Ken Schram: Don't whine, Olympia, just lead

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Story Published: Apr 27, 2009 at 9:59 AM PST

By Ken Schram

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SEATTLE -- The regular legislative session is over, but lawmakers will be back.

There are some odds and ends to tie up and a special session is all but guaranteed.

Grappling with a $9 billion budget deficit, the folks in Olympia put on a brave face and economically hacked at programs and services to the point that many in our state are left to suffer and endure.

Basic education took a big hit.

The cost of higher education is going up.

Basic health coverage is going down.

The litany of across-the-board cuts prompted one legislative leader to whine, "what we've had to do is so difficult."

Spare me.

When times are as bad as they are, this is when we need strong political leadership.

Why didn't lawmakers reconcile our punishing state tax structure?

Why didn't they look at allowing non-tribal casinos to compete with the next-best-thing-to-printing-money Indian casinos?

Why didn't they cut 1 percent for arts.

How come we're still building freeway sound walls?

Under the circumstances, maybe legislators did what they could.

But that's a far cry from doing what was necessary.

I think the people of this state have been hung out to dry.

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Have something to say to Ken? Login or signup below to post a comment. Just be sure to read the rules and keep things civil. You can also e-mail him at kenschram@komo4news.com.

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