In our view, Jan. 11: Busted in Olympia

The annual legislators’ pilgrimage to Olympia is looking more like a death march. Waiting at their destination is a projected $6 billion budget deficit that likely will get worse. It’s like traveling to a family reunion, and everyone in the family is broke. The late blues balladeer Ray Charles never sang “Busted” with more misery than Washington state’s lawmakers will take into this 105-day session.

In today’s Columbian, reporter Kathie Durbin previews the 2009 Legislature with details about the deficit, a comparison of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s no-tax-increase budget with other Democrats’ belief that tax increases should not be automatically ruled out, and a list of committee assignments for local legislators. As for the destitute politicians themselves, here are a few survival tips:

n Be thankful you’re not a legislator in California, where the deficit is $26 billion, more than quadruple Washington state’s.

n Adopt a “nothing new” mind-set about spending. This is not the time for new pet projects, no matter how great they sound.

This denial of progress doesn’t mean permanently abandoning important new programs, only postponing them until after the economy improves. For example, in a meeting with The Columbian’s editorial board, state Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, acknowledged that one of his priorities might be suspended. He wants to fund the study of reactive attachment disorder (the failure of children to form emotional bonds), but those plans probably will have to wait until another session.

At that same meeting, state Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, said one of his ideas probably will be postponed. He wants to require that such tradespeople as plumbers and electricians carry their licenses on the job.

n Look for any possible “gain in the pain.” That’s the term Zarelli used to describe opportunities exposed by adversity. For example, in exchange for forgoing cost-of-living raises, some state workers such as teachers could leverage regulatory relief. They won’t make more money, but they could improve work conditions in meaningful ways.

An economic downturn is a great time to explore new, dynamic efficiencies. Many smart people find sudden poverty to be a powerful stimulant for creativity.

n Don’t let the deficit scare you away from wise investments. Tax Increment Financing (funding economic development based on projected tax revenues) drew wide support last year in the Legislature, but the bill got caught up in needless wrangling. This year, pass it. See this economic downturn as a good time to prepare for prosperity.

n Take a bold new look at revenue sources. The fickle sales tax and gas taxes were among the biggest contributors to the deficit. Those revenue sources have let us down. Think outside the box. Moeller, for example, wants to explore a pilot program that would replace the gas tax with a “mileage tax,” using GPS monitors in vehicles, similar to a program being considered in Oregon. It’s worth studying, at least.

n Crisis that it is, don’t obsess over the deficit. If too much time is spent arguing over the deficit — and when partisan disputes turn petty as Washingtonians have learned to expect — then too little time will be spent on other crucial needs such as preparing for a possible federal stimulus package and getting transportation projects shovel-ready for federal aid.

Almost four dozen states face this same problem. Let Washington be the state that calls a cease-fire in traditional political combat and produces creative solutions.