Our heritage

Budget pains are causing anxiety for everyone relying on state funding.

The Washington State Heritage Center shares the pain.

Secretary of State Sam Reed championed the construction of a center large enough to accommodate our state records. The history contained in the documents are essential to understand our past and help guide us in our future.

In 2007, the state legislature overwhelmingly supported the project and began setting aside money for construction.

A silver lining to the recession is construction costs and interest rates are low, meaning the building would cost less than it would have two years ago. Building the new facility would help generate jobs.

But with the state deficit at $2.6 billion, the governor and the legislature are looking to raid every fund they can find and tax everything possible instead of cutting spending. Yes, they are cutting funds to education and health services. The more cuts hurt, the more the public is willing to accept more taxes instead, right?

The heritage center funding began with saving money. A revision of location and size helped reduced anticipated costs while improving the center’s capabilities to preserve our state history and help education visitors and children.

The $2 million being sought from the fund doesn’t sound like much when compared to … oh, let’s say viaduct replacement plans or reconstruction of a bridge. Heck, cut the state funding of the Seattle waterfront tunnel. That’s $2 billion. How much money would be free if we stop construction of the $4.2 billion state Route 520 bridge over Lake Washington?

Gov. Chris Gregoire recently told The Seattle Times the state began plans for the new SR 520 bridge and couldn’t alter the project without incurring more costs. A coalition of House Speaker Democrat Frank Chopp, Seattle and numerous environmental groups are arguing for public-transportation only lanes.

What about the heritage center? Doesn’t the same set of incurred costs apply here?

The deficit was created by legislators pumping a few agencies to inflate ever expanding budgets. If we truly wanted to solve the deficit, we could return to a past budget that meets our current revenue. L&I’s increased administration funding? Gone. Inflated Department of Social and Health Services budget? Reduced. State Department of Natural Resources and Department of Ecology land purchase funds? Erased.

What should never disappear is our state history.

Let’s keep our heritage. Let a program with people using enough foresight to save money for a construction project continue. They have made plans. They are prepared to save our heritage and save us money while building it. Let’s continue supporting them.

It’s our heritage.

— Editorial board