If you wonder why Gov. Chris Gregoire has been talking about a $6 billion budget deficit, it's because the $5 billion deficit just keeps getting worse.

It's growing.

Witness the most recent tax collection report. It's $36 million less than expected. And for the last three months, tax collections are 5 percent lower. At that rate, it doesn't take long for a deficit to get much, much larger.

Gregoire is expected to come out with her budget proposal for 2009-11, as well as her supplemental budget for 2007-09, next Thursday.

But by the time the Legislature gets around to writing a budget, tax collection could have dropped so precipitously that they will have to plug a $6 billion hole, not a $5 billion hole.

Here is the revenue collection report for Dec. 10. It covers the preceeding 30 days.

Besides being interested in the job of U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg also has his eye on the Region X administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Of course, we'll have to actually let Barack Obama be sworn into office in January before we can say much more about this.

But being a long-time friend of U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, should help Ladenburg's cause, or causes.

Here's the posting in PolitickerWA blog by Bryan Bissell.

Bridge and baseball stadium money are among the items listed in the draft version of Tacoma's 2009 "legislative priorities," the annual wish-list that outlines whatofficials want from the state and federal governments in the coming year.

Tacoma wants to begin fixing the moribund bridge next year, according to the handout that government relations officer Randy Lewis provided to council members during yesterday's study session.

Officials are hoping for $4.5 million this year to fix up Cheney Stadium, which will soon the city's sole responsibility. City and county council members approved a property swap yesterday that gives Pierce County sole possession of the County-City Building, and the City of Tacoma sole ownership of the baseball stadium.

The deal is expected to close by the end of the year, said Mike Slevin, Tacoma's interim public works director.

Here's the full list of legislative priorities.

And here's last year's list .

I just had to share this. I just tried to contact the U.S. Department of Justice to ask a question about its new DNA policy.

There was no answer. Instead, there was a message that said "The mail box belonging to the communications office is full."

Maybe all the agencies working for the President are just not going to answer the phone for the next several weeks, and let Obama appointees take over.

Here, try it yourself..

Media Inquiries
Office of Justice Programs, Office of Communications
202–307–0703
Email OJP

(And yes, the photo above, which circulated widely via e-mail and the Internet, is a fake and has been debunked by Snopes.com.)

And those ticketws can carry fines of between $500 and $3,000, according to this news release from the state Department of Ecology.

DOE says it will cut red tape. Hmmmm. I wonder if the ticketed businesses woudl really want to cut government red tape in this instance.

From the release:

"Field tickets will provide near-immediate consequences for water quality violations, save state resources, and speed the enforcement process - and most importantly, they allow us to enforce the regulations already in the books," said Kelly Susewind, manager of Ecology's water quality program.

Susewind said a key goal of the tickets is to help reduce the large numbers of common violations that Ecology personnel regularly see during facility inspections.

Here's the rest

State environmental regulators using new enforcement tool

OLYMPIA - Inspectors from the Washington Department of Ecology
(Ecology) are now using ticket books during site visits to facilities covered by the state's Construction Stormwater, Industrial Stormwater, and Sand & Gravel General Permits.

=> Read more!

Just cleaning out my e-mails from the weekend.....

King County Republicans Elect County Leadership for 2009-2010

The King County Republican Central Committee held its 2008 Biennial Organization Meeting this past Saturday, December 6, 2008 at Newport High School in Bellevue. The purpose of the meeting was to elect new Party Officers and adopt Party Bylaws for the 2009-2010 cycle. Chairman Lori Sotelo was re-elected along with all of the positions where incumbents were running.

Both Senior Vice Chairman Steve Hammond and 2nd Vice Chair Catherine Trinh were re-elected as were 7th Congressional District Executive Board members Phil Bevis and Suellen Roche.

=> Read more!