It's the day after Thanksgiving and most of the turkey is still here and the snow is gone. I look out the window, it's clear day and warmed up just a hint of snow here and there. My yard looks like it needs mowed. I hope everyone had a good holiday with their friends and family arriving safely where they wanted to be this Thanksgiving.
The first paragraph was a warm-up to see how Dragon is understanding me today and if I'm speaking clearly. There are some very funny results when Dragon does not understand me clearly. I am not making it easier on the software by always chewing gum. It helps if I try to remember to speak or like Jeff Gordon rather than some of the other drivers in NASCAR. Okay credit goes to Jeff Foxworthy for that last line. There is one word I have not been able to get Dragon understand, it is the word that means I am speaking clearly. Here is what I get when I try to say Enon CA. I just can't seem to get that word across to Dragon. I decided to go ahead and name the product I'm using, Dragon, so I don't have to keep saying hands-free entry device or voice recognition software. Most people guess that I'm using Dragon to make these posts.
It looks like I'm already rambling more than I had hoped to. The idea behind the title for this post came to me this morning thinking about Washington state's budget crisis. A lot of people don't understand the accumulative affect of saving a little here and there. I see a lot of little waste where I work every single day I am there. Most of my coworkers say to me it's only a few pennies here and there. A few pennies here and there add up to real dollars and as public servants it's not our money to waste. I remember living on base at Fort Campbell Kentucky in Fort Lewis Washington and it was common to see science by every light switch that read "Off if not needed". Someone understood that saving a few pennies add up to the saving real dollars. I don't think we had to pay for electricity living on base so I can see where people would be tempted to overlook conserving electricity. If you lived off-base and had to pay the Tennessee Valley Authority for your power you understood the need to save electricity. Your electric bill was a good reminder to make sure things were off if not needed.
This is a unique situation growing up with out having to pay for power and learning to conserve an early age. I would see those signs on light switches all over the base. I did not have to live on base to get the message because it was made clear to me every time I was at a base facility.
The second situation I was exposed to growing up on base was the constant reminder to buckle your seatbelt. Fort Campbell Kentucky had these signs in the 70s. This was long before the "Click it or ticket" campaigns that came about the last few years. To this day I still cannot get into a car without buckling my seatbelt. I had even buckle my seatbelt when I'm in the car to do auto repair with no intention of going anywhere. That is an effective campaign and seatbelts have saved my life on a few occasions.
The third situation I was exposed to growing up on base is cultural diversity. Army brats expect to see diversity, we find it strange when we do not. Joanne and I went to a sales presentation in Reno Nevada in the 90s so we can get free tickets to a comedy show and a free bottle of champagne. The sales presentation was for pie shaped lots in Reno. The presenter wanted us to believe that buying if you pie shaped lots in their development would lead to us being able to write checks for $80,000 without a second thought. We realize this sounded too good to be true but hung around to get our free stuff nonetheless. The last part of the presentation was a video of what the new community that would look like. They showed neighbors, kids on school buses, and children playing at the park. The first thing I noticed was a complete lack of diversity in this community. Oh sure, this was only a promotional video but it gave me a creepy feeling to think about living in a community with no diversity.
The fourth situation I experienced growing up was free access to healthcare. I never liked going to the doctor unless it was for an emergency, for stitches in such. It it wasn't until I had to get my own insurance I realized what a benefit it was to be an Army brat. I like the access to all the swimming pools. The craft shops were great place to play. The Fort Campbell Falcons always had great looking uniforms, free band equipment, and plenty of textbooks to go around. In fact, my last few years of high school I started keeping a set of books at home and he set in my locker so I could bring my homework back and forth in a back pocket. I was able to learn to play a trombone, a tuba, and a sousaphone without paying one penny towards rental. The jazz band had a PA system, microphones, and amplifiers for us to use. I feel guilty that I did not realize how fortunate I was to have access to all this while I was growing up. Yesterday was Thanksgiving, it got me to reflect on my life so far. I can truly say, most of my misfortune has been brought on by myself.
