State budget-makers go to great pains to avoid the word "tax"

Class, I mean, you, state taxpayers. Have a seat. Let's talk about new state budget lingo, which requires a little torturing of the English language. In a state slammed by a $9 billion deficit, the words and phrases surrounding the budget will get very tricky before lawmakers slash enough and tax enough to offer a balanced spending plan.

In this dire economic era, a surcharge or fee is something friendly and warm. A surcharge is never, ever to be confused with a tax. Bond issues are cool, too.

Got that?

Case in point. Gov. Christine Gregoire, who said adamantly during the fall 2008 gubernatorial campaign that she opposed increased taxes and fees to balance the budget, is now talking about a surcharge on the state's four-year colleges and universities. Hey, it's just a couple of years. Only a limited time. And you don't want to slam the doors at the state's colleges and universities, do you?

The definition of a surcharge, an extra fee or additional charge imposed for a specific purpose, sounds holier than a t-t-t-t-tax. And if you think about it, you have to actually attend one of these institutions to pay. So it's not a tax. Deal?

The truth is, higher education doesn't have the staunch defender in Olympia it once had in the form of powerful state representative from Seattle, Helen Sommers. So the surcharge will come on top of a likely 7-percent tuition increase. Or the state will see what one lawmaker called "Draconian cuts in higher education."

Stay tuned for the budget coming out of the Senate and House shortly.

The idea of being clever with, um, extra fees, reached silliness in recent days. Staring at the possibility of losing $23 million over the next two years, the parks commission drafted a plan that involves closing as many as 40 of 121 state parks.

Now, in a clever flipping of the rules, state Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, figures if 50 percent of people renewing license tabs donate an Abe Lincoln, or $5, the state could avoid closing popular parks such as Millersylvania, Rainbow Falls and Tolmie.

It's a little bit of language magic. Under the current system, car-tab customers opt to donate $5 to state parks each year at car-tab-renewal time. But in a gentle flipping of the rules, the state could convince drivers to check a box to get out of the $5, something drivers will be less likely to do. That will bring in enough revenue to stave off closures.

Like I said, taxpayers have to be pretty fast on their feet this year, because the state is terribly broke. Language will change. The political spin will swing between precious and maddening.

The governor has been steadfastly against any tax or fee increase, but that is so last December, so $6 billion in the hole. The state is now behind $9 billion.

At her most recent news conference, her words softened subtly. She now says lawmakers are wise to "look at every option."

I think that means she will not fight lawmakers on a tax increase and may even campaign for one that goes to voters.

The governor is also bullish on borrowing money and advocates a bond issue to pay for public-school renovations, focusing on green infrastructure and technology upgrades.

The state Senate is about to release its budget. Word is it will be a bare-bones budget that brutally cuts many programs, especially higher education. There is no way out. Taxes will have to be raised. That's troubling in a down economy because it hurts the little guy, but that is what is coming.

Class dismissed.

Joni Balter's column appears regularly on editorial pages of The Times. Her e-mail address is jbalter@seattletimes.com