Home › Forums › West Seattle Rants & Raves › RANT: (State) Budget Cuts
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December 11, 2010 at 3:06 pm #597258
wsfamMemberI spent the week looking at the State of Washington’s proposed supplemental budget cuts and they are so disheartening! The Office of Financial Management (OFM) has asked the State to cut ALL Medicaid Prescription drug coverage, Medicaid Vision, Medicaid dental, Basic health, the Children’s Health Program and more. I am a social worker and these cuts would devastate my clients. From our client with hemophilia who will not be able to get life saving factor, to our severely compromised young adult with rheumatoid arthritis, to the insulin dependent client. When I called OFM to ask what would happen to these people the man said very somberly, “It is likely they will die.” It is like a knife in my heart to think this is what we have come to as a state. And for those of you who believe non-profits and churches pick up the slack in these places, I spend about 30% of my time trying desperately to raise money to keep us afloat. We could NEVER raise enough money to do the work we do and we pay people a pittance and we have very shabby digs. We pour all of our money into the work. Last week we also had two churches call us to ask for funding for their parishioners. Aaaaargh!!!! Bleak times for our communities most vulnerable and sick!
December 11, 2010 at 4:53 pm #710800
MrJTMemberOh its just state spending, I thought you got a bad haircut….
December 11, 2010 at 4:57 pm #710801
SmittyParticipantMakes you wonder how we survived 5 short years ago on that paltry 27.5 billion dollar budget (9.5 billion less than FY2011). That’s “only” a 33% increase (with low inflation):
http://www.fiscal.wa.gov/FRViewer.aspx?Rpt=Recast%20History%20Expenditure%20Statewide%20Summary
December 11, 2010 at 5:36 pm #710802
jwwsParticipantLOL MrJT – I thought the same thing too!
December 11, 2010 at 5:42 pm #710803
JanSParticipantnot a joking matter, frankly. I am on Medicaid right now, waiting for approval for a kidney transplant..not only have I been informed that I will be losing some of these services, I have also been informed that I may lose my insurance altogether in a few months. Yes, scary. Luckily, once transplant is approved, etc. , a federal medicare program kicks in for people with end stage renal failure.
This is no longer about political ideology. It’s about people’s lives…but, then, Smitty, I’m thinking that you haven’t had the things happen in your life yet like this that might possibly devastate you..you’ll learn. It happens in a second…
December 11, 2010 at 5:47 pm #710804
redblackParticipantthe fact that more people are relying on state services due to the private sector looting the economy explains the budget cuts; but it sure as hell doesn’t absolve anyone, or make those who rely on government services to survive feel any less terrified about their respective futures.
republicans are wrong: recessions are exactly the time to raise taxes.
the wealthy private sector has left the building. if they won’t help their country through hard times, hit them with tax increases to mitigate the damage.
’tis the season, after all.
December 11, 2010 at 5:59 pm #710805
charlabobParticipantMIL is part of the state system, so we got a letter telling us about the cuts. They won’t directly affect her, because she’s cared for in other ways and NO, Smitty and Rich, we’re not gaming the system…they’re aware of her — not paying her. Damn, I hate knowing so well how people think.
The letter said, in part: we won’t be paying for dentures, for eye glasses, for … pretty much anything after January 1. I suspect it used to be that folks just had to find another pocket from which to get these essential services. Now the pockets are empty and the cupboards are bare. Who knew when the repugs wanted to starve government and drown it in the bathtub they meant to do that to the people directly.
Thank you for posting this, fam — I’ve meant to do so since we received the letter.
December 11, 2010 at 6:32 pm #710806
JoBParticipantI find it very sad that any member of our forum can make jokes about people dieing for want of medical care.
December 11, 2010 at 6:54 pm #710807
datamuseParticipantWell, Smitty, five short years ago the economy was in better shape and fewer people were relying on state aid.
That’s the problem with free-market solutions…you need a healthy market for them to be effective. But I know people who’ve been looking for work for a couple of years now. They aren’t lazy or unqualifed…there just aren’t enough jobs.
December 11, 2010 at 7:28 pm #710808
Genesee HillParticipantYes, this is a very unfortunate situation. The trouble is, I know a person who relys on these state services who also received the letter about the cuts. This person is furious at Governor Gregoire! This person ALWAYS votes Republican and ALWAYS votes against any and all tax increases.
It makes my blood boil that so many people think this stuff is free!