It was important for me to look back so I know where to look when I look forward. I hope this makes sense that looking where I came from guides me to where I want to go. I have always been a strong supporter of the military because I've been part of that community. The American Armed Forces are in place to keep peace and sustain our freedom. Our forces are not to go out and conquer other civilizations. Okay, I don't think this is entirely true for how we got Hawaii. But since then we haven't been in the business to go and conquer other civilizations. I cannot completely say that we are not free from trying to acquire their natural resources. I believe there has been some greed that has influenced our dealings with other nations. This is a gut feeling as I don't have any specific examples to cite. But I don't think our hands are completely clean rather there could be some oil stains. We might have even sold a slingshot or two to some reckless people to make a buck. But these are not actions of our military, these are actions of our politicians and the businesses that control them. I will leave this subject here for now, it could be the subject of many more posts.
Washington state has a budget deficit of $5.7 billion for the next biennium. I have some ideas on how we can save money to bring the deficit down. But what I would like to really have his input from my friends not in Washington state as well as those that lived here. Having an outside perspective, a diverse perspective, is a great way to get a lot of good ideas. Washington state does not have an income tax which is great for those making large incomes. Washington runs on revenue. Washington needs its residents to spend a lot of money. If you look at the fact that the sales tax is roughly 10%, that is a lot of spending to come up with $5.7 billion over two years. I know that gas tax and sales tax is not fair taxation to the residents of Washington state. An increase of five cents a gallon of gasoline is twice as painful to someone making half the money I make a month. It is twice as expensive to me as it is to someone making twice as much as I do.
I am starting to wander all over the place again, and not controlling my ramblings. The focus of this post is to solicit new ideas on bailing out Washington state and getting Washingtonians access to healthcare. Access to healthcare is something I find very important for all residents in Washington state, the United States, and around the world. As a lot of you know, I had a chance to give my insurance a good test drive in 2008. A motorcycle accident is expensive if you live through it. I will save the wearing a helmet for another day. Two things I noted be true, the first is that I am here making this post because I wore a helmet April 18, 2008. The other truth I know is that I can make this post today, having a whole to make it in, having this PC to make it on, is because I had health insurance on April 18, 2008. Health insurance does not save your life, it saves your wallet. It was the Army nurses that came to my aid immediately after the crash and the doctors at Harborview that saved my life. I have become a big fan of Group Health since my crash, they have allowed me to to maintain my financial health at the time of the crash. Group Health physicians and medical staff have helped my health after being released by Harborview, so I didn't get to experience their medical expertise.
There are some folks that believe access to healthcare is some privilege, something that must be earned, and that if you don't have it is your own fault and you deserve the consequences of not having health insurance. I do not share this believe, because I get my health coverage for $22 a month. $22 a month seems like an incredible bargain for health insurance. I do have higher co-pays and deductibles but these only kick in when I access healthcare. I cannot in good conscience say to someone that their life or quality of life is not worth the $22 a month I pay. If someone was to get robbed and killed for $22 in their wallet we would all say it is great injustice and outrage.
Why would we let someone die or live an agonizing line for the lack of $22 a month?
The first answer I usually hear is that it is a benefit of my work and that my insurance is inexpensive because might pay is not equivalent to the public sector. $22 a month is not a big deal for me, again it is bigger for someone making half as much as I do and just about nothing for someone making twice as much as I do.
Is this making any sense?
If the $22 a month was a percentage of my pay instead of a percentage of the premium amount, the cost for insurance could be spread equally through all salary ranges. The cost of insurance would be half as much for someone making half as much as I do and twice as much for those making twice as much as I do. I think I beat this point into the ground long enough for now. There is talk about increasing what I pay for my health insurance to twice what it is now or a little more. The $22 a month reflects my portion of 12% of the premium. That means I would have to pay $45-$50 based on the proposed increases. I don't like giving away my money or losing what I take all any more than anyone else does but I have to say $50 a month is still dirt cheap. If $50 a month is still dirt cheap for me but a hardship for someone making less than me and chump change to someone making more than me, I don't think the budget writers, the politicians, or the unions are even close to a fair distribution of cost.
Trust me, I am not for losing my money. But I can be realistic and objective when it comes to what I pay for health insurance. I was hoping that healthcare reform would lead to a single-payer. I believe single-payer is where the great United States of America should be for healthcare. You get sick you go to a doctor. You get sick and you keep your home. You get sick and you can afford food as well as your medicine. Single payer did not make it in this last round and now there is discussion on losing ground on the reform implemented so far.
How can people be against something that will be to their benefit?
