Senate Budget Passed In The Dark By The Forces Of Dark

Brothers and Sisters,

Last night I watched in horror as the Senate passed their version of the budget in the dark of the night with no public hearings. The Republican Senators were joined by Democratic Senators Tom, Kastama, and Sheldon in a budgetary coup. The Senate Democrats could not amend it and could not stop the trainwreck that unfolded before our eyes.

Our pension plans are under attack. After the budget passed in the dead of night, another bill was put forward. That bill closes the PERS 2 plan. It passed too. The PERS 2 fund is stable and allows the state to invest funds over the long term which brings cash into the fund. PERS 2 provides a defined benefit. We know how much money we will receive at retirement. It is guaranteed. The budget forces all new state employees into PERS 3 - the plan that provides a 1% defined benefit and a 1% investing amount. PERS 3 requires members to be investment savvy. Since the funds are mobile and the member can move those funds, the state must maintain a liquidity in PERS 3 that doesn't allow for the same long term investment strategy that has made PERS 2 so successful. The result threatens the long term stability of the fund.

As I watched, Senator Lisa Brown and Senator Margarita Prentiss pleaded with the Senate to not pass this bill. Senator Brown held up the state actuary report and asked if they had even read the report. She said the state actuary report warned of the adverse financial consequences to the state if this idea went forward. It didn't register a blink. In addition, the state will skip the payment into the LEOFF retirement account.

It was a shameful event. There were no public hearings, no opportunity to discuss and debate the budget. It harms the elderly, the poor, the disabled, the mentally ill, our children and the safety net our communities depend upon. It is a continued attack on public sector workers who provide the services our citizens depend upon.

Having reduced our pay, increased our workload to the point where people can barely function, reduced the number of people who provide services at a time when the demand for service is high, they now come for our pension plans.

Brothers and Sisters - we must not let it happen.

Many of you have called me wanting to take on the turncoat democratic senators. The budget is out of the Senate now. Take them on if you like. I believe there is a better time to deal with them and that time is coming.

What we must do right now is join together and bolster those House Representatives who will be working on the final budget. We must make sure they understand the choices they will make. No one knows state services as well as you do. You can make a difference because you know the difference you make. Please contact these key legislators now.

The hotline number is 1-800-562-6000. The e-mail addresses are listed below. Use your personal phone or your personal computer on non-work time.

The House Ways and Means Committee is chaired by Representative Hunter of the 48th District ross.hunter@leg.wa.gov The Vice Chairs are Representative Darnielle of the 27th District jeannie.darnielle@leg.wa.gov and Representative Hasegawa of the 11th District bob.hasegawa@leg.wa.gov The other members are Representatives: Alexander - 20th District gary.alexander@leg.wa.gov, Bailey - 10th District barbara.bailey@leg.wa.gov, Dammeier - 25th District bruce.dammeier@leg.wa.gov, Orcutt - 18th District ed.orcutt@leg.wa.gov, Carlyle - 36th District reuven.carlyle@leg.wa.gov, Chandler - 15th district bruce.chandler@leg.wa.gov, Cody- 34th District eileen.cody@leg.wa.gov, Dickerson - 36th District marylou.dickerson@leg.wa.gov, Haigh - 35th District kathy.haigh@leg.wa.gov, Haler - 8th District larry.haler@leg.wa.gov, Hinkle - 13th District bill.hinkle@leg.wa.gov, Hudgins - 11th District zack.hudgins@leg.wa.gov, Hunt - 22nd District sam.hunt@leg.wa.gov, Kagi - 32nd District ruth.kagi@leg.wa.gov, Kenney - 46th district phyllis.kenney@leg.wa.gov, Ormsby - 3rd District timm.ormsby@leg.wa.gov, Parker - 6th District kevin.parker@leg.wa.gov, Pettigrew - 37th District eric.pettigrew@leg.wa.gov, Ross - 14th District charles.ross@leg.wa.gov, Schmick - 9th District joe.schmick@leg.wa.gov, Seaquist - 26th District larry.seaquist@leg.wa.gov, Springer - 45th District larry.springer@leg.wa.gov, Sullivan - 47th District pat.sullivan@leg.wa.gov, Wilcox - 2nd District jt.wilcox@leg.wa.gov