DON'T PANIC--FIGHT, WFSE/AFSCME PRESIDENT SAYS ON EVE OF GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PLAN RELEASE

The governor releases her budget proposal Thursday (Dec. 18). By law, she must propose a balanced budget. With a potential $5 billion deficit in the 2009-2011 biennium, her budget plan will be brutal. Big cuts will be proposed.

Federation President Carol Dotlich is urging members, thought to keep an eye on the big picture.

"When you see that budget, I don't want you to overreact to it," Dotlich told members and Spokane-area legislators at Local 1221's pre-session banquet Dec. 11.

"I don't want you to be panicked. I want you to be determined."

Dotlich said the governor's budget is the start, not the end, of the budget process. The Legislature will have the final say.

But as we told you last week, the Legislature and the governor in the end don't have to approve a balanced budget. There can be some red ink for the sake of preserving quality services. Some are talking about a ballot measure to raise revenue.

So when the governor unveils her budget, remember it's not the final word. Far from it.
Dotlich urged members to continue submitting "Sensible Solutions" to the budget crisis. And she urged members to write their members of Congress and President-elect Obama to support a federal economic stimulus package to help our state.

"We're going to try our best to fill that state budget hole with federal dollars," she said.

Go to http://www.wfse.org/ to submit "Sensible Solutions" and send a message to Congress and President-elect Obama.

Other creative ideas are percolating:

Legislative leaders like Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown support rolling back some of the $53 billion in tax breaks the state gives away each biennium. That's right, $53 BILLION. That's right--the state gives up nearly twice as much potential revenue as it spends every two years. Many are good, like the sales tax exemption on food. But many are old, outdated and unfair. Rolling back just 10 percent of those tax breaks, tax loopholes and tax giveaways would cover the deficit.

And Speaker of the House Frank Chopp said the deficit problem is not that bad. He told a Tri-Cities audience that not spending $2 billion in authorized but unspent funds could take a big slice out of the deficit.

And, as you can imagine, there are some unwise solutions being proposed as well.
That's why Dotlich urged the Spokane audience and all Federation members to push for a federal economic stimulus package and submit "Sensible Solutions."

"We can do this together," she said. "We are 40,000 strong. There isn't anything we can't tackle and win."

Remember, the solution to the budget crisis and our overall economic recession will be creative ideas to create and keep jobs-including state jobs-and finding the revenue to preserve quality services the people of this state need in these tough times.