If you feel your access to healthcare is a privilege, like being able to drive a exotic luxury sedan, and something you are deserving of more so than someone else because of what you were born with or able to acquire, you are only in this life for yourself. I do not believe there is an abundance of folks who would walk by someone bleeding and have a sucks to be you attitude. Most of us would act out of kindness and concern for fellow human beings and help the person. But some of those that would stop and help a person during an actual crisis, would say the person does not need help if they cannot afford health insurance. I do not get this philosophy.
The last thing I want to say on health insurance and healthcare, is this. Health insurance is not healthcare. Health insurance is like auto insurance. Health care is like auto repair. Drs. are your mechanics. You see a mechanic to get your car running properly again you do not call your insurance agent because it will not idle. Insurance is for financial health.
I've got to take a quick break then I like to get to the second point of how you bail out the state of Washington. I thank you if you've stayed awake long enough through this blog to be at this point. I really want to get your input and ideas. It is the diversity of the audience that is going to provide the most solutions and ideas. When people ask me, "Duane are you a Republican or a Democrat"? My answer is always, no. I don't believe the solutions are all with one party or one candidate or one initiative. I think it is unfortunate the candidates have to pick a party to align with. It is especially unfortunate when politics gets in the way they are today where candidates line up along party lines rather than being flexible and cooperative. I don't think the Libertarians have all the right answers. I don't think the Independents do either. The right answers belong with all of us the tricky part is getting all of us to be in more agreement with each other. Most of us get along just fine until somebody brings up religion or politics. I think most of us get along better on the subject of religion but go to opposite corners when it comes to politics. The rambling is really rambling now, but my point is the solution is somewhere in the middle, in the center, where most of us are. It is time for the extreme left and extreme right to listen to the rest of us for a while. This is not to say that if you are extreme left or extreme right you need to change your core believes, it is to say the time to compromise and work together is now. If you cannot budge even a bit that is okay, because your point is valid and deserves consideration as well is anyone else's.
I've notice a slight change from the absolute I don't want to pay a penny more to a I'd be willing to pay a little more if I could trust them. There is a lot of good that can be done and I too would be willing to pitch in a little more if that good would be done. There is a serious problem when it comes to trust with our money. This is a truth that most of us can agree on. We all want good roads and good schools and we've already been paying serious money towards both of them. But they keep coming around with her had their hand and want more money from us. Washington state started lottery to fund education but all we hear is that there is not enough money to fund education. I don't think there's a lack of funding for it administration of education but I know from the fundraisers that there is still a serious lack of funding for education. We used to pay huge renewal fees before the $30 only tabs was implemented. No, they are no longer $30 only tabs but I'll have to leave it at this if I'm ever to complete this post. The voters kept saying we were okay with paying a percentage based on the value of our vehicle by DOL needed to be realistic on the value they placed on our vehicles. I got pissed off every time the tabs came up for renewal when I saw the vehicle value. The value was incredibly more than the bluebook value of my truck. The government did not listen and the initiative to set tabs of $30 was approved. Sometimes it takes a big knock in the head for government to get the point.
The last election was another knock in the head. The voters said no more new taxes. Voters like myself said practice back in our control and it was a mistake for you to reverse or suspend I-960. So here we are now with even a greater budget deficit and no new way to pay for it. The voters said quit taxing and cut the spending. Bill Gates Senior had good intentions, I believe. The real issue comes down to trust with our money. If there was a guarantee that all of us bailing out Washington state for the $5.7 billion that the next budget would be realistic we would go for. But it is like giving more lunch money to a kid who keeps spending their lunch money on video games. Nobody wants the kid to go hungry but we can't keep giving them money for the video games and lunch. No more money is the solution and letting the kid missed a few meals is how the point was made when I was growing up. Make good choices and be responsible is the message. I don't want to go on too much about how bad I think the budget was handled because I am not in any way an expert in budget writing. My point is that I see waste here and there every single day I go to work. We are not doing our best to save the pennies that amount to real dollars. I know that turning off every light to save on the power bill is a very small step towards coming up with $5.7 billion. My point is, that it is a small step towards coming up with the $5.7 billion.
I have seen serious money being wasted in the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Most of us in information technology can name off plenty of acronyms that have ended up costing the state of Washington hundreds of billions of dollars in failed IT projects. I know there's nothing we can do about the millions wasted last biennium but we can change our mindset. It is the mindset that allowed us to waste millions of dollars that needs to be changed. I'm sure everyone in other professions has their own story of money that's been wasted that could have gone a long way towards the budget deficit.
