Bellevue, WA – Last week Gov. Christine Gregoire said the state is on the “right track” on her watch, and bragged about the “spectacular” progress she has made as governor.

This week, the state’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council painted a different picture when they reported that state revenues are down again, this time by $48.3 million.

These declining revenues not only worsen the state’s $3.2 billion budget deficit, they prove how utterly irresponsible Gregoire was to increase spending by $8 billion during the boom years and leave the state unprepared for an economic downturn.

Gregoire could have increased spending 21 percent and there would be no deficit, but she just had to increase spending by 33 percent to please her supporters, in spite of warnings from her own economic advisers.

The governor has been desperately attempting to hide the bad news of the growing deficit from voters until after the November election, but the clock is ticking. Just two months from now the incumbent is required by law to present a balanced budget for the 2009-11 biennium. Then even Gregoire will be forced to admit the magnitude of the problem created on her watch. But for now we can expect that Gregoire’s “we’re on the right track” charade will continue, at least until election day.

Washington State Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser issued the following statement:

“Christine Gregoire spent our tax dollars like a Wall Street speculator, and because of her reckless overspending the state’s $3.2. billion deficit is growing larger every month,” Esser said. “Her own economic advisers warned Gregoire that increasing spending by 33 percent was not sustainable, but she was obsessed with spending as many tax dollars as possible to please as many or her supporters as possible. Now our families, who are already struggling to pay for the mortgage, gas and groceries, will be left to foot the bill for Gregoire’s folly.”