Governor Takes a Step in the Right Direction with New Revenue Proposals But More Is Needed to Stop Devastating Cuts
Wednesday, February 17
The Rebuilding Our Economic Future Coalition, representing more than 130 organizations concerned about proposed cuts to the state budget - including SEIU Healthcare 775NW - issued the following statement today in response to revenue proposals put forward this afternoon by Governor Gregoire:
“The choice we face as a state is clear: either the state will raise significant new revenue this session, or will face devastating cuts to the services that support our quality of life and upon which we all rely."
“Today Governor Gregoire made it clear that she understands that working families across the state are hurting, and that our state government needs to act quickly and decisively to pass a revenue package that will preserve funding for education, health care, human services, and other core priorities."
"We applaud her for taking a major step in the right direction by identifying specific new sources of revenue that will protect some of the most critical services now under threat. The Coalition fully supports the range of revenue ideas put forward by the governor today and will urge the legislature to build on the momentum these proposals have created to pass a substantial revenue package this session."
“That said, Governor Gregoire’s package of new revenue sources, totaling $605 million in new funding, is not large enough to preserve all of the services critical to our long-term economic future. We call on legislative leaders to close more tax loopholes and identify other sources of revenue, in addition to those addressed by the governor, to ensure that these services are not lost.”
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The Rebuilding Our Economic Future Coalition is a coalition of more than 130 organizations representing health care, education, environment, housing, human services and anti-poverty organizations calling on legislators in Olympia to avoid deep cuts and protect our economic future by raising new revenue during the 2010 legislative session. For more information, visit www.oureconomicfuture.org.