To WA State Democrats: "It is time for a diet, not Taxes"

As addressed in a comment by state Republicans in WA, state Democrats are unilaterally pushing for the largest one-year tax increase in the 121 years of statehood, with nearly a billion dollars in proposed tax increases.

A concept that is lost on state democrats is that when times are lean, it is prudent to also cut the fat from unnecessary government growth and spending that has built up over the years. Of course, it would be prudent to say that the fat should never accumulate in the first place - however, the nature of government (as it exists today) is to spend someone elses money on a vast multitude of non-necessities.

A hard lesson for the state, and for democratic leaders of the state: Lose the fat, trim up, and minimize intake.

THAT IS RIGHT. The same prescription for health of the individual is fitting for government...

Lose the Fat: time to trim out pet projects and reduce spending to bare bone necessities of defense, education, and light infrastructure necessary to ensure continued prosperity

Trim Up: cut unnecessary employees. The main source of government spending is the sheer size of government employees. Cut back to necessary functions of government - all the rest should make it on the free market, not on the government jobs program.

Minimize Intake: taxes are a nuisance, not a necessity. Article VII of the WA state constitution deals with taxation, and I recommend that section 8 "Tax to Cover Deficiencies" be stricken from the constitution and replaced with an amendment requiring a balanced budget with the exception of times of declared war. Moreover, a balanced budget would not simply mean "tax to meet our needs", rather it should be law for the state to 'limit the size of government based on necessary means'. Reducing the tax intake will ensure a leaner, healthier government.