From the Spokane Spokesman-Review:

Washington state is fast on its way to becoming the Evergreen gated community, with starkly different futures for the haves and have-nots. It’s time to tell our elected officials to set a better course.

Our state is at a defining crossroads. Funding for vital public services such as kindergarten, class-size reductions, colleges and universities, toxic cleanups, hospitals and Basic Health have all been slashed and now face even deeper cuts.

Washington state already slashed $5 billion from essential public services in the past two years – and then another $750 million on top of that, because of higher-than-expected revenue shortfalls – and lawmakers are considering another $5 billion in reductions over the next two years.

The basic elements that define Washington – our world-class research facilities, our beautiful environment, our caring communities, our smarter-than-average work force – are all at stake.

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