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The fiscal skunk at WA's overspending garden party
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The fiscal skunk at WA's overspending garden party

The Seattle Times·Kate Riley Times editorial page editor·about 1 month ago
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We all know the friend who dampens our fun; who rains on our parade, who follows rules to a fault; the chiding hall monitor. In Washington state governance, that is personified in the Washington state treasurer, armed with reports and market signals and deploying sincere warnings to lawmakers not to mess with the state’s sterling bond rating. Holders of that constitutional office have saved taxpayers’ bacon a few times. Remember when Treasurer Mike Murphy helped put the kibosh on the disastrously financed Monorail Authority in 2005? And Treasurer Jim McIntire , who took office in 2009 at the start of the Great Recession, led reforms and successfully acted to protect public deposits in struggling banks. Just ask the current treasurer how fun it is to say no to his friends — Democrat Mike Pellicciotti, a former two-term state representative in the 30th Legislative District. In an interview with The Times editorial board, he lamented that state lawmakers ignored his measured advice in certain budget approaches.…

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