A Shared Vision for Washington State: Four-Part Series

Later today schmudget will post the first in a four-part, Friday series that outlines a shared vision for Washington State. The Budget & Policy Center recently published a report called the Progress Index which sets up a new framework for evaluating the state budget based on shared values and goals. The framework reminds all of us that we have a shared responsibility to create the state we want to live in. Together we must ensure that our air is clean, our drinking water is safe, and our public schools provide an excellent education to all students. This is work we must do together because no one person can do it alone.

The Progress Index highlights four essential values: Education and Opportunity, Thriving Communities, Healthy People and Environment, and Economic Security. The report divides the 2007-09 state budget into these four value areas (see graph) and identifies research-based goals within each area.

In these times of economic crisis, it is possible to lose sight of the important role of state investments in all our lives. We are all feeling the pinch of the recession, at home, at work, and in our state government. We must be thoughtful in our investments and make smart choices to protect the progress we’ve made and secure a better future for tomorrow.

You are welcome to read the report and share your thoughts with us. With this project, we hope to initiate a new conversation in Washington State about where we are, where we want to be, and how we can get there.