Seattle Times burns through the truth
As Goldy points out, talking about budget issues in this state by using mostly raw dollar figures ignores a pretty important aspect of the equation.
Yet journalists tend to bristle when they get called on their use of loaded terms. What's being offered to the readers of The Seattle Times is an obviously slanted version of what will happen in Olympia, and there's no other way to put it.
These are investments that have to be made because years of neglect have put us in a hole. Even with that, state spending will actually go down as a share of personal income.
It's time for some better journalism this session. Emphasizing spending in the fashion of the Seattle Times is the lazy reporter's way out. These are proposals to very real and specific problems, and it's time the media outlets in this state recognize that the citizens want some of these problems solved. There will be proposals that can be improved, of course, and (gasp!) some of them may even be poor ideas.
But we need a quality educational system and we need a workable transportation system. Sharp focus on how to deal with issues like that will be appreciated by the citizenry. Cavalier coverage that tries to sensationalize the budget process doesn't do anyone any good, and is not in the public interest.
Indeed, as a share of the total state economy, Gov. Gregoire’s budget actually represents a reduced investment — a smaller share of state resources than any of the six budgets that directly precede it.A good example of the kind of bad reporting to watch out for is this rather insulting "user's guide" to the 2007 Legislature posted by The Seattle Times. See if you can spot any kind of emphasis:
State lawmakers get out the checkbook starting Monday as they convene in Olympia to write a new two-year state operating budget.Objective, huh?
They'll also divvy up billions of dollars in transportation and construction spending, and consider major education and health-care legislation.
Democrats control the House and Senate, as well as the governor's office. Lawmakers start the 105-day session with a projected $1.9 billion surplus for the 2007-09 biennium.
Gov. Christine Gregoire last month proposed a $30 billion two-year budget that would burn through much of that surplus. In all, Gregoire wants to increase state spending by about $4 billion, with more than half going to education. She would add nearly 3,800 new state workers, not counting the hundreds of new teachers.
Yet journalists tend to bristle when they get called on their use of loaded terms. What's being offered to the readers of The Seattle Times is an obviously slanted version of what will happen in Olympia, and there's no other way to put it.
These are investments that have to be made because years of neglect have put us in a hole. Even with that, state spending will actually go down as a share of personal income.
It's time for some better journalism this session. Emphasizing spending in the fashion of the Seattle Times is the lazy reporter's way out. These are proposals to very real and specific problems, and it's time the media outlets in this state recognize that the citizens want some of these problems solved. There will be proposals that can be improved, of course, and (gasp!) some of them may even be poor ideas.
But we need a quality educational system and we need a workable transportation system. Sharp focus on how to deal with issues like that will be appreciated by the citizenry. Cavalier coverage that tries to sensationalize the budget process doesn't do anyone any good, and is not in the public interest.
