Last Monday’s Senate Operating Budget offers specific cuts that are painful, but necessary to build a budget in face of an unprecedented deficit, now around a $9 billion gap. The Senate’s task is to balance spending against available revenues.
I realize these cuts may be unacceptable to many and I would welcome your thoughts on where we go from here to rebuild the state’s ability to meet the demand for essential services.
It is important to remember that some areas of the budget remain off limits, such as the funds devoted to Basic Education and paying the debt service on state bonds which is why other areas like higher education took such a hit. Click here for more information on what is considered off limits.
The House budget makes it clear their budget writers are subject to the same economic realities that we are. They had to draw from the same pot of bad choices that the Senate did. In the big picture, the House and Senate are quite close in our efforts to settle upon the most responsible places to cut almost $4 billion in valued programs and services.
I respectfully disagree with the House in some areas in the budget, but also recognize that many individual stakeholders disagree with our choices and believe our cuts go too far. When dealing with a shortfall of this magnitude, making smaller cuts in one area only necessitates bigger cuts in another. These are the considerations we’ll be negotiating in conference with the House.
I am confident we’ll be able to reach agreement with the House and with Gov. Gregoire between now and April 26th.