County job cuts, tax rise on table
Proposals include major reductions at jail

“Thurston County could lay off or not fill vacancies for 50 jobs to offset a $4.3 million 2009 budget deficit, along with increasing the sales tax, officials said Tuesday [Sept. 30].

A sweeping list of proposed law and justice cutbacks also includes eliminating all jail treatment and education programs and capping the number of beds filled at the 80-space juvenile detention center at 40.

“In my view, these cuts in Thurston County are as much of a crisis as the bank failures are at the national level,” Jon Tunheim, chief deputy prosecuting attorney, said at a meeting of more than 40 criminal justice and law enforcement staff members and county commissioners. “These cuts will be a step back to where we were fifteen years ago.”…

“I’m anxious to get to the point where we have priorities,” Commissioner Diane Oberquell said. “I’m not sure we have any priorities now other than survival,” quoting The Olympian.

The New York Times ran this story this morning that sounds an ominous alarm for cities, states and counties: “Under Strain, Cities Are Cutting Back Projects”

[Ed. Note: If Yelm’s Mayor Harding thinks all is still peachy-keen here, he will have a rude awakening in a few months as the recession limits the town’s spending abilities, and many of his constituents will be losing their jobs! This is also from the New York Times:
“If There’s a Lesson to be Taught, Perhaps It’s From Depression”

And, where is the Bypass funding he promised this Spring?
New Library funding?
New Community Recreation Center funding?]