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News & ArtsTuesday, February 3, 2009
Politics Yeah, Well Why Don't You Try To Balance Washington's Budget?
Posted by Eli Sanders on Tue, Feb 3, 2009 at 1:10 PM
Gov. Christine Gregoire today offers all you complaining citizens a budget calculator on which you can try to fix the state's $5.7 billion shortfall yourselves—if you're so damn smart.
2
Jeez, thanks mom, I totally get it, you didn't have to guilt us.
God, I just wanted a fricking bridge, not a kidney transplant.
God, I just wanted a fricking bridge, not a kidney transplant.
5
... That was stupidly easy. That whole category "Human Services for Vulnerable Children & Adults" is useless.
1. "In-home services for the elderly and people with developmental disabilities" - say what? Sorry, that's what insurance is for. If insurance doesn't cover it, then you don't need those services.
2. "In-patient and out-patient mental health services" See insurance, again. Or family support. Why is the government supporting this?
3. "Residential services for the elderly or physically disabled" - Sorry, again, if you can't take care of yourself, that is your family's responsibility, NOT MINE.
4. "Residential services for people with developmental disabilities" - Same as above. When did it become accepted practicem to dump your unwanted family member in MY lap to take care of?!
1. "In-home services for the elderly and people with developmental disabilities" - say what? Sorry, that's what insurance is for. If insurance doesn't cover it, then you don't need those services.
2. "In-patient and out-patient mental health services" See insurance, again. Or family support. Why is the government supporting this?
3. "Residential services for the elderly or physically disabled" - Sorry, again, if you can't take care of yourself, that is your family's responsibility, NOT MINE.
4. "Residential services for people with developmental disabilities" - Same as above. When did it become accepted practicem to dump your unwanted family member in MY lap to take care of?!
7
@5
If we ignore these people, they will go away. Can we try that on you too?
Sorry that everyone can't have a large Mormon family & massive trust funds to pay for all those services that insurance won't provide. Please remember that insurance companies actively look to deny claims like this, or fund as little as possible.
If we ignore these people, they will go away. Can we try that on you too?
Sorry that everyone can't have a large Mormon family & massive trust funds to pay for all those services that insurance won't provide. Please remember that insurance companies actively look to deny claims like this, or fund as little as possible.
8
it's easy. add a state income tax. we are one of the most "liberal" states in the union yet our tax policy is THE MOST regressive of any other state. it's time for an income tax.
9
Jezus, that web app sucks. It's very difficult to delete an entry and re-type it, because the app tries to put a "1" in an empty text box. I was only able to do it by holding down the delete key while pressing the first digit of the number I wanted. And using the arrow controls, which change an ammount measured in the 1000s by 1 unit? Ridiculous. It's also poor design that you can't see how close you've come to balancing the budget without scrolling down "below the fold". Definitely budget $1M for a decent web design team.
That said, I didn't find it at all hard to balance the budget. Pretty much all you have to do is significantly cut the "Student Achievement" budget. We did okay without state-funded early childhood education and well-compensated teachers (hardly much competition from the private market now!) for decades. There is no reason we need to spring for these luxuries now.
That said, I didn't find it at all hard to balance the budget. Pretty much all you have to do is significantly cut the "Student Achievement" budget. We did okay without state-funded early childhood education and well-compensated teachers (hardly much competition from the private market now!) for decades. There is no reason we need to spring for these luxuries now.
12
okay, okay. Rocket Science inspired me. I really balanced it now.
1. Roads. Fuck roads. If you want roads, build them yourself.
2. Stoplights. You're the one building the roads, put your own fucking lights up.
3. Schools. Why are we teaching kids stuff? Teach your own fucking kids, that ain't my job.
4. Unemployment. Why do I have to pay for you to do nothing? Get a job, dummy!
That's how you spell SURPLUS!
1. Roads. Fuck roads. If you want roads, build them yourself.
2. Stoplights. You're the one building the roads, put your own fucking lights up.
3. Schools. Why are we teaching kids stuff? Teach your own fucking kids, that ain't my job.
4. Unemployment. Why do I have to pay for you to do nothing? Get a job, dummy!
That's how you spell SURPLUS!
13
@7,
And many of those people don't have insurance, and insurance companies refuse to cover people with preexisting conditions (i.e. the elderly and disabled).
There are many people who don't have families, who have dysfunctional families, etc. That's why these services exist.
And many of those people don't have insurance, and insurance companies refuse to cover people with preexisting conditions (i.e. the elderly and disabled).
There are many people who don't have families, who have dysfunctional families, etc. That's why these services exist.
14
I kept roads in the end, but I only included them on the West Side of the mountains, since the eastern part of the state has been not pulling their weight and we always have I-90 anyway.
15
The whole thing's broken if it doesn't include revenue sources. Tax raises during a recession are a bad idea, but we could shift taxes in a progressive direction, legalize and tax marijuana, and get more money from the federal government. The last is really what should have happened. Obama should have used federal money to support state revenue at 2008 levels for the duration of the recession. That's the only way to prevent the kind of cuts in the state budgets that are only going to make the recession worse.
16
The point being that her vision is so narrow that she is incapable of closing corporate tax breaks (billions for boeing alone!), reforming our tax system (income tax on people making over $200k, reduce sales tax to spur economy), or deficit spending during an economic emergency.
FUCK GOVERNOR GREGOIRE'S CENTRISM. WE'RE ON THE VERGE OF A DEPRESSION AND SHE'S PLAYING HERBERT HOOVER TRYING TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
FUCK GOVERNOR GREGOIRE'S CENTRISM. WE'RE ON THE VERGE OF A DEPRESSION AND SHE'S PLAYING HERBERT HOOVER TRYING TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.
17
I'm not from Seattle... but... why was governmental efficiency the only thing RAISED in Gregoire's budget?
18
Agreed #8 that's what I would do.
What's the point of trying to figure out how you would balance the budget if you can't change the revenue side of the budget?
If I want to raise taxes I should be able to!
What's the point of trying to figure out how you would balance the budget if you can't change the revenue side of the budget?
If I want to raise taxes I should be able to!
19
This calculator offers a false dichotomy: either you use the Governor's terrible budget, or you make other painful cuts. Ridiculous. There is a third option (if not several more): tax reform and increases. Sadly, the governor is effectively an anti-tax Republican who would rather see the health care and other vital services shrivel before even considering asking the citizens to pony up.
20
FIRST - end ALL pay increases, no exception for two years.
SECOND - cut all Departments 10 per cent across the board
THIRD - get some courage and do it.
Remember when Greggie ( I do like her) offered a 1 percent budget decrease, last fall, silly windowdressing for a real problem - stop just talking shit, honey. Hard times are here. We all know it. Lead.
FOURTH - fund food stamps, and unemployment at full levels, necessity knocks. No hungry children, please.
SECOND - cut all Departments 10 per cent across the board
THIRD - get some courage and do it.
Remember when Greggie ( I do like her) offered a 1 percent budget decrease, last fall, silly windowdressing for a real problem - stop just talking shit, honey. Hard times are here. We all know it. Lead.
FOURTH - fund food stamps, and unemployment at full levels, necessity knocks. No hungry children, please.
21
@ 8. I visited that fair city on your southern border and was told everyone lives in Vancouver and shops in Portland to avoid paying both income and sales tax. Way to go, progressive ecotopians!
22
@ rocket science: i sincerely hope you get hit on the head, are left unable to work, and your insurance company fails to foot the bill.
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