Representative Reuven Carlyle is entering his second year as a 36th District Representative to the state legislature. Before the session starts next week, Carlyle is reaching out to find out what’s important to you and give you an idea of what he’s planning for the session.
The following is written by Rep. Carlyle:
The bang of the gavel opens the 2010 session of the Legislature on January 11, and the depth of the challenges we face in the 60-day sprint reflect the seriousness that people are feeling in their daily lives.
Before I put my life as a husband, father and entrepreneur on hold to serve in Olympia as your citizen legislator, I wanted to reach out and connect about the pressing issues facing our state as we enter the legislative session.
What are the policy issues that inspire you to act, and what can state government do to be more responsive to your values and interests? Please make suggestions in the thread, spend some time on my active blog at www.reuvencarlyle36.com or email me anytime at carlyle.reuven@leg.wa.gov. Friend me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter where I’m working to keep you informed from inside your government. My goal is to be the first ‘paperless’ legislative office.
This year, given the difficult economic times in which we live, there is little besides the budget on the table. But how we handle the budget is a moral question not just a financial one. The state’s $32 billion two-year budget (driven by consumer-purchasing related taxes) is staggering under the weight of the economic downturn. This year’s projected $2.6 billion budget deficit–following a projected $9 billion gap last year that we balanced–has forced the most substantive reassessment of our public priorities in generations.
At the same time, the need for essential public services has greatly expanded. Schools, universities, nursing homes, child care centers, homeless shelters, unemployment assistance, job training, mass transit, roads and much more are all struggling to function while demand increases.
Adding to the crunch, more than 60% of the state’s budget is constitutionally protected for institutions like K-12 education, or federally driven for programs like Medicaid. This means the pressure to cut those services not protected—higher education, Basic Health Plan, environment, foster youth care and other programs—is immense.
It is widely recognized that we have one the most unfair, unjust and wildly inefficient tax structure in the nation. We should dust off the Gates Commission Tax Structure Study and have a courageously honest conversation about building a modern, 21st Century structure that is more stable, efficient and equitable.
I have publicly said I will not vote for a second ‘all cuts’ budget as the basic safety net and lifeline of a moral and just society would be nearly paralyzed. But I also will not vote for a timid budget that fails to embrace the opportunity of this crisis. Yes, we need additional revenues to fund public education. But taxes alone are not a substitute for bold systems reforms in how we do business in Olympia.
I believe it is time for state government to consider outsourcing key aspects of the liquor business, for example, as well as some of its licensing, printing and technology functions. In my view, the state should reduce the number of ‘commodity’ lines of service delivery that the private sector can provide more efficiently and affordably with transparent government project management and financial oversight. And we must tackle hard questions about what level of government should provide what service.
In the months ahead, we are actively competing for hundreds of millions in federal dollars in education (Race to the Top funds continue to be one of my top priorities), clean energy (smart grid, utility infrastructure, efficiency programs), health care insurance reform support, nursing training (community colleges in cooperation with SEIU) environmental clean up priorities (Puget Sound, Hanford, parks) and much more. Securing these dollars is about more than money, it’s also about our willingness to embrace bold reforms.
My workplan this past year has been driven by an effort to introduce more discipline into the $1.2 billion a year that we spend on technology in state government. We have far too little strategic management, accountability or oversight over technology spending, and I’m working to help turn that ship.
Specifically, I’ve been locked in a battle against what I believe is technically misguided spending on a $300 million data center blocks from the Capitol building. I also have worked behind the scenes to reduce cut to higher education, basic safety net housing and food programs, natural resources, workforce development, foster care and much more.
I have been aggressively pushing the state Department of Transportation to improve their project management, financial oversight and accountability systems as they prepare for construction of the tunnel. Still, your 36th delegation of Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson and I continue to share serious concerns about tunnel access and traffic flow for Magnolia and Ballard residents.
On the legislative front, here is a look at some of the bills I will be introducing and pushing for in 2010.
