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Olympia Office:
335-A Legislative
Bldg.
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Phone:
(360) 786-7988
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Deputy Leader for the House
Republicans
Toll-Free Legislative Hotline
1-800-562-6000
Website
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Kretz |
District Office:
20 North Main Street
P.O. Box I
Omak, WA 98841
(509)
826-7203
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Dear Friends,
I am sure I
don't need to tell you what kind of legislative session
we're having, but in case you haven't heard, it has been
incredibly busy! The session started Jan. 12 and is
scheduled to end April 26, just three short weeks from
now.
Unfortunately, instead of addressing
critical issues, such as solving our current budget
shortfall, we're having public hearings and voting on
bills about managing sea
lettuce, creating
bicycle buffers for cars and recognizing the
Olympic marmot as the state's official endemic
mammal. I wish I were kidding, but sadly I am not. Our
state has many challenges right now, and I believe we
need to put first things first and that means balancing
our budget without new or higher taxes.
Below is
a brief update on the budgets and issues we have
discussed so far this session. I hope you will contact
me with your thoughts and ideas. The best solutions come
from our communities!
Sincerely,
Joel
State budgets:
The last four years, I have raised the red flag over
state spending. Despite warnings from non-partisan staff
and folks like me, Democrats continued to spend at a
rate twice the state's tax collections. Now we're faced
with new and expensive government programs and no way to
pay for them. Difficult choices must be made and that
requires leadership.
This year's budgets were rolled out with fanfare
from folks who do not like cuts that were made. I
believe cuts in the budget were made particularly
painful to ensure citizens would entertain a new tax to
pay for bigger government. I cannot support putting new
or higher taxes on folks who are struggling or out of
work. You can find the budget proposals
here.
First, the state
operating budget: This is the budget that pays
for state services, staff and programs. Washington has a
little more tax revenue to spend this year - over $30
billion.
I
am disappointed House budget writers proposed to spend
$5 billion in federal stimulus money, which we know is
one-time money, on ongoing programs that will need a
funding source next year to continue. What happens then?
I believe they are only delaying the inevitable and
setting us up for more problems tomorrow by not
exercising true leadership today. And, I believe they
are putting off tough decisions in order to test the
water for a
tax hike this fall.
I'm also dismayed at the
cavalier attitude the majority party is showing with
regard to referencing and spending federal tax dollars.
I think we need to remember that no government -- local,
state or federal -- has any money of its own. It
all comes from taxpayers at some point, whether at the
state or national level. Thanking the federal government
for doling out your tax dollars is .
Next, the capital budget: This is the budget
that pays for brick and mortar items, like building
schools and hospitals, and upgrading water and sewer
systems. I am a strong supporter of this budget because
it helps maintain our infrastructure and, in the
process, creates jobs. While this year's capital budget
has some good projects we can all support in it, I am
concerned that Washington Wildlife and Recreation
Program (WWRP) will receive $80 million, largely to
acquire additional habitat and park land.
So here we are, we are
in our deficit situation about to give $80 million to
WWRP to buy more park land and various habitat space when we can't afford to take
care of the parks we have now. We may face the closure
of up to 47 parks statewide, and fish hatcheries in Omak
and Colville are on the chopping block, so my concern is
that we need to focus on priorities and take care of our
current responsibilities first.
The budget also
takes money away from school construction and local
infrastructure upgrades. My hope is the House and Senate
budget writers rethink this strategy and instead make
sure we're focused on creating jobs and making sure our
community systems are built to sustain the people they
serve.
What I've been
working on: As deputy Republican leader
in the House, my workload has increased significantly.
I'm honored to have been chosen for this job, and it has
been rewarding to help shape the direction of our state.
We have a lot of challenges ahead, but as we move
through the session I am happy to be able to share my
ideas of how our government can work for efficiently.
Here are some of my values:
- Do not raise
taxes on anyone right now;
- The state should
live within its means;
- Let's budget based on
our values - family security, the vulnerable and
children;
- Government must sacrifice in these
tough times, just like families;
- Our urban
districts must understand that rural districts, and the
high-quality products they
provide,
contribute a great deal to the state's economy - Boeing
and Microsoft are not the
only industries
in the state;
- Small businesses are the
backbone of our communities and we should protect them,
and the jobs
they create.
I have
also hosted many folks from around the district. I
always enjoy having you visit and share ideas and let me
know what your priorities are for Washington. If you
plan to be in Olympia, please stop by. My door is always
open.
Contact me: I know you are busy working
and providing for your families, employees and our
community services, but I hope you will take the time to
call or e-mail me with your thoughts on the budget or
other issues of interest. I represent you and this is
your government!
I can be reached at (360)
786-7988, or through e-mail at
kretz.joel@leg.wa.gov, or send written comments to
Rep. Joel Kretz, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600.
I will be back home in Wauconda after session ends -
sometime around April 28. I will reopen my Omak office
at that time and would welcome calls and visits from
you. The Omak office address is listed at the top of
this message, but I will also update you about when I
will return home for the rest of the year in the next
e-newsletter. |
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For more
news and information, visit my website at
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Kretz
If you would rather not
receive legislative e-mail updates, please
click here and send me an e-mail.
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