Let's break this budget deficit down a little. the budget is short $2.85 billion for the first year of the next biennium. That is about $238 million a month that needs to be made up. that equals out to about $37 a month for every citizen of Washington state. In the grand scheme of things that is not very much money. A single person should be able to afford the $37 a month and I will grant you that this would be harder for a low income family of four to pay an extra $148 a month. This is how I want you to think of the problem, save $37 a month over the next two years. I am not great at math so I better for the numbers out for those who are. My Google search indicated that there are about 6.5 million citizens in Washington state. This is a figure I used to do my math. The first step was to take $5.7 billion divided by two. Then I divided that amount by 12 to come up with the monthly figure. Then this amount was divided by 6.5 million.
I believe the way the Legislature would look at tackling the problem is finding out what they could tax to come up with the shortage. They no longer have a way to tax away the deficit. As far as I know, there isn't any law against the citizens of Washington pitching in extra money to help reduce the deficit. My portion of the shortage is $444 for the first year or $888 for the whole biennium.
Who do I make the check out to?
I realize this solution doesn't work because there are 10% Washingtonians out of work and the money would have to come from their unemployment. There are a lot of Washingtonians too young to work so their parents would have to pick up their portion of the bill. The biggest drawback to the solution is the fact that we do not want to bailout Washington state and the legislators by giving them $5.7 billion. Most of us believe that the state of Washington is already spending too much. No one wants to give up their job or stop providing the service that they support. We keep hearing time and time again that there is no more fat and that we are to the bone. Well Virginia, if we're to the bone then there is a Santa Claus, a tooth fairy, any creature in the black lagoon.
Is there fat everywhere, no. Are some places to the bone, yes. Out there in the middle between the fat and the bone there are places to trim. I hear suggestions of combining agencies and centralizing functions and it makes good sense to me. This might not make sense to anybody but a software developer, but in a object oriented world there is no reason why a software developer could not be a statewide software developer. In my world, a person's first name and the name of a bottle of brandy are just text variables. A software tester of one system could be a software tester of any statewide system. A product manager of one product could be a product manager of any state or Washington product. There are payroll systems and their accounting systems.
Why isn't there a single state of Washington payroll system?
Why isn't there a single state of Washington accounting system?
Okay, I know everyone is going to respond that the office of financial management and their AFRS system is the statewide accounting system. Having worked at OFM, I know there are too many satellite accounting systems that feed into the state of Washington statewide system.
There is a department of personnel, I know because I spent the first 10 years of my career at the Department of personnel. They are now called human resources in almost every agency has a department personnel division, or human resources division. This is not acceptable in an object oriented world. I know I am being unrealistic to say that we could live a life in an object-oriented world but I hope you see my point.
I think I'm just about rambled all I can for today but a few more points I'd like to make is that the state of Washington needs to come up with a realistic budget based on realistic dollars. Being revenue based is tough especially when everyone has less money to spend. The other issue, the major issue I believe, is that the legislators and budget writers cannot spend every penny they receive. The current crisis cleared out the rainy day fund but I think that was due to happen sooner or later because government continued to grow and grow when the money was rolling in. I have been around and seen the "spend it like it's going out of style" budget philosophy. We have not always been the best stewards of the public's money. We can look back and realize where we made our mistakes and refocus on where we need to be in the future.
I sure have strayed far from the intent of the original post so let me go back and ask again. Please add your two cents, ideas, and thoughts to the comments. You can e-mail me or Facebook them if you do not want to print them out into cyberspace. I understand your reservations as I have mine about adding this to cyberspace. We seem to use technology things like Facebook and twitter to live our lives 144 characters at a time. Others like to use Facebook and twitter to get the dirt on those that use social networking. I think if there's any value to social networking is being able to work collectively on issues. I know the features and fun parts of Facebook keep people interested and coming back to it but I like to think that working together and collectively would draw people to Facebook too. I am really impressed with Google and in particular blogger. I'm amazed that they give me so much space to ramble on and on and this is just one post. At this point I imagine a lot of you might be thinking it would be better if Google didn't give me so much space.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday and keep in touch.
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The Goal Farm too!
I am sticking with this hands-free data-entry device and still would like someone to volunteer to edit this blog. I'm doing the best I can but it's hard to catch my mistakes and all the times the software doesn't understand me.
