Much is being made of the cuts being proposed to the state budget, and people are doing an excellent job documenting the harm that would result from cuts to
- K-12 Education
- the UW System
- Family care plans
- The environment
and more.
Similarly, we have seen the outcomes of four years of Republican”stewardship” of the state economy.
- Slow economic growth
- Slow job growth
- Extreme stress to our K-12 education
While these particulars are important to examine, I’d like to spend a moment on a systemic problem, which I’ll call ideology over ideas.
Specifically, it occurs to me that much of what’s being done is being done without anticipating and evaluating the consequences. For example, the proposal to convert the UW System to a Public Authority  — by July 1 — shows no inkling that there’s an actual plan for how this might be done in an orderly way. In fact, all evidence shows that such a dramatic change in a short period would lead to chaos.
Similarly, the rejection of federal funds for
- High-speed rail
- Rural internet
- healthcare exchange
have cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars that could have stimulated our economy, strengthened our infrastructure and ameliorated our budgetary problems.
Another example: Our department of transportation seems seems to be stuck in a 20th century model of pouring concrete to solve our transportation problems — of moving cars, not bodies. And we want to borrow billions for this?
It’s small wonder wonder we have budgetary problems, a weak economy, and lag behind neighboring states that take a more evidence-based view of policy.
I would only add that packing all these policy changes into the budget makes it difficult for the citizens of the state to be aware of, much less weigh in on, the impacts on their lives. A cynic might say this is a deliberate attempt to serve the few at the expense of the many.