New state jobs inflate the budget Much of that will be target of I-695 cuts

Saturday, November 20, 1999

By ROBERT GAVIN SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT

OLYMPIA -- As Gov. Gary Locke and legislators look for spending cuts to offset the Initiative 695 tax cut, one thing is for certain: they will slice into a state budget swollen by thousands of new state jobs.

Since Locke took office in 1997, the state has added the equivalent of about 10,000 full-time jobs, and nearly $1 billion in the costs of salaries and benefits, according to the state Office of Financial Management. The biggest spurt in the state work force came during the current two-year budget period, when the state payroll swelled by the equivalent of 5,700 jobs.

Republican lawmakers point to this growth in employment and spending as proof the state government can shrink without the widespread dislocations predicted by opponents of I-695. The measure replaces the state motor vehicle excise tax with a $30 flat fee, a tax cut that will cost the state treasury about $750 million a year.

"If you are a person who believes that spending every dollar is good, then you think it's going to be devastating," said House co-Speaker Clyde Ballard, R-East Wenatchee. "Only in government would you cry crisis because you can't spend enough money."

read the rest of this at http://www.seattle-pi.com/local/grow20.shtml

Now where are those socialist whiners? Tim Eyman and the rest of us were right.

-- Marsha (acorn_nut@hotmail.com), November 20, 1999

Answers

I am amazed that the governor did not impose a hiring freeze on November 3rd.

-- Art Rathjen (liberty@coastaccess.com), November 22, 1999.

Art

I would be amazed if the governor knew the words hiring freeze or spending freeze.

Ed - going to have a spending freeze after I buy some cigars at the Indian smoke store.(only till my next pay check)

-- Ed (ed_bridges@yahoo.com), November 23, 1999.

"I would be amazed if the governor knew the words hiring freeze or spending freeze.

Ed - going to have a spending freeze after I buy some cigars at the Indian smoke store.(only till my next pay check)"

But isn't it funny how you and the Gov. get the same check?

Privatize...then complain, ed

-- Steve Forbes (ineverblink@yahoo.com), November 23, 1999.