spent, and spent…and now the people who have the least get to pay for her psychotic spending sprees. She’s removed her facebook pages…too many nasty messages being left for her. She knows she is hated, she knew she was not going to run again, so she did the worst she could possibly do. Pox and pestilence upon you, Christine Gregoire.
Living within your means can be a sobering prospect…it’s actually where the glee of youth meets the needs of reality. Both states have their place in our lives, but both MUST be honored. KUDOS to a state government willing to make the hard decisions and prayers to the people that MUST live with reality. Now is the time to start spending wisely, finding where the grifters of our society are and exposing them.
I love Sea Hag Gregoire but I don’t like it when she gets emo and starts blaming Eyeman for the States problems? like I need to blast this song?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_a8jtWVT…
Talk about sissy ass fools? Oblivious to history is so not the road to political bliss?
like Washington state has never been a backwoods backass hillbilly heaven and as well the Garage Sale State?
There is no and I mean no excuse for the ignorance of Olympia and Eyeman was one hell of a warning 10 years ago for Olimpia to pull its head out of its ass and stop fornicating in the circle jerk of scratch my back politics and restructure and shore up a worthy tax code?
they got hit in the face with pie so they will get hit in the face with pie?
they got the artsy fartsy light rail and they got the artsy fartsy Tunnel and they got the artsy fartsy crap and they spent money on Mexican presidents and knee pads for China and they spent every dime of every budget since way before any of you were born,Every dime and thats some heavy ass dimeage! they spent money like Madonna at the mall?
10 billion? I wont even get into the ferry’s built in 1929 that have been pushing your fat ass across the water for ever until all that held it together was paint and the rest of the Salmon disasters that serial engineers and serial idiots in politics have left us and our children?
I don’t want to hear the whining and the blame game as Perry and Boehner have cornered that market until the cheese and cracker distributors have started strong arm soliciting Republicans?
Just Get up and make it work!
the time to spend wisely was when the first president sent the first army to take taxes from the first Americans with guns and swords?
What next, our blood?
Maybe I should mail a used tampon to Congress the next time I have a f***ing period.
Next time the money comes rolling in I think we would be wise not to base spending increases on future revenue projections. Or at least base them on the lowest projection.
I would never recommends kidnapping anyone, especially an elected leader.
Kidnapping, the old timey way, went for the pockets. Bezos and Balmer both funded the screed against taxing themselves or collecting more tax for schools. Eynman continues to promote initiative porn for his own edification.
Follow the pockets.
Correction: “recommend,” but I like the “r-u-n-d-o-f-t!” tone so let it go.
@cattycat: May I gently suggest Auntie Grizelda’s suggestion?
It is both maddening and frightening. People have been numbed by the cuts and think there are more to be made without any consequence to them. For example, Ken Schrame gave one of his typical bellowing rants to Western State for proposing the closing of two wings of its hospital calling their decision to foist elderly mental patients on nursing homes and group homes. His outrage seemed to suggest that the decision was somehow voluntary and happening in a vacuum.
And the plan is to cut 2 billion, not just 1.4 billion to refresh the rainy day fund.
In higher education, the state need grant has survived thus far, but likely won’t do so well now. That will affect students and the institutions they attend, doubling up the cuts they will get on top of that.
And yetbrain trustntrust in the legislature and the governor’s office pusheddumb assumbass DIS building and will force all state agencies to fork over their network and other IT functions to shit headstheads in DIS—or what ever it’s called now–Enterprise services. I’m sure that when they start hiring contractors to run networks who are employed by Kelly Services, and not by the state, those underpaid Gen Xr’s are going to really care about doing a great job for the state. The cost of the leadership void is actually much more expensive than it appears because of the legion of unfortunate decisions.
I actually wonder seriously if Rossi would have been as bad.
@13: He would have been even worse! With 1,000 new freeways to nowhere cutting up Washington State even further, we would have been nicknamed The Evergreen Parking Lot. Women’s healthcare wouldn’t exist.
Not to mention that the guy is an underhanded, grinning, mudflinging slimeball who got the majority of his campaign money from out of state special interest groups.
Remember, these unfortunate decisions are what has been passed down from a heartless Republicans-run-amok Congress that thinks we’ll all do better paying for corporate bailouts while regular Americans like you and me can’t afford basic healthcare, and the good jobs go overseas.
Think what you want, but frankly I consider your serious contemplation of Rossi as even more maddening and frightening than the painfully deep state budget cuts happening now and in the immediate future.
Well, Auntie Grizelda no reason to resort to hyperbolic hyperventilation. I suppose my simpler point is this: With friends like the democrats who needs enemies?
@15: Ummmmmm…Ellymae, don’t you REALLY mean with “friends” like Republicans, who needs enemies?? My blood pressure’s fine, dear. How’s yours? Your ignorance, like freckles and buck teeth, is showing.
Maybe you should stick to rasslin’ bears and swimmin’ in the ce-ment pond.
George W. Bush’s Administration CAUSED this present economic mess we’re in. Ronald Reagan started the deregulation of U.S. banks 31 years ago. Republicans want to get rid of the U.S. Constitution, human rights, government checks and balances of any kind, and make health care, education and housing available only to the super rich.
This has been a Filmways Presentation, y’all.
Actually, it’s both. Cutting the necessary programs by the Republicans lead to a decline in taxes, but the Democrats didn’t want to cut spending on the unnecessary programs so they just hiked up taxes that effected everyone and … cut more necessary programs to make up the difference. It’s a spiral, it’s been a spiral for a long time, and we are finally hitting the bottom where they will have no choice but to end it.
