Jay Inslee signed a supplemental budget yesterday that balanced over the next four years – as required by law – when the legislature sent it to him. Unfortunately, now that Inslee is in fundraising mode for his -re-election campaign, he decided to also veto several provisions in the budget that now places the state budget more than $200 million in the red.
Inslee downplayed the unbalanced budget by claiming he is more concerned about the “expected cost of meeting a Supreme Court ruling ordering the state to fix the way it pays for education rather than balancing the supplemental budget over four years.”
He said, “If you’re worried about that issue, these are just sort of specks of sand on a huge beach.”
Ridiculous analogy aside, it’s noteworthy that our green governor believes abiding by state law to produce a budget that balances over four years is like a mere “speck of sand.”
As GOP Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler pointed out in a recent press release, Inslee’s action is a clear signal of his intent to push for new taxes in the near future. Schoesler:
“The governor’s vetoes were a surprise because he was well aware of the bipartisan spending adjustments approved by the Legislature – changes that until today had kept this new supplemental budget in line with our state’s unique 4-year balanced-budget law. He had plenty of opportunity to make his concerns known and should have before the Legislature adjourned almost three weeks ago.
“Governor Inslee has been pushing for tax increases since he took office. This veto of around 200 million dollars in savings is another example of how he’s trying to set the stage for new and higher taxes. It’s also more proof that he can’t be trusted with a veto pen.”
It’s just more proof that Inslee does not know how to govern. And, considering how he appears to feel about the concept of a balanced budget, Inslee certainly should not be the leader of Washington State.
I am definitely no Jay Inslee fan, We need to elect Bill Bryant but the Supplemental Budget produced by the State Legislature was garbage. They raided any account that they could. They took from the State Auditor (Performance Audits), more out of the Public Works Trust Fund (allow cities to get loans for infrastructure projects). I believe a better budget should have been reached.
Hans Dunshee proved to be a failure as House Chief Budget Writer.
Like Todd Welch I am not a fan of Inslee and will vote for Bryant. However, the budget was the typical shell game played by politicians. They were once again stealing from Peter to pay Paul to get Paul’s vote or support.
The Public Works Trust fund is paid for by public utility ratepayers through their utility rates and taxes. That fund was meant to be self supporting and used for public works loans. The money was meant to provide a low interest funding option for critical infrastructure such as water and sewer service. We all know the public works infrastructure is in need of continual updating. The theft of those funds started early in the Gregoire administration and continued until now. The legislators, both democrat and republican, have been ignoring the purpose of the account and diverting that money for other purposes. The fund has been almost completely depleted, placing safe drinking water and other important services at risk.
While I doubt Inslee knew he was doing it, he did the right thing by using the veto on these unconscionable and political raids of accounts the legislators should have left alone.
I was also wondering why Shift wasn’t questioning the raiding of funds like the Public Works Trust Fund. And why call it a trust fund if the Olympians are going to steal from it.
Social Security used to be a trust fund until President Johnson (D) passed legislation to tap into it, then President Clinton (D) passed legislation that allowed the IRS to collect taxes from SS benefits paid to recipients.
The politicians aren’t much different in this Washington either I guess.
You’re right. Anymore they all stink. Will Rogers was a great comedian. He said “I don’t tell jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.”
“Trust” is Washington speak (DC or state) for “Don’t look, I’m stealing from you”. The pot they got into that started their addiction was Social Security.
Seems the Governor is campaigning before “the session” is over — Common sense (which is lacking in WA’s executive mansion) should say that sessions for the Governor run a different time frame that for the Legislature. “Sessions” for the governor don’t end until all the bills sent to the governor are signed or vetoed and dealt with by the legislature. He shouldn’t be politicking and raising money until the Governor’s ‘special session’ is over…