This year I’m sponsoring a bill to reinforce the policy that initiative and referendum petitions are public record. Open government and full public disclosure are part of the heart, soul and
DNA of our state since the progressive era of the 1880s despite Tim Eyman’s argument to the contrary. This question may be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court soon but we have a public responsibility to act decisively here at home.I am also lead House sponsor of a bill to make text messaging and failing to use a headset when talking on a cellular phone in the car a primary offense, as it is in most other states. Teenagers will be prohibited from using a mobile phone while driving altogether.
In addition, I am working extremely hard with House and Senate leadership to find new methods and models to fund the University of Washington, community colleges and the rest of our higher education institutions.
Other legislation that I’ll support include efforts to reduce the adverse impact of stormwater runoff, decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana, authority for King County to have more taxing flexibility for local needs and much more.
As we enter a new year and a new decade, I am excited about the possibilities of a rejuvenated, more vibrant, open and healthy relationship between Seattle, King County and the state. With Mike McGinn and Dow Constantine new to office, and a sense of resolve in Olympia to help us climb out of this Great Recession, we can together do all those things we cannot do alone.
Your partner in service,
Reuven Carlyle
State Representative
36th District
www.reuvencarlyle36.com
Carlyle will also be hosting conversations over coffee this coming Saturday January, 9th. Here is the information on time and place for each neighborhood:
(Carlyle is a sponsor of Next Door Media.)
It's time for a progressive income tax.
What Ytoo said. If not now, when?
1% on married income over 250K, 2% over 1 mil, 4% over 3 mil would fix everything.
I'd pay a little myself under these rules. I can afford it.
You think they'd stop at $250K? Gimme a break. Besides, you have a little problem called the State constitution……even Reuben knows about that one.
But if you really want to be taxed more, move to California, you get hit three times there: income, sales and property. You'll love it, plus the weather is better.
“1% on married income over 250K, 2% over 1 mil, 4% over 3 mil would fix everything.”
Can you site the hard numbers then or are you just guesstimating?
I'd say yes to income tax if they got rid of the sales tax…but of course, they won't.
The point is to increase taxes to collect more revenue not decrease them to collect less. Sales tax stays.
Constitutions can be changed. In fact is was changed to reflect the moronic regressive system we use now.
The government needs to live within its means the same way every family and individual does. Most of us have had to cut back, drastically, in some cases. The state needs too as well. The politicians need to step up and make the hard decisions not keep asking for more money.
Why start at $250,000? Progressive means increasing tax as income increases. The starting pioint is $0.
Well, have fun chasing that one Don Quixote, it'll never happen.
Mind you, I prefer you keep yourselves busy chasing these windmills than actually doing something achievable.
Well, start collecting signatures and we'll see you at the polls in 2040-something…..
Sorry dude, Washington's constitution requires a “uniform and equal rate of assessment and taxation on all property in the state, according to its value in money.” Ergo, an income tax based on how much one earns,violates the uniformity clause.
And if an income tax would save the state, how come California, with three main tax sources – property, sales and income tax – is running such massive deficits?
So go ahead, put it to voters, it's been tried 7 times since 1935 and never succeeded. Last time they tried in 1973 it went down, 23-77%.
No income tax. NO INCOME TAX. Among others, it would certainly drive our tech industries to Texas or Florida. And those industries (and workers!) contribute a heck of a lot via sales and property taxes.
Decriminalize marijuana.
Outsource as much as possible.
Kudos on the cell phone bill.
Consider adding elective taxes. Like those “Would you like to contribute $1 to election campaign?” boxes on fed tax forms. I'd chip in extra $ for specific programs, like more police in Ballard (specifically, Ballard).
Also, +1 to what blite said.
What are your suggestions for cuts?
One would HOPE it would drive the techs out of here. Seattle did better without them.
Right Rose, that's a brilliant plan. Is it any wonder the looney left never wins elections?
State workers salaries and benefits – across the board cuts and furloughs.
Cutting wages lowers revenues.
By a fraction. Cutting wages and benefits would more than make up for lost tax revenue on state workers. Nice try, but your math is off.
“Cutting wages lowers revenues.”
What am I saying, there's no income tax in this State. Cutting state workers' wages will not lower tax revenues, sorry Maria.
