Grant Co. EDC hears from business lobbyist

MOSES LAKE - Business community members heard a legislative update Thursday as lobbyist - and former Republican state legislative representative - Gary  Chandler spoke to the Grant County Economic Development Council.

"As you continue to cut, it gets hard and there is less to cut from," Chandler said. "I still think there's some waste and I think that there are some opportunities for the government to operate more effectively."

Members of the council listened as Chandler walked through the four-part special session that dragged on earlier in the year.

The session, which began last December, continued through April, in part because of social issues and disagreement on budget priorities.

Chandler didn't mince words regarding state pensions or tax increases either.

He said that the state cannot sustain state pensions as the population's life expectancy is increasing.

"People are going to be retired longer than how long they've worked," he said.

And while both gubernatorial candidates - Rob McKenna and Jay Inslee - are saying no new taxes, Chandler said the state's extra revenue has to come from somewhere.

Chandler, vice-president of government affairs with the Association of Washington Businesses, weighed in on the budget slashing.

"I don't care which side of the aisle you're on, it's tough to cut social programs," he said.

Topics ranged from the U.S. Supreme Court's Thursday decision to uphold the American Care Act to changing the state's budgetary standard from two to four years.

"Let's start looking forward at the impact on how we're spending," Chandler said. The state currently works on a two-year biennium budget, but with people on both party lines calling for a four-year telescope, it could provide better financial clarity.

Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, was in the audience, and expressed some concern about lack of the viable job pool.

"As a business owner, I want to be able to hire someone with the skill set to do the job," she said.

Chandler agreed, saying that there are positions available but the average applicant's skill level and credentials don't always match up.