Olympia, Washington
Ericksen shares ten solutions for the 2010 legislative session
State lawmaker says now is the time for bold solutions and strong leadership in Olympia
Rep. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, is proposing ten solutions for the 2010 legislative session that would create a better Washington and promote private-sector job growth.
“Now is the time for bold solutions and strong leadership,” said Ericksen. “We need to fix the systemic problems with system-wide, long-term solutions. I know the people of Washington will rise to meet challenges if government gets out of the way and allows a creative and entrepreneurial spirit to thrive.”
Ericksen’s ten solutions for a better Washington are:
1. Do not raise taxes, and end deficit spending.
“Once we decide to not raise taxes, we can get to work on reforming state government,” said Ericksen.
2. Implement a priorities of government model to state budgeting.
“By definition, if some things are priorities, it means other things are not. We need to focus our time, attention and resources on the priorities,” said Ericksen.
3. Embrace and utilize private sector innovation.
“The private sector should be managing our ferry fleet, running our liquor stores, selling workers’ compensation insurance, and other areas currently controlled by the state,” said Ericksen.
4. Fix the “Big Three.”
a. Eliminate the state government monopoly on workers’ compensation insurance.
b. Reform the state’s unemployment insurance system.
c. Modernize the state’s permitting system.
5. Patient-based health care reform.
“Health care reform needs to reduce costs, increase access and protect quality. That is what my health care reform legislation does. We need to implement these reforms now,” said Ericksen.
6. Energy independence through technology, exploration and innovation.
“We need to do it all when it comes to energy. Technology and conservation need to be combined with nuclear energy and greater utilization of domestic supplies,” said Ericksen.
7. Build big, bold projects.
“We need to get to work right now on a high-speed rail network to connect our cities together, build major highway projects to reduce congestion, and work with private companies to build new energy facilities. We are currently wasting taxpayer dollars and building very little infrastructure,” said Ericksen.
8. Phase out the state portion of the property tax.
“Reducing taxes will help the economy, and phasing out the state portion of the property tax will put money back in the pockets of working families,” said Ericksen.
9. Reform the state business and occupation (B&O) tax.
“We need a fair and flat tax system that does not punish job creators, large or small. We need to replace the B&O tax,” said Ericksen.
10. Reduce the mandates on local governments and school districts.
“We need to create a standing committee in Olympia to systematically reduce the number of mandates on our local governments and school districts. Standards must remain high, but flexibility must be granted to get the job done in the way that works for the different regions of our state,” said Ericksen.
Legislation to implement the ten solutions has either already been introduced or is being drafted, according to Ericksen.
“While these solutions are bold, they are not new or unique to Washington state,” said Ericksen. “We have been working on these solutions for many years and other states have already implemented them. We need to act now or we will continue to see employers shut down and good-paying jobs move to other states or countries. I look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion to move our state forward.”
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Contact: John Handy, Deputy Communications Director, (360) 786-5758
