Governor Gregoire Brings State of the State Speech to Bellingham Students

For Immediate Release: January 10, 2007

BELLINGHAM � Governor Chris Gregoire today visited a seventh grade class at Fairhaven Middle School in Bellingham, where she participated in a simulated marketplace and shared with students her plan to create a Rainy Day Fund.

�The Washington rainy day fund will work just like your family savings account. We will build it up with automatic deposits when times are good and we can feel secure knowing that there is extra money available to meet basic needs if times suddenly turn bad or if a disaster strikes,� said Governor Gregoire.

Governor Gregoire yesterday delivered her annual State of the State address to Washingtonians, outlining her vision for education and highlighting the accomplishments of the past year. She thanked legislators for their bipartisan work ethic and congratulated them on the responsible changes made last session.

�We have fought for change � responsible change. We demanded accountability - and the results are clear,� said Governor Gregoire in her address. Thousands of children will have a better shot at life thanks to our new emphasis on early learning. We promised to provide health care to more children than ever before � and we delivered. We invested in renewable energy and green buildings and we curbed auto emissions. More people are working � 155,000 new jobs were created in the last two years. Together, we have taken steps to help forest land owners and farmers.�

Governor Gregoire at Fairhaven Middle School visited the North Cascades seventh grade block class. Students who participate in class and are productive receive recognition by earning points. In order to earn points, each week students must show respect and responsibility, organization and ownership over learning, and be cooperative and committed to the day's task. Points earned are converted into �North Cascades Cash,� which may then be spent at the class�s monthly marketplace. Students will learn how to track their money using a check register and budget their spending so they have enough money to pay their monthly bills.

Governor Gregoire�s vision for Washington reflects her commitment to world-class education, access to quality, affordable health care, job creation and other top priorities, including a new rainy day fund. Her proposed budget invests in:

• An education system families can rely on;
  
• An economy that offers opportunity for family wage jobs;
  
• Health insurance families can afford;
  
• An environment where families can thrive;
  
• Communities where families feel safe; and
  
• State government that is performance-driven and accountable to Washington families.

�We all want the same things for our families � quality education, reliable health care and good jobs. Our challenge is to stand in the shoes of our citizens, see the future through their eyes, and find common ground that provides changes Washington families can count on,� said Governor Gregoire.

For too long, government spending has been on a rollercoaster ride � funding programs when times are good, then drastically cutting those programs when times are bad, only to have the cycle begin again. The economy will continue to run in cycles, but our state budget does not have to mirror these booms and busts.

In last year's supplemental budget, Governor Gregoire kept her commitment to get the off the budget rollercoaster by setting aside $947 million to help make future pension payments, pay for growing health costs for children and low income adults, and continue to reduce class sizes in public schools. This year, Governor Gregoire proposes to keep our savings secure with constitutional protection.

Governor Gregoire�s rainy day fund will:

• Start off with $262 million that Governor Gregoire will deposit as a part of her budget proposal;
  
• Grow with future automatic deposits of one percent of the state�s general revenue each year � about $150 million annually;
  
• Be constitutionally protected so that it can only be dipped into if a three-fifths vote of the Legislature authorizes it;
  
• Be available by a majority vote of the Legislature during a natural disaster or if the Governor has declared a state of emergency;
  
• Keep government accountable by ensuring that, even in tough times, we can keep our promise to Washingtonians to have safe streets and neighborhoods, affordable health care, stunning natural scenery, world-class education and a thriving economy.

�Saving for the future is one of my top priorities, just as it is for every Washington family,� said Governor Gregoire. �This rainy day fund will help our state ride out the natural ups and downs of the economy while still delivering on my promise to Washington students and families.�

###