Rossi goes after Gregoire on budgets

Dino Rossi responded to today's meeting of the Revenue Forecast Council that determined Washington would have a revenue decline of $167 million. He added that to past budget predictions and said the state would now have a $2.5 billion budget deficit in 2009. He also had some blunt words about Gregoire.

"Washington state is facing a deficit today because of the incumbent's out of control spending," Rossi said. "Logically one would conclude the better our economy is the smaller our deficit would be. So why do we have a deficit? Because even though revenue is still expected to increase in the next biennium, the incumbent has outspent it by $2.5 billion. This is no way to run a business and certainly no way to run a state.   

"Other governors across the country are taking bold steps to reduce spending.  The longer the incumbent waits to tighten the belt of state spending the worse the problem will get. It is irresponsible to allow this deficit to continue to grow and not take proactive steps now. She has taken us from a $2.1 billion surplus to a $2.5 billion deficit. Enough is enough. It's time to face reality."