Evan Smith: Chase says budget cuts in the special legislative session offered a ‘Civics lesson’
Thursday, December 16, 2010
By Evan Smith
ShorelineAreaNews Politics Writer
Democratic 32nd District State Rep. Maralyn Chase says that the Saturday special legislative session offered a “Civics lesson” on the relationship between taxes and government services.
Chase, who will take her new position in the State Senate next month, said Sunday that the supplemental budget that cut about $700 million from the remainder of the 2009-11 budget, showed what people lose when the State lacks money to pay for vital programs.
The supplemental budget passed the House of Representatives 86-6 and the Senate 30-9. It includes steep cuts to education, social and health services, prisons and State parks.
Chase said citizens “will see the relation between taxes and services delivered — senior services, disabled services, education, infrastructure, food for people who don’t have money, state parks, medical care.”
Chase blamed anti-tax votes in the recent election for the cuts.
“People do not understand how our school system could go from No. 12 in the nation to No. 49 in terms of percentage of personal income spent on education support while our taxes continue to rise, she said. “And legislators do not understand the depth of citizen revulsion of public tax policies that reward the wealthy at the expense of the working middle class. We have the most regressive tax system in the United States, but the people voted to deny our ability to raise revenues or fees to fix the problems.“Requiring a two-thirds vote on revenue bills means rule by the minority, not the majority. So much for democracy.”
She said that voters would see the consequences of the drop in State revenue.
“Class sizes are going to get bigger because we will have fewer teachers,” she said. "Respected elders whose bodies are wearing out are losing assistance in dealing with declining hearing, eyesight, teeth and feet. Unemployment is going to take another sharp rise as state employees are cut.”
Chase added that the State needs to begin a careful study of the history of tax reform in the State.
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8 comments:
What seems to be overlooked is how to make government more efficient. I have yet to read any articles or hear any politician discuss ideas around eliminating positions/staff that hold positions which are "non-essential" in Government. There are many levels of Planners, Middle Managers, people who run "data" that are somehow deemed more essential than fire, police or health care. Let's look at FTE's and eliminating part time staff that collect full time benefits. There are other ways around cutting services to the citizens by removing those who administer.
Just like any business, you need to have "those who administer" too.
It is unfortunate that Ms. Chase didn't get the hint from voters in November. Most citizens are sick and tired of the taxing and spending. Most citizens outside of Shoreline, anyways. The great thing about democracy is that the voters get what they deserve. Shoreline voters deserve Ms. Chase, an unbalanced budget, government waste, and whining from Olympia about the lack of money.
“Requiring a two-thirds vote on revenue bills means rule by the minority, not the majority. So much for democracy.”
I've spent 10 minutes trying to figure out what she means here, and I can't. This statement is completely idiotic.
As for this comment;
“And legislators do not understand the depth of citizen revulsion of public tax policies that reward the wealthy at the expense of the working middle class."
Ms. Chase is way off base here. I voted against every single tax increase because every single tax increase would have affected ME. And I am the very definition of the working middle class. (I include 1098 as being a tax on my income, because I have no doubt the legislature would have seen to it the second the floodgates were opened.)
In reality, the very wealthy will always find ways to avoid paying tax. And this is by design - the design of our Congress and state Legislatures. They are the ones who have created such a convoluted tax code, which provides thousands of loopholes for the very wealthy to use to protect their money.
Although I certainly don't see eye to eye with Ms. Chase on tax policy, I am more than happy to offer to pay considerably more in state taxes. As soon as she sponsors and gets signed a bill which legalizes and taxes marijuana.
“Requiring a two-thirds vote on revenue bills means rule by the minority, not the majority. So much for democracy.”
"I've spent 10 minutes trying to figure out what she means here, and I can't. This statement is completely idiotic."
It means that if 60% of legislators vote FOR a revenue bill, the 40% who voted against it actually wins. Since 40% is less than 60%, it means minority rules.
9:46, that's just plain ignorant. You can't 'rule' if you can't pass laws, and 40% can't pass laws.
"9:46, that's just plain ignorant. You can't 'rule' if you can't pass laws, and 40% can't pass laws."
It's ignorant in this political climate to think that "ruling" ONLY includes passing laws. In this case, a 40% minority will have much more power over the passage of revenue acts then the 60% majority. They do, in effect, rule.
Agree with 11:21. The clueless ones are the voters who voted for that ballot measure giving minority rule back to the naysayers. The want stuff for #1 and family and everyone else, regardless of how bad off they are, gets the shaft.
It appears from the previous comments that those who voted for it, don't even realize what the result it. Gridlock! Is that the kind of government they want? Maybe so.
Hope they are joyous about bring everyone into the bottomless pit with them.
And by the way, Sen Chase is so right and so clear on the problems we face. Glad she's there for us.
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