Dino Rossi - Still the man behind the curtain

September 15, 3:57 PMSnohomish County Progressive ExaminerChad Shue

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Obviously buoyed by a new set of polls that shows the governor’s race continues to be deadlocked, Dino Rossi has decided to keep running on the same track that he has been on since the 2004 campaign – ‘Declare a state of emergency, say he has some magic beans and that he alone can save the village.’ Take his latest ad

Female voice over:

“We face a huge deficit; run up by Christine Gregoire’s reckless spending.”

Again, Rossi’s favorite “glass half empty” scenario intended to scare voters into panic voting. If readers here take anything away from this column it should be that there is NO DEFICIT other than a deficit of facts from Dino in this matter. The state today is operating in a surplus. Saying that we "face a huge deficit" is eerily similar to "we can't afford for the smoking gun to come in the form of..." oh you get the picture. Back to the ad:

Dino Rossi:

“How are we going to solve this problem? We’re going to do it in a bi-partisan fashion. I’m going to reach across party lines and form a coalition based upon ideas, not partisanship.  We’re not going to raise taxes; because raising taxes will harm the economy and throw people out of work. But we’re going to protect the most vulnerable people in our society.”

Dino Rossi - Budget Cuts a State Secret?

So here we come to the magic beans. Rossi says that he will “form a coalition based upon ideas…” I wonder if her means ideas like funding his transportation scheme out of the General Fund? Of course we are treated to the “no new taxes” mantra – as if money will just fall out of the sky to pay for….oh wait, just what will a Gov. Rossi pay for? Apparently that is still a secret. He says, he will protect the most vulnerable but, if he wants us to use his last effort at budgeting as a guide, I would be pretty worried if I were a child or a senior.

Now before you say that I am just being a partisan and making unfair assumptions, let’s look at a recent article in the Seattle Times about Dino’s transportation plan. The article by Andrew Garber says,

“If elected governor, Rossi wants to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a tunnel, build an eight-lane bridge over Lake Washington, and widen Interstate 405, among other high-cost projects.

And he says he'll do it without raising taxes.

"It's the most comprehensive plan a candidate for governor has ever put out," Rossi said.

It also would face some big obstacles.

• Rossi's idea to replace the existing four-lane Highway 520 bridge with one that could accommodate eight lanes may not fly with residents on the west side of Lake Washington, who have opposed similar plans. And previous proposals to replace the viaduct with a tunnel have been controversial.

• The cost estimates in Rossi's plan may not be accurate. State Department of Transportation officials say the numbers don't take into account the recent rapid inflation in construction costs.

• Two-thirds of the money for his plan would come from sales taxes that currently go into the state general fund, which pays for education, health care and other services. He'd likely face stiff opposition trying to use that money for road projects.

• His idea to shift $690 million from Sound Transit to pay for car-pool lanes also is controversial. Sound Transit officials said moving the money would require voter approval.”

As for his proposed budget cuts to off-set he takes money out of the General Fund to pay for his transportation scheme, Garber repeats what is the all to familiar refrain from Dino Rossi,

“Rossi, for his part, won't say what programs he'd cut in the general fund to pay for roads. He also won't discuss what cuts he'd make to deal with a projected $2.7 billion hole in the state general fund next year — a hole that would grow if he diverted sales-tax revenue.

"It's not a fair question," he said, blaming Gregoire for creating the deficit in the first place. "It takes thousands of decisions."

Not a fair question? Dino weren’t you just recently the Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee? Don’t you have any idea of what is in the state budget? Are we to believe that not one of your fellow Republicans who remain in the legislature have given you a briefing on what is in the budget? Oh but you are going to be able to reach across the aisle to achieve whatever cuts you deem necessary right? Well, maybe not so much:

“Yet even Senate Republican Leader Mike Hewitt, of Walla Walla, isn't sure Rossi could persuade enough lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled Legislature to go along next year.

"If Dino gets elected, everything he proposes is going to have an uphill battle," Hewitt said.”

Dino’s new ad closes with this from the candidate:

“When I’m governor we will be fiscally conservative – and still have a social conscience.”

Gee, I remember in 2000 hearing a similar claim from a candidate for president. We have had eight long years to witness and suffer through this new brand of “compassionate conservatism.” I hope the citizens of Washington State take a minute before November to “pay attention to the man behind the curtain.”

Peace,

Chad Shue