@17 KittenKoder: You’re right—the damage has been caused by both major political parties for decades, and we’re seeing the worst of it now.
And while I’ll admit that nobody likes to pay taxes for anything they don’t need or use, a government service you might consider wasteful because it doesn’t pertain to you might be vital to my way of life, and vice versa.
Unfortunately, we’re all in this mess together.
Reagan didn’t turn the banks into the bunch of lame ass criminals they are?
$35 late fee over draft 15 dollar service charge?
They are going to start a service charge of debit cards and the joker on the TV speaking for the bank says the Banks need to take more money as they are not making any? As PBS has a bunch of old retarded farts who cant even stink anymore they did not ask the bank rep about the CEO bonus’s or anything that was relevant to “how” this bank is so poor it needs to start with the Sea of fee’s again? note…… AGAIN?
I guess its no wonder we are in debt to China as the American banks are less American then the Chinese ones?
You give a bank your entire pay check and still they want to charge you? How can a bank be broke when 25% of America puts its entire net profit in it?
you cant turn on the TV or radio with out seeing an advertisement from these poor banks who need more money? Its another dilemma of politipiggys who are too stupid to do anything about anything as they feel they will do a Gregoire and bail out after its to late? Golden Parachute is a very old term?
You can thank your Old retarded Farts who cant even stink anymore as they are too stupid or too gutless to even call the bastards out on the shit that dont add up with a Texas Instrument calculator.
@19:slade: No further questions, Your Honor.
@19 Sorry, but an overdraft fee is your problem, no one else’s. If you want to spend more money than you give someone to hold onto, then they have that right. Most people don’t get charged over draft fees or loan interests, that’s why the fees are so high now. Since a lot of us really poor people know how to avoid all the fees, and many wealthy as well, the few who try to spend money that isn’t theirs have to pay for all the employees at the banks. Sorry, but I’m happy keeping 100% of my $700 a month to myself. It will suck to have to pay for debit purchases eventually, but that’s the government’s doing not the bank.
@19 slade: While I can see a few of your points, I was being a little sarcastic. Bank of America has been slamming their customers with outrageous atrocities for everything, everywhere, all the time in addition to overdraft charges! I think I even remember a ridiculous “teller fee” (yep–you got it—just for walking in and conducting what should be a normal bank transaction with a live person!). You might want to try a credit union, or a locally established bank to reduce fees.
I’m with KittenKoder, though, on overdrafts. Life usually happens for a reason.
@221 KittenKoder: You’re right about the importance of not spending money you don’t have, and that those who still do are digging their own holes. Bank deregulation over the last three decades hasn’t helped the situation, either.
Like you, I’m happy keeping what’s mine, too, and avoiding interest, late payment, bad check, and all other types of ha-ha-what-are-you-going-to-do-about-it?! fees. As for loans, I’m once burned, twice shy, and don’t wanna go there. If my parents weren’t still alive or weren’t able to help me pay off debts at the time of my divorce, I’d truly be on the street now.
@21: There’s overdraft fees, and then there’s overdraft fees. A lot of backs stack the fees, and order transactions to maximize them; if you, say, put three $5 lattes on your check card and also wrote a $100 check, and only had $100 in your account, they’d let the check go through then charge you $35 for *each* of the rejected $5 charges…thus charging you $105 in overdraft fees. I’ve known people who racked up $200 in fees in one month due to one mistake. God help you if your paycheck bounces after you’ve assumed it’s cleared (happened to me, once.)
To top it off, they delay deposits, increasing the chances you’ll overdraft. Often the balance they report as being in your account lags behind actual activity, as well. Unless you have a cushion of a few hundred dollars in your account, it becomes *very* easy to inadvertently overdraft.
As warren buffet sold his bank stocks seemingly before the poop hit the fan and now he is buying it back as the sea of fees Tsunami starts rolling towards the shore its not about “who” is Dumb enough to get ripped off! As its a game of hot potato as you need to move your money to save it from constant higher rising fees.
Again I was watching some guy on PBS who looks like He wakes up with a pillow literally stuck in his ear they are so big! He yaks to Charlie Rose about how “Something” should be done to help the little guy but the fact is this joker has made this comedy circuit for decades and decades now and again! a PBS old fart is Asking this clown about why he is re-investing back into the Bank of America Stock.
He came off like the prosecutor in the Amanda Knox Case? Some gibberish about how great American Capitalist know how will save the day?
Its like dude? you bail out just before the crap hits the fan and the police show up and now that the hood has been stomped to death in Political crap for six years that don’t mean a hill of beans and has not fixed anything as of Oct 2011? you are crawling back into this Vehicle of financial death that wiped out many a mom and pops savings and just rolled up on the sidewalk and crushed the house they had paid and paid and paid with blood sweat and tears?
Nope! No cookie! do not pass go! Faith no more in those jokers? Shit! most of the American banks are “Still” being investigated.
Time is up for these bastard ass crackers and if your even stupid enough to go on Public Broadcasting System and yack some gibberish about Great American Values and Great American Capitalistic ingenuity? Shame on your got to pull the pillow out of your ears when you wake up ass? Sham Sham Sham!
@24: I guess I’m financially stupid, too. I just found out that I’m overdrawn after being told by my financial advisor that everything was fine. And I was being frugal, only transferring what was needed to pay rent and bills while looking for a non-existent job.
The blubbering middle aged basket case you see on the street whose parents busted their asses to provide for will be I.