By Donna Gordon Blankinship, Editor, JTNews
The Legislature won’t be pulling any financial miracles out of a hat this year, according to Jewish community advocates who say the news from Olympia is bleak.
“The bad news about the budget is getting worse,” says Remy Trupin, government affairs director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.
Adds Sherry Appleton, lobbyist for the Coalition for a Jewish Voice, “If the forecast gets any worse, I don’t think they can leave education alone. They’ve already cut everything else [as much as possible]. The cuts to social services are already draconian.”
A projected state budget deficit that now adds up to about $1.5 billion will translate into cuts into cuts in many programs that help the clients of Jewish Family Service as well as a dramatic decrease in Medicaid reimbursement for the Kline Galland Home — unless the Legislature finds another way.
During the past few years, at the end of acrimonious debate in Olympia, state government officials have found creative ways around budget shortfalls and tapped into state surpluses to avert some of the cuts to social service programs. Both Trupin and Appleton say there are no more surplus funds and legislators have run out of creative solutions.
“We have to look at the long-term, about how we’re going to change the revenue stream in this state. People are going to have to get serious about the “I” word: income tax,” Appleton said. She believes the state has to get moving on this issue. “You can’t nickel-and-dime people to death…with user fees. We’re relying on sales tax, and people aren’t buying. We have no revenue stream.”
Appleton added that people in this state need to realize that nothing is free: for example, clean water, sanitation and roads all cost money to maintain. The Coalition for a Jewish Voice believes the people who benefit from these state services should pay for them. Join them in a conversation about this issue at the organization’s Income Tax Forum at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 24, at Council House.
Trupin said there has been talk about tax increases in Olympia this year, including some efforts to close state tax loopholes, but most people are too afraid to discuss it seriously. He believes the end result of this legislative session will be more cuts, rather than more taxes.
Trupin said some legislators are trying to avoid making some tough decisions by claiming that they have been disempowered by the voters when they approved citizen initiatives with financial impacts.
“What it means is, we have to be very vigilant in contacting our legislators and let them know that we expect as taxpayers that the services given to people in need will continue,” Trupin said. “Be strong and say: Do not cut social service programs. Find another way.”
Trupin and Appleton said there may be some positive news from Olympia this year on bills with Jewish community backing but little or no fiscal impact. Legislation that would allow workers who are forced to leave their jobs due to domestic violence or stalking to have access to Unemployment Insurance passed the House with an overwhelming margin. Both Trupin and Appleton are hopeful this bill could make it to the governor’s desk this year. Appleton said business leaders hate this bill because they don’t like anything that may dip into the unemployment fund. Her answer to them is: if someone at my company was being stalked, I’d want them out of my company. This is an easy solution to what could become an even bigger problem.
The House version of the hate crimes bill supported by the Anti-Defamation League which would ban violent and extremist-group training in Washington passed the House unanimously. A parallel Senate bill is still in committee, but Trupin said he is hopeful it will be approved in the upper house as well.
A fee increase to provide money for low-income housing that the Jewish community has been pushing “is looking somewhat hopeful,” Trupin said.