Looking Under the Bed For Bucks

I think that Washington Governor Christine Gregoire may want to ask for a recount. In fact, she might want to ask for a lot of them. Because somehow, in just 25 days, she seems to have come up about $1.6 billion short in her checking account. That’s the difference between the state of Washington’s April Fools Day cash balance and today’s.
On March 31st, her office boasted that, not only had she met all the state’s existing obligations, while putting money safely aside for a rainy day, but that she had enough left over for a host of new “investments.” Democrats have taken to calling new spending “investments” since the dawn of the Clinton era.
“We must make targeted investments that make a real difference for Washington families and set aside some new revenue to address critical needs next year in health care and education. I believe we can do both,” she proudly proclaimed in a news release posted on her website.
Or not.
On April 25th, the state’s budget office found that, in fact, Washington was $718 million in the hole. Oops! The pen may be mightier than the sword, but it exercises its greatest authority when it makes entries in a ledger book.
So, what should we do now? Don’t bother going to the governor’s website for an answer. No news releases have been posted since the bounced check warnings were issued. In fact, her office hasn’t even bothered to take down the March 31st press release announcing the state’s new money fountain. The governor seems to prefer living in last month’s fantasy world. And who can blame her? Those castles in the air have all the money she could ever want.
One thing that won’t be happening is the discovery of missing money lying about. Somehow I doubt that Washington’s west side Democrats will be quite as adept at finding closets full of dollars to refill the state coffers as they were at finding votes for Gregoire after the last election. Sadly, it appears that Washington’s Democrats are no better at counting dollars than they are at counting votes.
So the money for all those targeted investments will have to come from someplace. Can you say, “higher taxes?” Candidate Gregoire promised not to raise taxes during the campaign. That promise did not survive the opening days of the last legislative session, as gas tax increases were just about the first order of business. For all the complaining about supposed price gouging at the pump, it’s worth noting that the state of Washington collects three times as much in taxes on each gallon of gasoline as the evil oil companies make in profits. And now that the no new taxes promise was broken so casually, the next tax increase will come all that much more easily.
When Governor Gregoire raises taxes to balance her budget next year, Washington voters will not even have the consolation of buyer’s regret, as it’s unlikely that a majority ever actually voted for her in the first place.
On a side note, I have concluded that, after this last week, Jeffersonian representative democracy is dead. This country is no longer governed by the will of the majority. Instead she has degenerated into a tyranny of a very small, very volatile and very stupid minority who nevertheless represent enough votes to swing elections.
How else to explain the astonishingly idiotic proposal floated by Congressional Republicans on Thursday? The Republicans decided that they had to outdemagogue the Democrats on the gasoline price issue and offered a plan to give every taxpayer a $100 rebate to help with gas prices. They propose to pay this by raising taxes on “Big Oil.” Of course, taxes on Big Oil will simply find their way into the price at the pump and everyone but the stupid minority knows that.
Let’s simplify it for the stupid. They’re going to put $100 in your hand and you’re supposed to be grateful enough to reelect them, after which time they’ll probably take much more than $100 out of your wallet. Go back and read George Orwell’s 1984. There was something very similar in that book regarding chocolate rationing.
I don’t think Republicans are dumb enough to really believe that this will work. They’re just cynical enough to take advantage of that small group of very stupid voters.