Governor Gregoire Is Unbalanced
Posted by: Michael S. Kerr | 06/30/2008 5:28 PM
The Senate Ways and Means Committee released their six year budget outlook today. They are projecting a $2.684 billion deficit in the next biennium. This is up from $2.462 billion in April. The forecast doesn't look much brighter for Washington State under Christine Gregoire's stewardship. The deficit is expected to grow even larger in the 2011-2013 budget to $5.5 billion.
Republican challenger Dino Rossi recently weighed in on the subject:
Republican challenger Dino Rossi recently weighed in on the subject:
"Other governors are instituting budget saving measures to deal with the decline in revenue, but not Christine Gregoire. It's like the Titanic captain saying, 'ignore the reports of icebergs, full steam ahead with state spending,'" said Dino Rossi. "Even today, the incumbent is negotiating new salary increases with employee groups which will increase the deficit. These same employee groups are buying ads today trying to buy her re-election. This is a clear conflict of interest and the incumbent, for the good of the taxpayers and those who depend on state services, should refuse to negotiate pay increases until after the election."
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The Governor's Office
This is a clear conflict of interest and the incumbent, for the good of the taxpayers and those who depend on state services, should refuse to negotiate pay increases until after the election."
This is leading Gregoire into a sefl induced catch 22. By her negotiating with the state employees union while they are running ads against Rossi it shows a clear conflict of interest, bu I feel that after all the giveaways she has given to the unions and the tribes after receiving monetary help during the recounts in 2004 and the campaign donations she has received from both since her residing in the Governors mansion would lead one to belive that if she told the unions she would not negotiate until after the election that it would be Gregoire's way of sending a message to the unions to do more hlep through campaign donations and through their PAC's if they want a payback after the election is over.
I don't feel a bit sorry for Gregoire as through her own actions she has brought this on herself.