December 12, 2010 at 12:04 am #710809
wsfamMemberSmitty, It is true that the State Budget has risen over the last 15 years BUT the State Population has grown by 50% in the last 25. If you look at state spending per capita, it has stayed almost exactly the same for over a quarter of a century. Some of the issue has, in fact, been growth. When the State gives tax break incentives to large developments or corporations to build, and THEN people move to that location, the development of schools, roads, etc. is left to the State. The hope is that the taxes generated from those folks will be more than what was spent and offered in the incentives, but that is not always the case. Certainly over the last few years health and human services expenditures and unemployment are also way up contributing to the recent rises. The Iman (sp?) initiatives also made it harder for the state tax revenues to keep pace with population growth. This is a multi-layered and complicated issue, and I understand that there are multiple sides of the big government/small government debate. I would hope no matter where you land on that debate that you believe that people should not be allowed to die in our society for lack of money. Having worked with vulnerable folks for many, many years I second some of the remarks above. It often takes one bad illness to bankrupt a family. This could be you or someone you love at any given point in time. YOU sit across from them and tell them that they can’t have their insulin. YOU sit across from them and tell them that their son’s schizophrenia meds that have kept him stable for years are no longer available. YOU tell them that they can’t have glasses to function. Seriously. I challenge you to be the one to do it. Because I have been reading these letters with people over the last week and watching their faces crumble. I sit with them absolutely helpless as they ask “What am I going to do?” It is heartbreaking and unfair and unjust. And if anyone doesn’t see that, than their heart is made of colder and harder stuff than mine.
December 12, 2010 at 12:07 am #710810
JanSParticipantGen Hill…I will never understand people like that.Money doesn’t just fall from the sky, and she obviously well knows this..not for her, and not for the gov’t. And, of course, the only place that gets cut is services to those least able to afford it. Heaven forbid we cut out some of the big, unneeded stuff. Many of us have no idea what actually goes on in Olympia..we just accept their word when they say this is where the cuts have to come from…we gripe, but let it happen. And then we read things like this…and I still am not sure if these people are truly needed or not?
http://news.opb.org/article/20158-washington-state-agency-lobbyists-republican-crosshairs/
makes one pause…
December 19, 2010 at 12:05 am #710811
hooper1961Memberthe fact is the State has to learn to live with a budget; heaven forbid the thought. the State failed to save aggressively during the good years instead added more government that was not sustainable.
if you don’t want a specific government service cut PLEASE PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE program or service to cut.
December 19, 2010 at 12:30 am #710812
miwsParticipantDecember 19, 2010 at 12:33 am #710813
JoBParticipantDecember 19, 2010 at 1:30 am #710814
Genesee HillParticipanthooper1961:
FYI, the State has always had to live with a budget, I believe it is a state constitutional mandate to have a balanced budget.
So heaven forbid something else, please.
December 19, 2010 at 1:52 am #710815
Genesee HillParticipanthooper1961:
I researched it a bit, and there is NOT a constitutional mandate to balance the budget, though legislators traditionally have in our state. Including our current Governor.
So, as Rosanneroseannadana, used to say: Never mind!
December 19, 2010 at 7:35 am #710816
dobroParticipant“the State failed to save aggressively during the good years”
You really do seem to have a problem with facts. The state of WA used to have a thing called the Rainy Day fund which accumulated a big pile of money, ostensibly to take the edge off the bad times. Remember what happened to this fund? Republiscum agitator Tim Eyman and his henchmen came whining to the people saying “If you have all this excess money sitting in the bank from our taxes we should get it back!!” Guess what happened? Look it up-you might learn something.
“if you don’t want a specific government service cut PLEASE PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE program or service to cut.”
This challenge from a guy that has nothing but FOX news talking points…do your own work and point out your own budget priorities.
December 19, 2010 at 2:16 pm #710817
JoBParticipantHooper1961
Turn off the TV
take a walk
Smile back at people who smile at you
Do something nice for someone else
This too shall pass
December 20, 2010 at 3:01 am #710818
hooper1961MemberI DO NOT LISTEN TO FOX NEWS AT ALL. All you have to do is watch King 5 news to see government squandering limited tax resources.
Listening to a retired High School Principal discuss the enormous resources spent on a very few; many of whom simply are not teachable. It is time for government to prioritize better.
BTW I voted to keep the soda tax that if the legislature had kept focused on pop it would not have been overturned by the voters; in my opinion.
December 20, 2010 at 8:25 am #710819
JoBParticipanthooper1961..
it wasn’t the legislature that misdirected the focus on the soda tax..
follow the money trail.
December 20, 2010 at 1:58 pm #710820
redblackParticipantthat’s funny. you have to turn off corporate media – like belo subsidiaries – to find out just how much the republocrats have slashed tax revenue and allowed the wealthiest people and corporations to pay considerably less percentage-wise per capita than the bottom 90%.
hooper, if you keep following corporate news for all of your information, you will continue to be angered by government spending.
but if you turn off corporate news, you’ll find out that it’s actually the corporations (like those who own the mainstream media) who are running the show.
but you keep pushing for those cutbacks.
i’ll keep pushing for government expansion and an increase in tax revenue to fight corporate hegemony.
December 21, 2010 at 4:02 am #710821
hooper1961Memberwhatever happened to personal responsibility? only 25% of the bad mortgages where due to predatory lending that means a whopping 75% have significant borrower culpability.
it is sad that so many people overspent on consumption including government that the shit has now hit the fan. basically the credit card is maxed out and spending will need to be prioritized. i for one prefer investment (infrastructure/education) versus consumption (health care)
December 21, 2010 at 4:11 am #710822
dobroParticipantWhere is the 25% figure from? Any links?
December 21, 2010 at 5:43 am #710823
hooper1961Membersunday seattle times
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