Are you kidding me?? Have you actually looked at what state workers make? It's all there on-line for everyone to see. And in my profession, as well as many others, state workers make about 1/2 what other workers make – often including those in the not-for-profit sector.
Sure – let's cut those crummy salaries. Then let's complain when the state doesn't provide services like we expect. (See, e.g., complaints about our lax “coddling” criminal justice system)
Something for nothing, huh? Or, more accurately, gimme lots for a little – typical anti-tax b.s. Get a freaking clue
Cutting wages allows more to be employed, hence increased revenues.
Cutting taxes also increased revenues, every time it has happened.
The problem is the spending has increased more rapidly.
Cutting Government payrolls, budgets, wish lists, art and so on, reduces the need for more revenue.
Get a clue people, and elect those that see the obvious need for restraint in Government spending.
Fire those that don't.
“Cutting wages lowers revenues.”
how?
Cutting wages and laying off employees also just exacerbates the recession. It also means fewer services. I suppose we could cut the hours of DMV back to maybe one hour a day between 7 and 8 am.
I think we can assume that Idle makes even less than the average state employee and is bitter because of this?
Except that the left wins all Washington elections.
Seriously? That would mean a mass exodus of smart people, their wages, their property taxes, and property value would be back to 1970s levels. It will be like when there were those billboards up around town that said “Last one out of Seattle, turn off the lights.”
How does cutting state workers' wages make the recession worse? Please explain.
You mean Gregoire? She seems quite moderate, refuses to raise taxes. Ditto for the Dem controlled house.
So let's see what reuven is actually working on:
Text messaging
Pot
Liquor
Storm runoff
Streamlining tech & privatizing services
Raising taxes? I see all talk, no action. Our Reuven knows how to throw a bone to the loony left but knows his political constituency are middle and upper middle class professionals who don't want higher taxes. Just givebua some hobby horse lefty bills like weed, and we can still feel hip.
Ha. Ha ha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Thank you for that! Oh man, I honestly needed a good laugh.
“Yes, let's drive out our world-changing, internationally recognized jewels like Amazon, Microsoft, and our growing Biotech. Get rid of the high earners/high spenders–the people paying the highest property taxes! That's a great idea for fixing the budget!”
Hahahaha!
Hilarious!
Yes Maria, explain to me how cutting state workers' salaries, benefits and retirement deals would “exacerbate [s] the recession?
Why would I be bitter? Policy makers listen to people like me and protect my interests from the hoi polloi like you. I'm happy as a clam and vote straight (centrist) Democrat.
Wages have lagged behind production now for 30 years. Basic ECON 101 tells us that balance is required for capitalism to work. We have pretty much beat the dead horse theory of cuts till it is little more than a wet spot on which you now lay. Enjoy!
OK Maria, you still haven't answered my question. How will cutting state workers' salaries, generous benefits and retirement this year to balance the budget make the recession worse.
You said it would “exacerbate [s] the recession”, now tell me why?
Maria seems to forget all the plumbers, builders, electricians, cab drivers, gardeners, baristas, car mechanics and so forth we pay good money for their work right here in Seattle. Apparently she thinks without 'tech' people, all the plumbers in town will just hire each other. What a moron. Seriously, the dimmest bulb on myballard. You should be embarrassed by your class hatred.
But Idle they were here before you came and they did fine.
Hmmm. No one calls it class warfare until they begin to fear they might lose.
My plumber would laugh in your face at your idiocy; then he'd deposit another check from me and buy himself a second truck. Seriously, he'd laugh so hard at you, his head would pop off.
What, you think Reuven is going to put a bill out to allow an income tax? Seriously, all he's doing is 'dusting off' a study and plans to ’study’ that tax thingy some more.
Let us know in a decade what the commission’s recommendations are why don't you.
I hope everyone is happy subsidizing education costs for H-1B visa holders.
A bill sponsored by state rep Ross Hunter from Medina, retired from Microsoft and no doubt a BIG shareholder, gives foreign workers and their dependents in state tuition costs and fees.
HB 1487 is costing us small change..$500,000 to $1 mil but this is a break for those who already have a break for just being here. Oh, rep Carlyl voted for this and rep ML Dickerson voted against it. Wanna go to college?
