Gregoire: Waiting until Feb. 12 to come out with tax ideas

This morning in her press conference, Gov. Chris Gregoire said all tax options are still on the table — though she said property taxes and across-the-board B&O tax increases are difficult — and that she’s still hopeful for federal help.

“My impression of where the public is anxious is they don’t want … a December all-cuts budget. They want to know that I firmly want to restore some of those cuts,” she said, like the Basic Health Plan, all-day Kindergarten and more. “I actually think it’s a little bit irresponsible for me to come out with a tax package when I’m sitting there waiting for a forecast” to see how much money the state expects to collect.

“In a state where we’re headed to 6.5 million population and 1 million don’t have health insurance,” she said, she hopes health care reform is on the way. “What’s really informing is the fact that those who are coming on Medicaid now are using it much more dramatically” than those already on it. “It’s not the time to walk away, and it’s not the time to begin again.”

Tags: Gregoire, health care reform