Gregoire: There’s no choice I could have made that everyone would have agreed on

“To assist the Legislature to move forward, I’ve given a proposal to them on revenue,” she said, that raises 605 million in new revenue and $1 billion in cuts.

“There’s no choice that I could have made” that everyone would have agreed on. She said this package will result in a balanced debate that she looks forward to.

Why no sales tax? “The sales tax is regressive,” she said. And the state’s revenues are low because people already aren’t buying. “That’s why you see things like cigarettes, candy, gum, bottled water and pop,” she said.

Why now? The losses over the last year are $12 billion. “I can’t look that individual who’s in the eye on their deathbed and say, you’re not going to get hospice care,” she said. “I can’t live with an all-cuts budget. So as distasteful as I find it, I had to look at revenue.”

She said lawmakers have told her it would be nice to have someone take leadership on the debate. “I’ve tried to do that for them. I’ve shown them not only what I would cut but what I would buy back… I hope this helps the debate so that they can focus their attention and get out on time.”

She said the targeted taxes help make sure that everyone will contribute to the solution. She also said the increase on the hazardous substance tax shouldn’t raise the price of gas. At most it would raise the price 3 cents, she said. “They’re not being singled out. The fact is, they’re being asked to contribute.”

Would it cost jobs? “Let’s remind ourselves. This is an industry that has seen billions in profits over the last few years. Billions,” she said. If they pass along the cost to consumers, she said it won’t cost jobs.

“To those who say, You can do an all-cuts budget: Show me. Show me an all cuts budget that has a heart, that’s compassionate to our most needy, that shows that we can have an educated workforce and a workforce for tomorrow,” she said. “To those who say you can, they have yet to show me how.”

Will taxing pop and candy steal from children? “You don’t have to have pop. You don’t have to have gum. And you don’t have to have candy … if they still want it, they should know that they’ll have to save an extra penny.”

Is this temporary? “To me, when we get out of this recession, every penny that we have … should go to education,” she said — after the lawsuit.

Tags: taxes