Overspending now creates future problems

Gov. Christine Gregoire's tilt toward education has our support. Her total of $33.4 billion in proposed general fund and near-general-fund spending is too high. It is about $1.3 billion more than the state expects to collect.

The state has the money to bridge that gap, but in the short term only. This budget spends money at a rate that creates a long-term problem. Four years ago, Gov. Gary Locke proposed a $24.9 billion budget. The current total is up $8.5 billion from that. Some of it is justified by the state's economic growth, but not all.

There are several ways to shrink the new spending. State employees pay 12 percent of their health-insurance costs. If they had to pay 20 percent, which is more in line with the private sector, it would save $134 million.

Most state employees are getting a 3.2-percent increase in July and a 2-percent increase a year later. Those high on the salary scale have a new 2.5-percent "step." Omitting the "step" would save $24 million.

Several agencies have big increases. The State Patrol is up 15 percent. Ecology is up 18 percent. Corrections is up 23 percent. Some small agencies have big jumps. The Arts Commission is up 19 percent.

Every such increase is backed up by an argument that sounds good. But you can't do it all — and if this is the year of education, it has to mean restraint elsewhere.

There is only one substantial cut in this budget, which is to eliminate gainsharing in the employee pension account. It is totally justified, and we hope the Legislature approves it.

But in a $33.4 billion budget, there could have been some other things shrunk to make room for education's gains.

Locke did it through a disciplined process called Priorities of Government. Gregoire's budget could use a dose of that.