The Blog

Governor Chris Gregoire Governor Chris Gregoire

01/10/11

The magnitude and depth of this recession has made one thing clear — business as usual can no longer be the norm.

Our state faces a budget shortfall of historic proportions and for the coming 2011-13 biennium we must close a $4.6 billion gap. With more than 60 percent of the state budget constitutionally protected from reductions, we must cut one-third of the remaining amount. The cuts will be felt. The safety net that so many rely on will be stretched thin.

To ensure our most vulnerable remain protected, our communities are safe and our children receive the best education possible, I’ve proposed a series of government reforms that if acted on, will save the state valuable tax dollars while providing a level of service that matches our state values.

The proposals I’ve made are sweeping. They revolutionize our education system, they consolidate our state agencies, they reform our state pension systems, and ask local communities to partner with the state to ensure critical services, like our state ferry system, continue.

Knowing that a change in government services is necessary to emerge from this recession, I encourage all Washingtonians to take a close look at my proposals.

More information is available by clicking on the links below.

To read more about reform of our state pension system, visit: http://www.governor.wa.gov/priorities/budget/pension_reform.pdf

To read more about health care proposals, visit: http://www.governor.wa.gov/priorities/budget/health_care_reform.pdf

To read more about consolidating state agencies, visit: http://www.governor.wa.gov/priorities/budget/consolidate_services.pdf

To read more about our workers compensation system, unemployment insurance and job creation, visit: http://www.governor.wa.gov/priorities/budget/creating_sustaining_jobs.pdf

To read more about creating a seamless education system, visit: http://www.governor.wa.gov/priorities/budget/p20_system.pdf

To read more about our state ferry system, visit: http://www.governor.wa.gov/priorities/budget/creating_partnerships_ferries.pdf

To read more about making our information technology systems more cost efficient, visit: http://www.governor.wa.gov/priorities/budget/creating_partnerships_it.pdf