The 2015 legislative session is scheduled to wrap-up in the next couple weeks but judging from their recent behavior, Democrats do not appear too concerned over the prospect of failing to meet the deadline. With negotiation sessions beginning this week, “the two sides remain deeply at odds over tax increases and pay raises for public employees.” And, Jay Inslee isn’t helping.
On Friday, Inslee managed to add to budget tensions when he made certain demands to legislators during a closed-door session. Republican lawmakers say Inslee threatened to veto any budget bill that does not raise taxes. The Seattle Times,
“A day earlier, Inslee met briefly with House and Senate leaders of both parties — a so-called “five corners” meeting — and laid out his expectations for “what I need to see in a budget that comes to my desk if you expect me to sign it,” according to a copy of the governor’s speaking points provided by his office.
“‘Nothing here is new. It’s what I’ve told you all many times,’ the governor said.”
Inslee’s demands include fully funding state employee pay raises, which he negotiated with union executives in secret at a cost of nearly $1 billion to taxpayers. Additionally, Inslee said he would not “accept borrowing from the state capital budget, vague “efficiency” savings, nor sign any tax cut” until his demand is met.
Republicans called out Inslee’s threats for what they are: unhelpful and overly partisan. The Seattle Times,
“‘It was a bit of an ultimatum … I walked out of there thinking, ‘Wow, he just told us we’ve got to run his budget or the House (Democrats’) budget or we’re gonna shut this place down,’ ” said Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, one of the Senate GOP budget negotiators who attended.
“‘I think he’s committed to taxes at all costs,” said Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, who was also at the meeting.”
Inslee’s demands should come as no surprise. As Shift reported, Inslee is dedicated to ensuring the 2015-17 budget rewards his million dollar campaign donors.
It’s past time that Inslee be removed from office…he has zero clues on how to run our great State and when any Govenor threatens the Legislature as he has just done it tells you that he is counterproductive to the process that is the responsibility of that branch of government….this process of submitting a balanced budget within a certain time frame is mandated by our State laws and needs to be handled without threats from the supposed leader of the State.
It’s the only arrow in his quiver. After all, he is a democrat.
That’s “Hamster Brain” for you, all that is needed to stop the so called “money going to the east from the west” is a “Republican Vote”. let’s just see if it gets off its wheel long enough to make that happen.
…all that is needed to stop the so called “money going to the east from the west” is a “Republican Vote”
Like for Senator Baumgartner (R-Mooching)?
The package provides $861 million to complete the North-South Freeway… [a] previous $420 million proposal from the state House would have continued it almost to the Spokane River, but would have stopped before completing the final link to I-90.
Almost half a billion dollars of other people’s money for a freeway they’ll never use just wasn’t enough! It has to be at least three-quarters of a billion! Not a penny less!
Remember — in Eastern Washington, spending other people’s money is not a bug, it’s a feature. (Heck, it’s a way of life.)
Overall the Senate plan spends nearly $1 billion in Spokane County and provides a net return of $1.35 for every dollar Spokane sends to Olympia in the form of gas taxes and other fees.
BULLSHIT
You’re the one recycling the old quote about the “Soviet of Washington,” so why would you have a problem with my quoting evidence showing just how well our state government redistributes wealth from King County to east of the Cascades? Haven’t I proved your point?
How about how well our government redistributes wealth from King County and the rest of the state to Frank Chopp’s relatives? You’re cool with that because he’s your comrade. Speaking of comrades, you must have been meditating on that mountaintop in Nepal again. There was a piece about your princess talking like a comrade then walking like a bourgeois tsarina. Communists are all the same. I would have expected you to go to defcon5 in a rush to defend her.
And the Democrats say Republicans are the ones to raise the taxes. Wake up
people! Live within your means, Governor Inslee, elected by King and
Snohomish Counties.
Try, just try, to represent all of the State of Washington, not just King and Snohomish Counties.
If the rest of the State of Washington will stop taking money from King County, we’ll stop electing governors. Deal?
If the people in E.WA. got out and voted no one from King County would get elected.
If the people in E.WA. got out and voted no one from King County would get elected.
If the people in E. WA had that kind of discipline, maybe they wouldn’t take so much government welfare from King County’s taxpayers.
James Farley in 1935, postmaster general for the father of American socialism, FDR, stated “there are 47 states and the SOVIET of Washington”. Most all the union commie bastards reside in King county. Komrade Inslee can kiss my ass, along with Ratty Scurry and Sharia Cuntwell.. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MILITIA. Social upheaval is brewing.
Like most Democrats, he never met a tax he didn’t like.
For “legislators” who fumbled for years without passing a transport bill, then declared they should get paid far above minimum wage for *not* voting on legislation, getting told they must produce must’ve been a rude shock indeed. It appears the chronic dependency of Eastern Washington on government handouts from King County (via the wealth-redistribution scheme which is Olympia) has convinced elected officials from east of the Cascades they deserve taxpayer-funded paychecks for doing absolutely nothing.
Let’s raise tax, grow big government, yep that’s worked out fine for over 40 years. Red Ink. Stop liberal doctrine, Vote Republican
The Conservatives need to hire a great communicator and take this issue to all the networks. Let the people know what the cost is to each and everyone.
A 1 Billion $ payback to government employees. Wake up Washington! Call your Representatives!
Those of us that are senior citizens with fixed income cannot afford to fund a 1 billion dollar raise for state employees. We don’t have an option for striking when we don’t get our way. I retired from a large local company 25 years ago and have not received any increase in my pension. What ever happened to Enslee’s campaign promise not to raise taxes. What a lie. Now he says he will veto an budget that doesn’t have a tax increase.