Institutions, jobs NOT on Governor's buy back list

Gov. Chris Gregoire on Tuesday issued her list of "buy back" items to be financed by revenue increases, closing some tax loopholes and federal money.
 
This is her "Book 2" budget to counter the constitutionally required all-cuts budget she rolled out in December.
 
But the $778.9 million in restored programs does not include saving targeted institutions from closure or reductions.
 
The buy-back list does include the Basic Health Plan, a redesigned General Assistance-Unemployable program and the Higher Education State Need Grant program. Lawmakers still have to go along with those ideas.
 
But there was no reprieve for targeted state institutions, even when closure wouldn't save much money.
 
The governor in her "State of the State" address enthusiastically pressed forward with her plan to close all or part of 10 state institutions, including two residential habilitation centers (Frances Haddon Morgan Center in Bremerton and Rainier School in Buckley), two Corrections facilities (Pine Lodge Corrections Center for Women in Medical Lake and Ahtanum View Corrections Center in Yakima) and several units at Green Hill School in Chehalis, Maple Lane School in Grand Mound and Naselle Youth Camp.
 
"Now is the time to have the courage to close institutions that may be an important fixture in a community, but are no longer cost-effective, or whose services are no longer needed or can more effectively be provided elsewhere," the governor said in her speech to a joint session of the Legislature.
 
"Now is the time-this session-for us to demonstrate, as difficult as it is, that Washington state government makes good business decisions, not political ones."
 
Yet many legislators have said for months that contrary to what the governor says, the proposed institutions closures come because anti-institution forces are exploiting the economic crisis to shutter the doors, no matter what the cost.
 
Even state budget director Victor Moore told the Senate Ways and Means Committee Tuesday, "Not a lot of savings there" in reference to the RHC closures at Frances Haddon Morgan Center and Rainier School.
 
Senators politely grilled Gregoire and Moore on how they came to their decision to close institutions. And Federation members, parents and other supporters of institutions get their chance to rebut the governor and Moore in a series of public hearings over the next two days.
 
Finally, some of the Ways and Means senators again politely took the governor to task for not proposing closing more tax loopholes. Some $14.8 billion are ready targets for suspension or elimination, but the governor is proposing changes that will bring in just $16 million this biennium and $64 million the next.
 
The good news is: The Legislature doesn't have to accept all of the Gregoire plan and can find more revenue, close many more tax loopholes and save quality institutions and programs.

CAPITOL NUGGETS YOU SHOULD KNOW
 
Nugget No. 1: Senate Ways and Means Chair Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-11th Dist., today introduced SB 6382 to freeze pay for exempt employees, agency directors and other high-level state officials.
 
Nugget No. 2: Sen. Karen Fraser, D-22nd Dist., today introduced SB 6375 to grant paid leave to state employees for volunteer search and rescue activities.
 
KEEP GETTING YOUR HOTLINE MESSAGES

Call your legislators at 1-800-562-6000 and remind them: It's time for shared sacrifices on the budget. State employees have already sacrificed more than $1 billion in pay, pension contributions, health care funding and layoffs. Now is the time to raise revenue and close tax loopholes. (Feel free to add the impact of cuts on your specific program.)

HOTLINE HOURS

The legislative message Hotline is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.