I would like to see them accomplish anything. They can start on day one by both parties not turning their backs on each other as well as the people they represent. If the goal of this session is to pay down Gregoires 6 billion dollar deficit, then carry on with your "Business as Usual" operation in Olympia and tax me and my business out of existence. That actually will accomplish something: Poverty.

I'd like them to pass the autism insurance parity bill "Shayan's Bill"

One proposal to balance the budget deficit has been to close the JRA youth facility Naselle Youth Camp. I live in Naselle, have a husband and many friends and neighbors that are employed by this facility and am scared to see what would happen to the local Southwest Washington Coast economy should this happen. Many families would have to relocate and others would find themselves without jobs. This solution does not solve the budget crisis, create new jobs, or help residents in any way.

#1. Require recording of public meetings
#2. Accept that ANY tax increase requires a vote of the people
#3. Pass HB 1017 with all the speed and subtlety of the USS Abraham Lincoln's F/A-18s... "to study the feasibility of creating a board with public records act and open public meetings act responsibilities". Now THAT is a study I can support!!!
#4. BAN now AND forever the creation of a 501c3 using taxpayer money - such as the Trustees Association of Community & Technical Colleges which then takes the money to spend on alcohol, bouquets and cups...

See I can't get a bailout for my sole proprietorship nor would I demand one from Janelle and Joe Taxpayer, why should state government get booze and bouquets from taxpayers?!?!? Or even higher revenue when we're just hangin' on, not hanging ten with more money than we know what to do with?

Get out of office and give their jobs to someone who could do it.

What I would like to see..........
1.The state checkbook be placed online so each citizen has the ability to see exactly where the money is going and how much, with details.
2.Term limits for state legislatures set at two consecutive terms.
3.That Gov. Gregoire be held accountable for giving false statements about the budget while running for re-election.
4.That all felons still registered to vote are taken out of the voting system.

Repeal our Retail Sales tax, Business and Occupation tax and the State Property tax Levy

According to the Washington State Department of Revenue in 2008 we expected to collect $7.74 billion in State Retail taxes, $2.87 billion in Business and Occupation taxes, and $1.74 billion in State Property tax levies; for a total of $12.363 billion.
Each of these taxes present problems: the State Retail tax is highly volatile; up in boom years and down in lean years; the Business and Occupation tax has been said to inhibit business growth, and the State Property Tax levy is harmful to some property owners.
Is it possible to repeal these three taxes and acquire a predictable source of funds to provide our essential services? Yes.

A Two Part Payroll Tax

Part one of the proposed Payroll tax will be paid for by the employers who have employees working in the State of Washington. They will pay a flat percentage of each employee’s compensation. This replaces the existing Business and Occupation tax.

Part two of the Payroll tax will be paid by all employees who work in the state. They will pay the same percentage rate as the employer’s part one payroll tax rate. The collection of the part two payroll tax will be the responsibility of the employer, who will withhold the funds from the employees and remit them to the State. This replaces the State Retail Sales tax and the State Property Tax Levy.

According to the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages published by the Washington State Employment Security Department there were 2,907,513 persons employed in the State in the first quarter of 2008 that had an average weekly compensation of $899. This equates to a yearly payroll of $135.919 billion. If the two part Payroll tax had been in place in 2008 and both part one and part two were set to five percent it would have generated $13.5919 billion, which is an additional $1.228 billion. Note: this does not account for those employees who are not covered by unemployment insurance such as sole proprietors.

Why a Payroll Tax
• This is a tax neutral proposal (no new taxes) that results in a predictable revenue stream that will allow for the more efficient use of state assets.
• A payroll tax is not an income tax. It does not tax pensions, interest, dividends, unemployment complementation, alimony, or welfare.
• A payroll tax can be implemented within the state’s current infrastructure.
• Employers are experienced in this type of bookkeeping and regular tax filings.
• Employees will not have to do anything different then they do now. The employers will withhold the funds and submit them to the State. The employees will not file any state tax forms.

In Summary

A payroll tax that eliminates the Business and Occupation tax will encourage business growth. A payroll tax that eliminates the State Retail Sales tax will benefit our low income and fixed income residents and give a boost to retail sales within our state. A payroll tax that eliminates the State Property Tax Levy will benefit businesses and our citizens with low income or on fixed income such as retirees. A payroll tax that eliminates the Business and Occupation tax, Retail Sales tax, and the State Property tax levy is a tax neutral change i.e. no new taxes.

I call on you to request our Governor and legislature to revise our laws and bring into effect a two part Payroll tax and to repeal the Business and Occupation tax, the State Retail tax, and the State Property tax levy.

Getting the Sonics back in town! Now that my beloved Vikings are out of the playoffs, I have nothing to look forward to except another 100 loss season for the M's.

I would just like them to do something useful. This 'proposal to make applets and cotlets the official state candy' is a huge waste of time. Besides the fact that Brown and Haley has been doing what they do for longer here in the state (Almond Roca), what else can they waste time on?

I doubt anything useful will come out of the session, 99% of the time, nothing does.

They need to find a way to balance the budget without adding more taxes, I'm taxed enough.

I'd love to see -

A closing of State owned liquor stores and move it to retail stores. Save Millions!

The breakup of DSHS into smaller more manageable organizations, accountable to the legislature, instead of running it.

I-605 - east of Redmond, Bellevue and Renton, North of Everett, and South of Auburn. Real commerce producing real revenue. Forget about the AquaDuct!

Limits to Court Commissioners that have jobs for life - without being elected or being accountable to the electorate.

Real Judicial Review - a full citizens group to review all complaints. And a means to remove bad judges.

Administrative Courts to review Public Records Act complaints.

Courts required to follow the Public Records Act.

Permanent auditor at Department of Transportation - to ensure tax dollars are not wasted

Require parents to pay school tuition for their children. $100 per year per child would save our schools and give our teachers the pay they deserve. Also, this would make parents accountable and take an interest in their child's
education. Their budgets would be balanced and it would become more of a "users tax" just as a toll bridge is to people.

What happened to lottery revenue being used for schools and roads? That was supposed to generate enough to keep our schools and roads supported without raising taxes. Gov Gregoire repeal the gas tax and put the lottery revenue into schools and roads instead of your pocket.

I'd like to see the gay community be granted the rights we, as humans, are due. That actively denying anyone equal rights under the law (that was set up in the first place to derail this exact thing from happening) is still so widely accepted under any political house baffles me. Allowing people to get away with incorporating religious beliefs into our political system (and let's face it, are there any other actual reasons why homosexuals are still considered sub-human under our law?) is a violation of the constitution and therefore should be outright outlawed. This is a battle that should not have to be fought. I'd like to see this legislation practice reason and not bigotry; to grant all rights to all citizens and shift focus to other battlegrounds (like our crumbling school systems and/or energy policies) that very much do need political soldiers.