Bellevue—"The current governor's latest press conference is a desperate attempt to distract attention away from his budget and policy failures.
"In a few days, our state's Economic and Revenue Forecast Council will issue its regular quarterly reports. If these new reports are anything like last quarter's reports, they will show a continued slowing in Washington's economic growth and a decline in tax revenues to Olympia. Any such declines will likely create a negative ending fund balance for the state government's Operating Budget. By state law, that's not allowed.
"The budget crisis will be Bob Ferguson's fault. Not Donald Trump's. Ferguson is trying to shift blame. Don't let him.
"Bob Ferguson signed an Operating Budget that spends too much. He signed $14 billion in new state taxes—that still aren't enough to cover his increased spending. Bob Ferguson cut money to Apple Health and critical care for drug exposed infants—so he can direct money to his political cronies.
"Bob Ferguson diverted money from the state's 'rainy day' fund, so he can extend his schemes. Now, he's trying to distract people from his failures by whining: Trump. Trump. Trump. Don't let Ferguson fool you."