A five-day, 50-mile march ended for one advocacy group and a five-day fast began for others Monday at the state Capitol.
The few dozen activists were making a statement about the harm they expect pending budget cuts to inflict on the social safety net and on those who depend on government for housing, food and medicine.
“Something’s wrong – definitely wrong,” said Gina Owens, who was homeless at one point and joined the march. She spoke tearfully on the Capitol steps about taking care of three grandchildren after her daughter Tifany died a few years ago without health insurance, and her worry about losing the housing that ended her own homelessness.
Bjorn Peterson, a graduate student at Seattle University’s theology and ministry school, said he intends to fast seven days – five of them as a vigil in the Rotunda while it’s open to the public. He began fasting Sunday, joining a church-sponsored vigil for humane budget cuts that is organized by the Washington Association of Churches, the Church Council of Greater Seattle and the Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington State.
About 350 people allied with the tea party cause rallied Friday at the Capitol seeking lower spending and lower taxes. But like those who attended much larger rallies two weeks ago, those fasting and those ending the 50-mile march from Auburn to Olympia called on legislators to close tax exemptions that benefit interests that don’t need them.
“As a leader in the church, it’s important for me to take a stand on the side of the poor and marginalized in our society,” Peterson, a Minnesota native, said.
Peterson had a sign that said “Jesus loves the children and likes them to be fed.” He later took a seat on the hard marble steps inside the Rotunda, joined by Alice Woldt of the Washington Association of Churches. Woldt and Michael Ramos of the Church Council of Greater Seattle and others joined the fast, although few were going to stay all week, Woldt said.
She and others called for a “moral” budget that raises revenue.
Asked about criticism that state lawmakers are planning to spend about $2 billion more in the new budget than in the last budget, Paul Benz of the Lutheran Policy Office said budget cuts already are real – hitting Medicaid services. He said additional cuts are also real, cutting deeper than the past three years.
Some of the new tax dollars being spent are to replace billions in federal dollars that protected schools and pieces of the safety net from deeper cuts before. And some new spending is required by increased numbers of people seeking food, cash, housing, medical and other assistance because they have lost jobs.
Democratic Sen. Steve Conway of Tacoma told the church groups after prayers outside the Capitol that he hopes lawmakers can at least send a referendum to voters in November to raise revenue by closing tax exemptions.
The 105-day regular session ends Sunday and might adjourn a few days early while budget negotiators keep working. Any referendum on taxes would have to come up in a special session, which Gov. Chris Gregoire might set a date for later this week.
“People need to push us,” said Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Ed Murray, D-Seattle, who would like to raise revenue but has said he lives in a district that makes it easy to take that position. He added: “It’s important we realize we can’t solve all the problems in this budget simply by closing tax loopholes.”
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