As you might imagine, the group calling for a "increased revenues" to deal with a projected $3.2 billion state budget deficit isn't exactly in the Republican camp.

Washington State Budget and Policy Center, the group behind the proposal to give a tax rebate of $85 per family to low and middle income families, has put out a position paper on the topic.

The policy center is an advocate for the poor. It used to have a different name, which escapes me at the moment. But don't confuse it with the "Washington Policy Center," even though both groups are named in such a way that you can't figure out what they heck they're all about, at least, not by their names.

Anyway, the rebate is not yet funded. But the state is setting up the program and getting its computers ready to start handing them out. In theory, it's a "rebate" because even poor people pay some sales taxes, but it's just a check. And since the basis for "rebates" is eligibility for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, you could get some money back without every paying any in, at least, not in federal income taxes.

Whether there will be money in the 2009-11 state budget remains to be seen. But the budget and policy center says there should be. Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, said that should be among the first cuts made to balance the next budget. Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, who sponsored the tax rebate bill, said it would not be among his first tax breaks to be eliminated. (I think he meant that some business tax breaks should go first.)

I would imagine Gov. Chris Gregoire and her fellow Democrats are muttering "not now" and wishing the policy center had held off its call for a tax increase until after the Nov. 4 election.

Here's the link to the Policy and Budget center brief.

Rebecca Young, a News Tribune writer who reviews childrens' books, published a piece today about two new picture books aimed at telling the stories of John McCain and Barack Obama.

The best she could offer is that they're illustrated nicely.

“My Dad, John McCain,” by Meghan McCain, can find a proud home in households that are firmly planted in the McCain camp.

The same can be said for “Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope,” by Nikki Grimes, in Obama households.

These authors/editors/publishers must have forgotten about teachers nationwide who are starting election units to take advantage of current events. Worshipful books with no mention of real issues aren’t much use.

Also, youngsters of all ages are passionately interested in the election. A couple of smart, unbiased books would have been welcome.

Here's a link to Rebecca's story.

Senate Republicans have brought to our (reporters') attention the latest budget projections by the non-partisan Senate Ways and Means Committee staff.

It's a six-year outlook. It shows that, thanks to last week's dismal revenue forecast, the state now is expected to finish the current two-year budget cycle with $87 million in the state's main checking account and $442 million in a rainy day savings account.

The current budget cycle ends June 30, 2009.

The "projected" deficit is for the next two-year budget period, 2009-2011. If state spending continues at the same pace, plus inflation, we can expect a negative balance of $3.2 billion in the checking account but a plus $728 million in the rainy day savings account. That deficit assumes that state tax collections don't rebound enough to offset the current rate of spending

For 2011-13, it gets even worse. The checking account deficit would be $6.34 billion, while there would be $1.045 billion in savings.

What Republicans really want is for Gov. Chris Gregoire and her fellow Democrats to fall to their knees and confess, "Yes! Yes! It's all our fault! We spent the state into this huge hole with our irresponsible socialists programs!"

Not gonna happen.

Gregoire's budget director, Victor Moore, keeps saying the budget his staff is writing to present to the Legislature in mid-December won't have a deficit. It will be a balanced budget.

Republican staffers point out "a budget proposal doesn't make a deficit go away." And that's true. The "projected" deficit would still be there. The governor's budget proposal would be just a "plan" to make it go away.

Look for yourself. Here's a link to the Ways and Means six-year budget forecast.

Pierce County would cut vacant staff positions, raise fees and delay capital projects to balance its 2009 budget under a spending plan to be unveiled by County Executive John Ladenburg this afternoon.

Ladenburg will present a $288 million general fund budget to the County Council at 3 p.m. Ladenburg said the plan keeps county services at current levels.

Under the executive’s plan, general fund spending would be flat – rising .7 percent from 2008. The general fund covers a majority of traditional county services, like law enforcement, courts and elections.

Total county spending – including roads, utilities and other funds – would fall 3.4 percent to $852 million.

Ladenburg said public safety and criminal justice remain top priorities, rising $8.7 million. That would be offset by $6.6 million in cuts in general government, cultural and recreation programs and other areas.

The sheriff’s department would get six new positions, funded by contracts or grants. But the corrections department would lose six vacant positions, due to delays in opening another 84-inmate unit at the county jail.

You can read more details below. And you can download a copy of Ladenburg’s budget summary here.

=> Read more!

I just got a question from a House Democratic staffer about the proposal Tim Eyman submitted yesterday to the Secretary of State's office for possible placement on the 2009 ballot.

He wanted to know if the 25 percent cut that Eyman's measure would make applies to the state.

As far as I can tell, it would. The wording says "each taxing district."

But it wouldn't "chop 25 percent out of the state budget."

Property taxes account for only 10.2 percent of the state General Fund revenues, so it would cut 25 percent of 10.2 percent. That's still a chunk of change. The state this year is collecting about $1.5 billion in property taxes. So, it would be a cut of $375 million.