While I have an inkling of how Dino Rossi would've approcahed a $1.4 billion "shortfall", I do know how Gov. Gregoire is approaching it - a token call for fiscal responsibility, while calling for spending on additional state programs and more money for programs/issues that have yet to show any fiscally benefitial return.
If the money touted by Gregoire and her colleagues were truly a surplus, I'd have an immediate budget solution:
Use 1/3rd of the money to help relieve the fiscal burden placed upon counties for services that were funded by the state, but (due to excessive state spending) are now are the responsibility of the counties to provide on the county nickel.
Use 1/3rd of the money to fix the state's existing transportation woes (most of which weren't included in the biggest gas tax in state history (the remaining balance would be returned to the voters).
Split the remaining 1/3 of the money between healthcare and existing county corrections programs.
Gregoire's P.O.'d a number of her fellow Democrats by calling for fiscal reponsibility (hinting that the D's are incapable of doing that), but while the state is in the red, her budget proposal smacks of new spending, and she has left the remainder of the "shortfall" to her Democratic colleagues to spend however they wish.
Expect the state to go deeper in the red next year. Don't say I didn't warn you.
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