The point isn't to increase revenues to a non-productive sector of our society in this economy. The point is to drastically cut the amount that Government spends. The sheer stupidity of increasing spending well beyond any reasonable amount year after year is unbeleivable.
Now, we can't even afford to pay the pensions of retired folks.
Knock it off.
Quit squeezing the life out of this state.
What I'd cut?
Public funding of art.
State run liquor stores.
Prevailing wage requirements on public construction projects.
King County's bloated council staff.
S.L.U.T.s and their kin.
The deep bore tunnel.
Roll back ALL spending to 2006 levels.
(Before it was increased over thirty percent, thanks a lot dems)
Oh, and hang up when the SEIU calls to b*tch about it.
It would mean an exodus of ALL people, but cheifly businesses, off to NC like Boeing.
Wake up and smell the stinky faux rose.
It's time for the people to rise up and fight this insanity.
That time has come to an end rose, the lefty loonie parade is over.
You are aware that billboard was a joke by a few realtors? (always the first to lose their shirts) Seattle was never in danger of closing. : ) Most of us did just fine during those years.
Real simple. If the worker has less money in their pocket every month, they'll cut back on discretionary items first. Stuff that's taxed, like restaurants, purchases other than food, alcohol, etc. The things that aren't subject to sales tax (housing, food, etc.) tend to be less discretionary.
You should visit a real libertarian paradise like Somalia or Liberia. No government spending and lots of guns!
Good thing this isn't 1973.
Easy. Every dollar that goes to a poorly paid government employee gets spent. Fewer dollars to them, fewer dollars going round. There was a study of how often money changes hands at different levels of the economy over a set period of time. For example if you give a very wealthy person a dollar it changes hands 3 times over the period, while a poorer person's dollar would change hands 11 times over that same period. I don't have the exact numbers on hand as this was some years ago but the basic takeaway is that if you want to stimulate the economy you should pump money in to the poorest people first and through the rapid exchange of goods and services at that level, even the rich see more benefit over the long term.
see comment above, but don't forget that state worker's wages get spent and thus taxed at the time of being spent via sales tax.
If you cut a whole class of worker's wages you're going to have some nasty side effects as they curtail spending. Government workers don't get paid as much as equivalent private sector workers as it is, so why are you so hellbent on hurting them?
BS fullone.
Cutting the wages just cuts the amount of money the rich have to give the poor. The “stats” for that argument that say that revenue goes up after tax cuts is severely flawed in that it doesn't factor in the unrelated swings of the economy at all. If we're going through a tech boom and you cut taxes at the beginning of it, you can't claim that the rapidly expanded tax base had anything to do with the general tax cut.
Oh yeah, the hypocritical right wing is taking over! Witness the crushing victories of the teabagger candidates! Behold the eternal GOP majority! Hutchison, Rossi, et all! pffffffft!
You do realize that your comment about the techies is one of the stupidest on here? I thought you were doing it just to get a rise out of the rest of us, but now I'm not so sure.
Sounds like a good argument to lower my taxes then…let me go spend more of my money in restaurants and bars.
Nice straw man there SPG…..cut back on state workers wages, benefits and pensions and suddenly we're Somalia.
Is it any wonder the loony left never wins elections and we get centrists like Obama?
No, it's 2010, and even Gregoire isn't talking about an income tax.
Guess it must hurt to have so many centrists in power?
But keep pushing for an income tax, I prefer you to waste your time chasing windmills.
What are you talking about?
I vote moderate Democrat: Gregoire, Obama etc. and I'm very happy with their centrist policies that protect the interests of upper middle class professionals such as myself.
Yeah, but when us yuppies came in with our $$, you all bent over and sold us your homes faster than you could say 'Kent, here I come'.
Another decade of gentrification in Seattle, and it'll be paradise.
Your obvious anger negates your statements.
I know not a single person who sold a Seattle house to move to Kent. Your premise is a myth. On my block every house is onwed by the smae people who owned it in 1979.
What's amusing is that one says WA politicians are left loonies and the other thinks they are moderates. Funny they are on the same side.
Your taxes are not the issue and neither is your spending. It's not enough to matter.
