New Wave Outpost Forum

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Initiative Measure No. 1069 concerns the state seal.

This measure would require the Seal of the State of Washington to be changed to depict a vignette of a tapeworm dressed in a three piece suit attached to the lower intestine of a taxpayer shown as the central figure. The seal would be required to be encircled with the following words: “Committed to sucking the life blood out of each and every tax payer.” The illustration would be selected from submissions submitted by taxpayers.

http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiat ... /i1069.pdf

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Washington isn't taxed as high as some states (such as NY/NJ/MA) At least they have no state income tax.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_tax_ ... ted_States

States are screwed during recessions, because nearly all of them have balanced budget amendments-- they can't run deficits. When a recession comes, their tax revenues get destroyed-- the high unemployment alone comprises 50% of the lost revenues.

The federal stimulus helped them plug the shortfall last year, but those funds are drying up. So to make ends mete, the states lay off workers, teachers, police, etc. and cancel construction projects-- all of which worsens the unemployment situation and erodes their revenues even further. The only way to balance their budgets is to raise taxes-- which also inhibits growth.

[b]What is Driving State Budget Woes? Unemployment[/b]
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/06/wh ... mployment/

If state governments had any brains, they would be urging another federal stimulus program instead of going along with the current "cut the deficit" fear-mongering. Fiscal austerity at this time is self defeating and could lead to a double-dip recession (or a "lost decade").

we need to build more squirrel bridges

Evening bridges too.

Pretty good overview of the problem:<blockquote>[b]Inside the Dire Financial State of the States[/b]
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article ... z0rh3n3OfP

Many taxpayers might say that it's about time spending dropped. But then they start hearing the specifics. Government budgets contain a lot of fixed costs and herds of sacred cows. K-12 education absorbs nearly a third of all spending from state general funds. Add medical expenses, primarily Medicaid, and it's over half. Prisons must be maintained, colleges and universities kept open, interest on bonds and other loans paid. Real cuts provoke loud howls, and you can hear them rising in every corner of the country... Already, 11 states are projecting major budget gaps — greater than 10% of general-fund spending — well into 2013. Such persistent budget woes are unprecedented in the era of modern American government. You'd have to go back to the 1930s to find a parallel.</blockquote>