Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Washington Policy Center - Policy Note
This is about Washington State.
The date may make it seem old, but I bet it's still very current.
I also bet that your state's thinking isn't any different...
The date may make it seem old, but I bet it's still very current.
I also bet that your state's thinking isn't any different...
Paul Guppy writes in the Washington State Piglet Book:
"In the 2007 Legislative Session lawmakers controlled a budget surplus of $2 billion. That means elected leaders collected far more money from citizens than they needed to fund government programs. The surplus represented a tax overpayment equal to $416 for every adult in the state, or $644 per homeowner.
At the same time, Governor Christine Gregoire’s proposed budget did not include general tax relief for citizens. Instead, the governor proposed spending all of the surplus, by using most of it immediately to permanently boost state spending. Under the governor’s plan, no part of the tax surplus was to be returned to the people.
The legislature agreed with the governor’s position. Lawmakers spent all of the budget surplus, (most of it immediately) to boost state spending by 12% over two years, even though annual inflation is around 3%."
