I went to a March 13 town hall meeting to “discuss” our state’s financial woes. It was put on by our State Sens. Tracey Eide, Claudia Kauffman and Karen Keiser, who presented the whole thing in an “I’m just here to help, but I hate my job” attitude.

I can’t say I walked away with much more than I went in with — at least as far as information goes. Sure I knew there would be people with differing opinions, but I have to tell you I was dismayed by some of the views people expressed. There were the usual pleas from people regarding health care and education (things pretty much everyone can understand). But from there, things began to vary. I don’t think anyone came to the meeting thinking we were really going to solve the state’s woes in one night — either by raising taxes or by cutting programs, and think we all realize it will likely be a combination of the two things.

I was left momentarily speechless when I heard the phrase “state income tax” uttered at the meeting from a man who appeared beyond the age to have to worry about such things, and made me think lunacy had set in when I heard it. Let me get this straight: Our nation is in a financial crisis and people are cutting back on spending. In most cases, they have to adjust in order to put food on the table and keep their homes from foreclosure. Sales taxes aren’t coming in as our elected spendaholics would like, so they are trying to come up with another way to get us all to say, “Yeah, I guess you are just going to have to tax us some more.”

You won’t catch me willingly agreeing to tax our state’s already ridiculously taxed residents more. No – and I am not going to go quietly into the night and vote for an income tax, either. What an income tax means to the real people: Those who are trying to live within their means by cutting back in a fiscally precarious time will no longer get the option of cutting back. Their money is taxed before they even get it. If I were only to think about myself and not my children and (someday) grandchildren, then yeah, I guess a state income tax would be just fine. But even then, I wouldn’t agree to both the state income tax and a sales tax, but if you think the powers that be would do without the sales tax, you’ve got another thing coming.

So, where do we cut back? At the end of the meeting, we were all given “homework” so we could arbitrarily decide where to cut back, yet it was structured in such a ridiculous manner that one would have to basically cut all parts of a program instead of cutting the fat from them. Case in point: I brought up that I don’t believe we should be paying food and medical benefits or to educate illegal immigrants. Our nation’s generosity has come back to bite us on the rear end and because of our generosity, we have a ridiculous number of illegal immigrants living here.

Now according to the homework, I realize I could cut only the portion that eliminates health care for undocumented migrant children, saving $61 billion. Before the bleeding hearts go into the scenarios that it will cost us more in health care as the illegals take their children to hospitals and incur more costs for us, let’s get back to the realization that illegals shouldn’t be able to rack up more debt for us taxpayers — even if it means the hospitals require citizenship or documentation for those receiving services.

Let the hospitals do their jobs and if they choose to willingly take illegals and their children, let them pay the bill because I am tired of picking up the tab so they can further be a drain on our economy (including jobs). My answer is clear – come here legally or be prepared for us to just say “NO!” To cut illegals food benefits and education benefits, I would have to cut the entire portion that deals with DSHS food benefits– which includes help for the legal citizens that are below the poverty level (many of which have children) who need medical and food assistance as well as our entire education programs (K-12 and higher education). I believe the homework was intentionally designed this way so we could look at it and realize we can’t cut any entire program because each has some merit.

Back to cuts… Another person said it costs $7,000 to educate a single child per school year. A school board member (at the same meeting) told me it costs closer to $8,700. I know of a private school that costs under $4,000 a year (including uniforms). So why isn’t our state looking at a voucher program? If the public can do the same thing for less, and still get the children educated, then why not let them especially when most of the private schools have superior education to the public schools?

We could kiss school bonds goodbye because those who actually attend the schools would be the ones paying for the needed improvements. The private entity could even charge a bit more than it costs so they could afford the improvements and if schools happened to have ineffective teachers, it is far easier to put your money where your mouth is by enrolling your child in a school that has the best and most effective teachers – who incidentally would be paid more money. It’s a win-win unless you are an ineffective teacher or someone who gets paid to shuffle the state’s red tape around on the taxpayers’ dole.

Of course, neither cutting the illegal immigrants benefits or supporting school vouchers would be given the time of day because of our elected officials agendas. What ever happened to the thought of only spending money that you had available to spend? If you spent way beyond your means, would you expect everyone to throw money your way? If folks did throw money your way like crazy, do you think you would learn your lesson and not do it again, or excitedly grin and think it was pretty cool to have your every whim taken care of? Evidently we all have to live by the same rules – unless you are a liberal politician. What it all comes down to is this: Get ready for more taxes because that’s what’s coming.

Oh, and by the way, when (not if, but rather when) we have a state income tax, you can expect our states economy to fail even further as our business sector begins to move out of state, taking the jobs we legal citizens so desperately need. I’m sure there are those out there that remember the billboard in the 1970s that read, “Will the last person leaving Seattle — Turn out the lights.” If you do, I’m sorry you are going to have to go through it twice because of our bleeding heart, let’s give everyone the money, make them happy while we tax the people to death, mentality of these Senators. Oh and for those who don’t remember the billboard… if you are the last person out, don’t forget to turn out the lights.

Gayla Hardison, Federal Way