Gov. Gregoire unveils new budget calculator

For Immediate Release: February 3, 2009

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced the addition of an interactive budget calculator to her Web site, which will allow citizens the opportunity to develop a state budget.

�Closing our state�s multi-billion dollar budget gap required making many tough decisions,� Gregoire said. �This exercise gives people an important understanding of the difficult choices our state government must make when dollars are scarce.�

The interactive tool will allow users to change spending levels in several policy areas until the budget gap is eliminated. As users click through the calculator, they�re encouraged to keep an eye on the bottom line to see how their choices affect the budget.

�With this budget calculator, you may find different priorities among various programs,� Gregoire said. �Your feedback is important. If you don�t like a budget decision, I want to know how you will fix it. What would you sacrifice instead? The budget is a work in progress, and my proposal is the first step in a long process that will continue in the Legislature in the coming months.�

After a user has created a balanced budget, the user can submit personal budget ideas to the governor.

Gregoire proposed her 2009�11 state budget last month, closing a projected $5.7 billion shortfall through a combination of program reductions, suspension of state employee, teacher and care worker salary increases, pension changes, increased federal contributions and use of the state�s rainy day fund. Gregoire�s proposed budget leaves a $508 million ending balance, which includes $100 million in the rainy day fund.