Change is needed!!!

By John Gibson

We need CHANGE in Olympia, are you with me?

As a former state legislator, I find it hard to stay away from the fray. It is hard when you look around and watch those given the public trust, squander opportunities to do what is the best interest of a community or a state. It frustrates me to watch our elected leaders avoid the obvious solutions to the fiscal woes for political gain with varies public interest groups and if we do not change the way government does business, we face a bleak future.

As a Washington State resident since 2007, I saw firsthand how an out of control legislature worked with a Governor who never hold employment outside the public sector, take a record state budget surplus and turn it into an $6.4 Billion deficit and raised taxes across the board to pay for these excesses (34% increase in state spending since 2006).

The private sector in Washington State has taken the brunt of these tax hikes and results has been predictable; 27 months of an unemployment rate of 9% plus. Washington State has a so-called "living" minimum wage law that is tied with the Consumer Price Index rate and youth unemployment is nearing 50%.

Washington State has one of the highest tax rates on gasoline and other fossil fuels. Billions collected and still the greater Seattle area has some of the worst traffic congestion in the country. Nearly a $1 Billion was spent on 12 miles of light rail that nobody uses while The Washington State Department of Transportation currently has no available resources to tackle highway and road congestion head on but they have an idea to raise more revenue; build toll booths.

Now, the legislature is considering legalizing marijuana and selling it out of state run liquor stores to raise revenues to continue the out of control state spending by a one party dominated state government. They say it will be a net positive for the state. What are they smoking?

We deserve better from our elected officials. We struggle each month to pay the bills and we make the tough choices. Should we expect our elected officials to prioritize state spending based upon realistic revenue estimates? Should we expect our elected officials to make tough choices on spending priorities based upon need, not pie in the sky thinking? The answer is obvious.

Higher taxes and legalizing marijuana is not the answer to long term fiscal solvency. It is time for Olympia to be a steward for job growth by standing on the side of small businesses across Washington State. We can show America how it is done by getting our house in order. We can do this but we need to bring change to Olympia. Are you with me?



John Gibson is a former N.H. State Rep who now lives and works in Washington state.