Current Approach: State Spending

State spending is out of control

  • Senate Ways and Means staff released a four-year outlook in February showing projected budget shortfalls of $2.4 billion in 2009-11 and more than $5 billion in 2011-13.
  • State spending has increased more than 33 percent in just four years - more than $8.7 billion.
  • Our state operating budget has a spending growth rate (16.2 percent) twice its revenue growth rate (7.3 percent).
    • The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council's February forecast showed decreasing revenues over what was expected in November by $423.4 million. Over half of the decrease ($231.9 million) was due to lower real estate excise tax collections.
We do not have a revenue problem in Olympia - we have a spending problem

A New Approach: Rein in out of control state spending
  • We must get back to a Priorities of Government (POG) model for state budgeting that Gov. Locke and the Legislature embraced in 2003.

Real solutions: Truth in Budgeting
  • Eliminate accounting gimmicks used to inflate the state expenditure limit by parking money in other accounts.
  • Establish a constitutional spending limit based on the inflation-plus-population factor used in I-601.
  • Budget Sunshine Act - require any omnibus appropriations bill be available to the Legislature and public at least five days before it is voted on.
  • Provide a report by the State Auditor on new programs funded in the budget.
  • Require a fiscal note be provided at the time a bill is first heard by a committee.

 


Paid for by the Committee to Re-Elect Doug Ericksen, 42nd Legislative District Position 1 - GOP
PO Box 5191, Bellingham WA 98227
Phone: 360-393-2794
Email:doug@dougericksen.com