Dueling Rallies At Washington Capital
Dueling rallies with opposing viewpoints on taxes brought thousands of protesters to the Washington state capital Monday. As early as Tuesday, Washington Governor Gregoire will release her proposed tax package to close some of the state's budget shortfall. Correspondent Chantal Anderson has details.Students, union members, and social service providers filled the steps and street in front of the state Capitol in Olympia. Sound: “The students, the workers, will never be defeated.”Retired lobbyist Robby Stern urged lawmakers to avoid an all-cuts budget.Robby Stern: “We don't want the cuts in health care and education and the essential safety net. We want the legislature to do the responsible thing: close tax exemptions, raise revenue, so people don't suffer.”Just an hour earlier, simultaneous protests in Olympia and Salem drew the hundreds of people in opposition to higher taxes.Daniel Smith is a retired cop living off of disability checks.Daniel Smith: “I just keep getting taxed and taxed and taxed and I'm tired of it, sick of it. It's time to cut a budget. I have to live on a budget they can live on a budget.”Sound: “No more taxes, no more taxes.”Washington Governor Gregoire said she heard the competing cries of “no more cuts” and “no more taxes” from her office. She contends the final budget will need both. I'm Chantal Anderson, in Olympia.
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