What matter is the taxes on the wealthy. They don't spend their money in bars in Ballard.
: ) She is howevee talking tax increase. Property tax will also work.
My guess he would love the Dark Ages.
: ) Oh come on Idle we aren’t fooled. ead Fear of Falling by Barbara Ehrenreich. You are very aware form where your anger and fear originate.
But the majority have NOT cut back. Certainly not those with all the money.
Really? On our block we have maybe three that were here in '79. We have at least a half dozen that have moved in within the last five years, and the rest haven't been here for more than 10.
I think my block is much more typical of Ballard than yours. I don't know many people in Kent either, but where did all the people who sold these homes go?
Investing in education (including higher education) is probably the single most important thing a society can do to ensure success. Many companies cite this as a main reason for locating here.
The massive cuts being made to higher education are unacceptable.
Most retired and moved to Edmonds, Scotsdale, or Poulsbo, using the money they made at the top of the market. Now those houses have underwater mortgages.
That may be another reason Idle is so angry and bitter. It seems that all of those who SAY they are doing great are angry and bitter.
ALL the people? : ) Do you really think there was no one living in Seattle before the techies? Gates was financed by his daddy who made a small fortune here long before Billy was born. Millionair's Row was built long before Boeing.
“Edmonds, Scotsdale, or Poulsbo?”
Good god Maria, those places are your definition of the good life?
Define wealthy? Would a couple making $175k/year be considered wealthy?
Why the dark ages? We have enough folks in the dark right now.
There's investing in education, which is fine…
Then there's investing in in-state tuition to undocumented aliens, which is not fine.
Then there's Evergreen State University, which absolutely should be funded privately by their like-minded wack-jobs in this state. There's no way an equally wack-job conservative college would be funded in this state with my tax dollars.
Then there's the WEA. An absolutely corrupt union to the core, bilking every penny that they can from the education dollar, forcing strikes, district by district, and ensure that every district has no power to control their own destiny, keep their roofs from leaking, keep the good teachers in the classroom, keep the lousy ones out, etc.
So, when you say “Investing in education”, that's way too vague for me.
Whether or not I agree with everything you are saying, you have a very good point.
It is my understanding that the state government is mandating large cuts to specific universities without actually telling them how to save money. This results in the institutions scrambling to make quick savings (The UW, for example, will potentially save a chunk of change quickly and easily by halving(!) financial aid next year).
This strategy is poor. What the state or institutions really need to do is take the time to make important structural changes (such as the ones you suggest) which simply make sense and will save them plenty of money. This should be done independently of the economic situation.
I have no problem with an efficient education system, but we do need to provide top notch education.
s—rose, There are few if any “underwater mortgages” in Ballard. To the extent that some prices have fallen, yes some homes were sold for slightly more than they could be sold for shortly thereafter, but that's only going to be an issue if the entire neighborhood market collapses which hasn't and won't happen here.
This whole thread seems to have been hijacked by a bunch of teabagger wannabees.
Here's an idea that can save the state some money over the long run and only a rep from Seattle could get away with proposing: BAN STUDDED SNOW TIRES. They are obsolete and do an incredible amount of damage to the roads. Modern studless snow tires are much better in all conditions without destroying the roads and costing us millions for repair. Some old cranks east of the Cascades will claim they need them but the reality is that though they might have been the best option in the 1960's we've come a long way and they simply aren't needed anymore.
Is Idle a teabagger?
For the record, 'teabagger' is a derogatory term, and is offensive to many.
The 'teaparty' folks, which you and many others are ineptly refering to, are primarily independents, mostly conservative, and are sick of the socialization of America, the rapant welfaring and government take-over of too much of our country.
Personally, I see the national change occuring, which is good for this country.
However, 'Cascadia' looks more and more like it will split off into it's own socially liberal bastian. What a shame.
Hope that helps.
Someday I hope that the 'rich vs. poor' mantra will become what it really is.
'success vs. failure' or 'effort vs. lazy' or many other legitimate discriptors.
Sure, pick on the rich, good luck.
Envy is ugly, a sin, and a tremendous waste of time and energy.
Studded snow tires….now there's something to loose sleep over.