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Dino Rossi and the Chickens Little
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I understand that many voters in the state are a bit less than excited about the “Rematch of the Century Decade Year” between Governor Chris Gregoire and Part Time Republican, Dino Rossi. I mean, let’s face it; neither of these folks really tears up the campaign trail. At least Gregoire has the excitement of the Obama campaign to build on. Dino, on the other hand, not only has to do everything he can to hide from the McBush McSame McCain slumberfest, he has to find a “hook” that will cause folks to dump a competent incumbent and replace her with the Dr. Kevorkian of state budgets. Introducing, “Dino Rossi and the Chickens Little.”
Faced with the prospect that he might have to run against a record of job creation, budget surpluses, and high business sector approval, Rossi’s camp decided to run a campaign of impending doom and gloom. Beginning with the old reliable “traffic can only get worse” the campaign still labored along until June when the Senate Ways and Means Committee Staff released a mid-term budget projection that suggested that, there could be a budget deficit between $2.5 and $2.7 Billion at the end of the 09-11 biennium. There you have it “The sky is falling!” Dino and his minions rose quickly jumped on the “good news.”
“Republican Dino Rossi hopes to show that Governor Chris Gregoire overspent and put the state in the red. And that he’s the guy to save the day…”“The Rossi campaign, the Washington State Republican Party – and some talk radio hosts - are flogging the deficit number at every opportunity. “
Even today my fellow examiner from the “other side” apparently concerned that Gregoire won’t engage in the desired hand wringing, proclaims:
“Thirty states are now sitting on a deficit: we are one of the few in surplus. We are the envy of the country," Gregoire declared.A surplus, huh? Might want to tell that to the Senate Ways & Means Committee that has been projecting a huge deficit - now up to $2.7 billion - for months now.”
Let’s understand some basics here. First; the state is currently operating within a surplus. What the Ways and Means staff released in June was a PROJECTION. In other words they have offered one possible glimpse into the FUTURE. Here is another shot at it from a recent article in the Tacoma News Tribune:
” Under the mid-June revenue forecast, state government was predicted to have $800 million in reserves at the end of the two-year cycle on June 30, 2009. But Senate budget staffers have predicted that a shortfall of $2.7 billion is developing for 2009-11 – ...” – (Emphasis added)
One other theme from Rossi’s camp is the imaginative call for change. Yet here is where Gregoire’s years of experience in government at the executive level serve her (and the state) best. While Dino is busy campaigning on fear (ala that guy we’re not supposed to compare him to) and hoping that he can scare voters into abandoning their own interests and turning the state over to his model of dumping the passengers in order to save the ship; Governor Gregoire is keeping a steady hand on the wheel of the ship of state and not giving in to panic. That would do nothing but instill fear and apprehension into the business community or upon citizens who are already facing hardships due to the home mortgage mess and higher energy costs.
No, Chris Gregoire may not be a rock star – but she is rock solid.
Peace,
Chad Shue
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