To the editor:

Here’s something to consider: Washington state residents have twice as much debt per person as residents of any other state. Yes, even California!

Unlike the federal government, states cannot print money and debase the currency to cover excessive spending. The simple fact is that citizens now owe that money and will have to pay it back.

Washington state’s problems have been years in the making, and working out of it will not be easy, quick, or painless. Huge unfunded liabilities in terms of pensions and healthcare currently exist.

Along with the employee contribution, the state is “supposed” to pay into the retirement systems every year; but in tough years it has failed to meet its pension obligations. Now there is a deficit in what is actually there for retirees. If any business or corporation had done that to a retirement account, the managers would be behind bars.

In 2001, Washington was hit hard after 9/11, as many airlines, foreign and domestic, cancelled their plane orders. When state revenues declined because of this and the general downturn, Democrat Governor Locke, in compliance with our state’s Constitution, ordered the Legislature to do the difficult task of prioritizing budget expenses; making sure that education, public safety and services to our most vulnerable citizens were covered first.

Both parties followed his leadership and because of this wise action, we came through that crisis intact.

Nothing like that has happened this year, or during last year’s budget crises. In fact, the budget grew last year and there are new proposals on the floor right now to spend even more this year!

In the 2005-2007 budget cycle, there was actually a surplus of $1.8 billion, brought about by an unexpected real estate tax revenue boom. Instead of paying back the underfunded retirement system (as proposed in a bill by Rep. Barbara Bailey), the state spending then grew by 33 percent from 2005 to 2008 – more than $8 billion!

Almost all of that increase was spent on staff expansion and hiring people to work on wonderful new programs that now “cannot be cut.”

Did anything else grow by 33 percent? Your salary? Your investments?

Unlike Gov. Locke, “Disconnect Democrats” would not look at reality.

So here we are, heavily in debt – worse than that of California – and the Legislature and governor want to raise taxes $857 million higher! They also plan to spend more giving raises to state employees, while they propose plans to cut education, and close prisons. There are currently 77 bills in the state house that, if they pass, would raise the spending budget another $3 billion!

There is a reality disconnect in the majority party in this Legislature – Disconnect Democrats – and they refuse to do the difficult job they were elected to do: prioritize and manage our state income responsibly during difficult economic times.

The entire budget process needs to be reformed and Republicans have proposed bills to do just that; these bills have been swept aside.

Through initiative, the people passed laws limiting the Legislature’s ability to raise taxes; these laws have been swept aside by Disconnect Democrats. (Not a single Republican voted for Senate Bill 6130, but they are outnumbered 2-to-1 in Olympia.)

The Democrats’ foolish policies are hurting taxpayers, killing jobs and actually creating a reality where it may be impossible to care for the truly vulnerable. It is time to end this fiscal madness and send the reality challenged, tax-and-spend Democrat group home for good.

We the People need to remember this in November.

Nancy Thompson

Clinton