Issue Position: Reduce Wasteful Government Spending

Issue Position

The biggest problem facing Washington is state government overspending and waste. This year's Legislature faced a $2.6 billion deficit, and the 2011 Legislature is likely to face an equally large budget shortfall.

The reason is obvious to everyone who is not part of the state bureaucracy. We are suffering through the worst economy and highest rates of unemployment since the Great Depression, with thousands of jobs lost. Yet, state government has made almost no cut backs to salaries or overhead.

We can run government more efficiently. I believe my background in economics will help, but more important is to have common sense and courage to stand up to the special interests and insist that wasteful spending end.

I attended both public and private schools and both my parents have devoted their entire careers to serving Washington in public education, so I appreciate that we get important services for our tax dollars. But every dollar wasted is money stolen from taxpayers. We simply have no choice but to reorganize government so it is spending money more effectively,

My opponent voted to eliminate the state's statutory debt limit, opening the way for more borrowing and spending. It was wrong and I would have voted no.

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