Ramp up services but not taxes, poll says

By David Postman
Seattle Times chief political reporter

OLYMPIA — It's hard to feel sorry for politicians who complain about the difficulties of serving in times of recession and budget shortfalls.

If there were unlimited money and legislating were only a matter of saying yes, anyone could do it. An ATM would suffice.

But a Seattle Times poll of people's attitudes toward state taxing and spending lays out a contradictory set of expectations, one that would confound anyone charged with balancing a budget projected to be $1 billion out of balance.

At its most simple, the survey of 600 Washington residents shows that people want government to do more, but they don't want to pay more in taxes to make it happen.

They think government is inefficient. But they think more money should be spent on programs they grade no better than a C.

It's like Woody Allen said: The food is terrible. And such small portions.

It seems an impossible riddle for lawmakers, the governor and other state officials.

State residents appear unwilling to side with positions most often staked out by either Republicans or Democrats. They don't see the problem as either the GOP vision of an overarching government or the Democrat's theory that it's a revenue shortfall.

Most people said state government ignores too many problems. Wide majorities support more spending on public schools and transportation. There also is strong support for more spending for social services.

And a majority said state government was effective in accomplishing what it is supposed to.

Clearly not a populace looking to reduce government.

But most of the people who talked to pollsters by telephone earlier this month said the tax system is unfair and their taxes are already too high.

"I think we're taxed enough," said Bill Hamilton, 60, of Snohomish, a poll respondent.

"They don't spend what we give them in the right places anyway."

What the "right places" are, though, depends on who's doing the looking.

Martha Speelmon, 77, of Redmond, wants to see her tax dollars spent on something that makes sense to her community.

"Take this bike trail that runs along (Highway) 520," she said. "I've seen one bike rider and about three runners on that trail, and that's it. Now what we desperately needed was an offramp at 140th Avenue."

"See what I mean? The government doesn't look at my needs," Speelmon said. "I don't want to pay any more taxes until the government starts using my money wisely."

The poll findings don't register as breeding grounds for a tax revolt.

Respondents were split fairly evenly when asked how they felt about the taxes they paid compared to the benefits they got from state government. About 30 percent each said the amount they paid was very high, somewhat high or about right.

And the poll showed that even two-thirds of people who said their taxes were too high voted for some special local levies that raised taxes for purposes such as parks, libraries and emergency services.

Despite sending so many mixed signals, though, people do have a hint about what should happen next. They don't think government is very efficient.

"The government doesn't do enough with the money it's taking. The efficiency of the machinery is the question," said Damon Moore, 42, of Wenatchee, one of the poll respondents.

The poll found that a popular sentiment. When asked to compare the efficiency of state government to that of a business of equal size, two-thirds said the state was less efficient.

And the more inefficient people think government is, the more likely they are to feel taxes are too high.

"I'd be willing to spend more on my taxes if they did better than simply study problems, and propose better solutions," said Dennis Clark, 55, of Shoreline, a poll respondent.

"Government doesn't have to be wasteful."

While the poll clearly found that people think the state is less efficient than a business, it's not clear how much importance they attach to that. Past surveys have shown a sense that some level of waste in government is unavoidable, a cost of doing business.

But state politicians are already focusing on making government more efficient as the budget crisis deepens.

Later this summer, Gov. Gary Locke is expected to unveil a new streamlining project the administration is calling "government for the new millennium." The plan is to have a set of projects in place by year's end to make government more efficient and less expensive, coordinator John Charles said.

Charles said projects could include consolidation — such as moving all user-fee collections into one agency — and turning over more government functions to private contractors.

Republicans, too, have talked about the need to save money by transferring some state services to private contractors. In her re-election announcement last week, Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn, said one of her top priorities is "holding the line on tax increases by focusing on government efficiencies."

But there have been similar efforts to "re-invent" and streamline government in the past 10 years. Many lawmakers and state officials say the fat has been wrung out.

Locke's original approach to the current budget crisis was quite different. He proposed in December eliminating a list of state programs rather than "thinning the soup," a longstanding practice of cutting a little out of a lot of programs.

But lawmakers balked at the approach and restored funding for the state library and the state film office, among a couple of dozen programs Locke would have eliminated.

It's unlikely any politician would set a course solely on the results of a poll. But imagine deciphering findings that say people think the state is doing an average job at best, should expand its reach, be more efficient, spend more in key areas and do all this without raising taxes.

No matter how successfully the governor markets his efficiency program, people's views on government spending and taxation are shaped by their personal experiences.

"I see so much of our Washington state tax dollars being used for jobs or positions that are basically a waste of money," said Calleen Shanahan, a Vancouver school employee.

"I'm just saying 'spend it wisely,' " Shanahan said. "Once they do that, and that becomes second nature to these people, then sure, let's pay more taxes."

Seattle Times staff reporter Brian Joseph contributed to this report. David Postman can be reached at 360-943-9882 or dpostman@seattletimes.com.

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