Local GOP legislators lament majority’s tax package

Reform of Washington State government ground to a halt when legislators gave themselves the ability to raise taxes.

“Once they suspended (Initiative) 960, that turned off the lights on any hope of spending reform,” Rep. Joe Schmick, R-Colfax said in the Gazette office last Thursday morning, April 22.

Frustrated by the Democratic majority’s decisions during the recently closed special session, the 9th District legislators, all Republicans, spoke with the Gazette on a post-session tour of the district last week.

“We missed an opportunity,” said Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville. “Our constituents in the 9th District sent us back over with a pretty clear message that they were not interested in record new taxes this biennium.”

Legislators used their 90 days in Olympia – an original 60-day regular session and a 30-day special session – to balance the state’s operating budget, which is now about $2.8 billion out of whack.

To do that, legislators pulled in $757 million in new taxes, cut $755 million in programs and used $618 million in federal funds and tapped around $700 million from other accounts and reserves.

“It has every appearance of being irresponsible,” Rep. Susan Fagan, R-Pullman, told the Gazette in a later interview. “At some point – truly at some point – we’re going to have to come to grips with our spending problem.”

Spending on the state’s general assistance unemployment program was raised $418 million this year, said Schoesler. He described most recipients of the program as “single white bums.” The average recipient, he said, is a 46-year-old single white male.

“If there ever was a group that should be off the dole, it’s them,” he said.

Recipients of the program can receive assistance for 60 months. Schmick, though, said DSHS staffers have told him no one gets cut off, they simply get extensions.

He added funding could have been saved by closing those loopholes.

“I believe the $800 million could have been found quite easily,” said Schmick.

Most of the new taxes, what has been dubbed the 7-11 tax package, were placed on small ticket items like candy, chewing gum, soda, bottled water and beer, with microbrews exempted from new taxes.

“I did not hear from local microbreweries to leave them out,” said Fagan. “I did hear, though, from working people asking me not to tax the one luxury they can afford for themselves.”

The tax package, said the local contingent, was put together to stave off hard decisions on which programs to cut.

It could also push business across state lines to Idaho and Oregon, they added.

Schoesler said Clarkston Costco officials told him they would have located in Lewiston if current tax policies had been in place when they built.

Schmick said a “Yellow Pages Test” of government spending could have saved the state millions.

“If you can find a service in the Yellow Pages, then the government probably doesn’t need to be in that business,” he said.

Businesses could print material for the state and sell liquor. Paying private firms to print state publications, said Schoesler, would have saved at least $9 million. A proposal to do that, though, fell dead in the house after members heard from employees in the printer’s office.

They also heard from employees in countless other state departments, and conceded in most instances, said legislators.

“We didn’t hear anything when Lamb-Weston shut down their processing plant in Prosser,” said Schoesler. “But we were flooded by DSHS workers when we mentioned cutting their force.”

Legislators cut the state workforce one percent during the session and 20 percent of state workers will receive tenure raises this year, said Schoesler.

“If you look at the unemployment rate in Thurston County versus its neighboring counties, they’re doing quite well,” he said, noting Lewis County has a 14 percent unemployment rate.

Lewis County is to the south of Thurston County, where Olympia is situated.

The budget also cut more than $150 million in K-12 education programs.

Levy equalization funding was increased two percent, increasing the state’s share in public education. But lawmakers also rose the local obligation, adding four percent to the cap on what school districts can ask of their constituents in levy measures.

Schmick said such an increase would put local levies near levels that were declared unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court in the 1970s.

Instead of increasing revenues, local legislators said it was important to streamline operations and bring down costs.

Schoesler introduced a bill to consolidate state paperwork requirements in small schools. That passed the Senate but died in the House because, as Schoesler said, house education chair Dave Quall did not like the proposal.

“That’s what we were sent to Olympia to do,” said Schoesler. “Not to just say no. But to look to find some answers and some support.”