The Legislative Conference: Preparing our ranks for a grueling session

By Will Parry

The activist core of the Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans is preparing to confront an excruciatingly tough 2011 legislative session shaped by the continuing economic crisis, by the resulting continued decline in state revenues, and by the outcome of revenue-related initiatives on the 2010 ballot.

PSARA members will prepare for the session at the Fourth Annual Legislative Conference from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, November 19, at the Greenwood Senior Center, 525 N. 85th Street in Seattle.

Senator Ed Murray, Senate Majority Caucus Chair, will open the program with an overview of the session. Jeff Johnson of the Washington State Labor Council, Treasure Mackley of the Service Employees International Union State Council, and Danielle Friedman of the Statewide Poverty Action Network, will brief participants on some of the key issues.

Conference participants will then adopt a focused legislative agenda and organize meetings with their legislators.

“It is beyond urgent this year that we prepare for the session,” said PSARA President Robby Stern. “We appeal to every member to join us at this all-important conference.”

(For more information on the Legislative Conference, see the special insert in this issue.}

State programs have endured budget cuts of $3.5 billion in 2009 and another $755 million this year. These cuts already go beyond budgetary “fat.,” cutting into the muscle and bone of state services.

Tens of thousands of men, women and children have been dropped from the Basic Health Program. Nursing home care and mental health services have suffered major reductions. Education funding was cut $1.5 billion, leaving 3,000 teachers and other school employees facing layoffs.

The state must make a particularly cruel cut of $41 million from WorkFirst, its “welfare-to-work” program, where caseloads have risen 30% in two years. Starting in February, about 5,500 families will be cut from the program, losing monthly stipends ranging from $453 to $762, depending on family size.

In the face of these grim realities, Governor Chris Gregoire has told every state agency to prepare for further cuts of 4% to 7%. A recent release from her office used the terms “cut” and “reductions” 19 times, but was silent on ways to increase revenue.

In view of these circumstances, PSARA will be an active participant in a campaign to closely scrutinize the many tax breaks granted by the legislature over the years. Every state expenditure is carefully reviewed with each budget, but the many tax preferences and exceptions, draining millions in urgently needed revenue, remain on the books unexamined year after year. Many such tax breaks are simply giveaways wrested from the legislature by special interest lobbying.