Gov. Ferguson uses 1st address to reach across the aisle. It should be the norm | Opinion

Two chief executives took office and delivered inaugural addresses in the past week. Newly installed Gov. Bob Ferguson had the better of it, offering a pragmatic vision for the future of Washington.

President Donald Trump delivered the other inaugural address – or addresses to be more accurate. It was impossible to keep him away from a microphone on Jan. 20. And woah boy did he have a lot to say. He delivered red meat to his conservative base and went on the attack. His grim message sounded like a candidate on the campaign trail, not a president elected to serve all Americans.

Commentators have spilled enough ink critiquing Trump’s inaugural rhetoric. We mention it only because it stands in such stark juxtaposition to what Washingtonians heard from their new governor.

Ferguson’s inaugural address proposed a fresh approach to the work ahead, grounded not in partisanship but in compromise, collaboration and action. If his calls for bipartisanship are genuine, it could signal a much-needed, pragmatic shift in state politics that can actually achieve something.

During his address, Ferguson name checked Republican legislators with whom he wants to collaborate on specific legislation. The list included the Tri-Cities’ April Connors and her Homes for Heroes bill that would help police, firefighters, behavioral health professionals and other critical public servants access low-interest loans for purchasing a first home.

The most pressing problem before the state is a looming revenue shortfall. After several years of flush budgets, state spending will outpace forecast revenue by about $12 billion over the next four years. Unlike the federal government, Washington must balance its budget. Closing so large a gap will require tough choices.

Ferguson appears ready to make them. He has not succumbed to the Democratic dogma that the state’s taxpayers, especially its wealthiest ones, are an infinite resource. He is skeptical of tax increases, including a wealth tax promoted by his predecessor, Gov. Jay Inslee.

“Let me start by saying that the era of assuming unrealistic growth in revenue is over,” he said. “To be specific, I will not sign a budget that requires unrealistic revenue growth to balance.”

Yet Ferguson should not dismiss them out of hand. Even with belt tightening, some more revenue will probably be necessary. All options should be on the table for discussion.

The state has priorities that it must address. Washington has the lowest number of law enforcement officers per capita of any state, a dismal statistic that Ferguson cited in his address. K-12 education also needs bolstering. Ferguson also supports free meals in public schools, which won’t be free to taxpayers. And new state rules on public defenders are about to cause fiscal crises in counties.

The key is identifying what are priorities and what should linger on legislative wish lists.

“We cannot simply assume that government’s role is to do everything it has always done, while continuing to add new programs and responsibilities every year. That’s not smart. And that’s not sustainable,” Ferguson said. He has therefore recommended trimming the next two-year budget by $4 billion, which would come close to balancing it absent any new spending.

Taxes and the budget were not Ferguson’s only break from Inslee. Notably absent from his speech was any mention of climate change efforts, a top issue for his predecessor.

Ferguson also wants to take steps to address housing affordability that big-government advocates might find anathema. He wants to roll back regulations that impact housing, permitting and construction. Included in that could be environmental reviews. Any changes, though, will require buy-in from localities that control zoning.

Drawing inspiration from past governors Elisha Ferry, Clarence Martin and Dan Evans, Ferguson reminded Washingtonians that the state has faced and overcome significant challenges before. By invoking their legacies, he placed his administration’s goals within a broader narrative of resilience and progress.

All of this is a promising start, a return to a Washington way of doing things grounded in responsible governance and sound fiscal policy. But it’s just a promise. Ferguson enters the governor’s office at a tough time for Washington. He’s said all the right things. Now he has to deliver.