Olympia 2025
By Krist Novoselić (January 19, 2025)
Just watched Governor Bob Ferguson’s inaugural speech to the legislature. My impression — this is not a Progressive lawmaker.
“The era of assuming unrealistic growth in revenue is over”, said the newly sworn-in governor. Ferguson then stated, “I’m not here to defend government, I’m here to reform it.”
The camera in the chamber would occasionally show the assembled legislators; with many members of the governor’s party looking stunned by his statements.
How fast things change! In the November 2024 election, Washington was deemed an outlier in the country with Democrats doing better here than their counterparts in other states.
The conventional wisdom promised a Progressive juggernaut in Olympia. The outgoing governor proposed new taxes. Leaked majority party memos offered talking points on how to sell “progressive revenue”. The ruling party was on the path to the capitol as if it were some kind of Promised Land.
“Well, goodbye yellow brick road”, goes the Elton John song. Gov. Ferguson’s speech has established expectations for fiscal responsibility. There was even a veto threat regarding budget gimmicks enabling more spending.
Government throwing money at everything had a good run — the state operating budget increased from approximately $33.5 billion in 2013 to $75.5 billion in 2024.
At the same time, problems like homelessness, addiction and housing supply / affordability have gotten worse.
For example, the latest HUD Annual Report to Congress tells us homelessness is increasing in our country — with Washington one of the worst states.
In a recent editorial in the Seattle Times, Microsoft vice chair Brad Smith writes, “Our state government has succeeded in spending more money but failed in producing better outcomes for state residents”, and how the state needs to, “deliver measurable results.”
Ferguson’s inaugural address offers hope of reforming Olympia’s spending impulses.
Gov. Ferguson shared his family’s story with the terms, “resilience, hard work, common sense, patriotism, practicality, faith, frugality, service, and sacrifice”. These are not words synonymous with left wing politics of entitlement.
“Hard work” fits a narrative for the construction of new housing.
The governor ordered state agencies to review all regulations that impact housing, permitting and construction and identify any provision that can be streamlined, deferred or eliminated. He wants to expand transit-oriented development, protect vulnerable renters and small landlords, and give local governments tools and incentives to improve housing supply and affordability.
This is a recipe for a strong economy. The plan, if successful, should increase the demand for labor. Look for building trades paying high wages. We should expect government receipts to increase amidst a construction boom. This is the promise of realistic revenue growth and broad support is expected among legislators.
“Unrealistic” is a nice way to describe the politics of assumed entitlement. Legislators in the ruling party practically sat on their hands when the governor spoke of reforming government in a way that did not meet their post-election expectations. The silence is telling — as the speech stressed hard work and resilience. In other words, the governor made a call for his fellow party members to get off their asses.
CASCADE PARTY of WASHINGTON
PO Box 28004
Seattle, WA 98118