No other state wants to have a budget like California. But it appears that Washington state comes pretty close. This week Washington forecast an $8 billion shortfall in its budget.
So while the Legislature is trying to figure out a way to heal our state's massive wound, more and more jobs will be cut, more and more people will be unemployed, and more and more businesses will see economic shortcomings.
Last December when Governor Gregoire proposed a $33.5 billion two-year budget, $3 billion of those cuts were in health-care coverage for the poor and knocking off pay increases for teachers and state workers.
What kind of budget cuts can we see this year? I don't know what kind of cuts will happen, but it won't be pretty.
House Majority leader Lynn Kessler, a Democrat from Hoquiam, said the state might increase taxes in order to pay for subsidized medical coverage for lower-income families.
Maybe Washington State will do what California did with their budget. That means tax increases, budget cuts and borrowing money to help ease the deficit.
Guess we'll have to wait and see.
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