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WWW . THESKANNER . COM J UNE 27, 2012 S EATTLE , W ASHINGTON V OLUME XXXIV, N O . 26 25 CENTS For The Skanner news alerts Text "NEWS" to 503-715-0890 or scan this QR code C HALLENGING P EOPLE TO S HAPE A B ETTER F UTURE N OW PRIDE Health Care Workers New Seattle resolution mandates training, better conditions PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED T Thousands marched under sunny skies down 4th Avenue at Seattle Pride 2012, Sunday, June 24. Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire was a parade Grand Marshall, and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn marched with a 300-strong group of marriage equality activists agitating to defend the state’s new law from a ballot-measure challenge in November. Next Governor Faces Shortfall Budget realities may test Inslee and McKenna on their campaigns By Mike Baker The Associated Press OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington’s next governor is projected to start the job with a growing budget. That extra rev- enue may not be enough to ful- fill the state’s education funding obligations. A forecast released this past week said state revenue will grow by about 3.5 percent per year for the two-year cycle beginning in July 2013. But many of those gains will be con- sumed by other growth in state government, such as the resumption of cost-of-living adjustments for teachers, med- ical care cost increases and gen- eral growth in reliance on state services. Gov. Chris Gregoire’s budget director estimated that political leaders will face a relatively flat budget, maybe a $100 million surplus to a $100 million short- fall. Those are challenging fore- casts for the state’s top guberna- torial candidates, who have both INDEX News ........................2,4 Calendar ....................2 Opinion .......................3 Bids/Classifieds............3 claimed that the state can imme- diately begin providing much more money toward the state’s education system without rais- ing taxes. Democratic Rep. Ross Hunter said the obliga- tions, triggered by a state Supreme Court ruling, would be about $1 billion in the next budget cycle and higher in future years. Gregoire has said revenue needs to be considered, and Democratic Sen. Ed Murray, a top budget writer, said he does- n’t see $1 billion that can be cut from the budget and put into education. State government staffing levels, for example, already shrunk by 7.2 percent between 2009 and 2011. ``We have a structural prob- lem in how we fund state servic- es,’’ Murray said, emphasizing that new revenue has to be part of the discussion. It’s not part of the discussion in the governor’s race. Demo- cratic candidate Jay Inslee said the state can fulfill education funding obligations by growing See CAMPAIGN page 2 his week Seattle became the first city in the country to pass a City Council resolution that addresses our coun- try’s care crisis and supports both the people who need care and the workers who provide the care. Over 100 caregivers, seniors and commu- nity members packed City Hall on Monday afternoon to show their support for the Car- ing Across Generations Resolution. “As a caregiver myself and a baby boomer, I am a perfect example,” said Sylvia Liang, caregiver and SEIU 775 NW member. “When I need care someday, I want my caregiver to make a living wage, with access to quality health benefits, and to have a bright future ahead of them.” Fourteen other cities are engaging in sim- ilar local efforts and will be using the organ- izing efforts that took place in Seattle as a model to move their campaigns forward. Councilmember Nick Licata was credited by organizers for taking a leadership role in sponsoring and passing the new resolution. “This is an issue that goes to the heart of what our democracy is about, creating a society where everyone has the opportunity to strive for happiness and a stable life,” he said. Licata recently “walked a day in a care- giver’s shoes,” which he said built his understanding of the challenges and strug- gles that caregivers and clients face on a daily basis. And that struggle is huge. Seattle is wit- nessing both a demographic shift and jobs crisis. Every 8 seconds, a person in this country turns 65. Twelve million people, including the elderly and the disabled, require support from a care worker. However, there are currently only 3 mil- lion care workers, creating a critical gap in our nation’s ability to care for its citizens. And those who do work in the care industry face harsh conditions and limited protec- tions under the law. See WORKERS on page 2 Sadness, Anxiety Plague Military Kids New program provides them with mental health services at school By Debbie Cafazzo The Tacoma News Tribune Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. (AP) — Kids can build an imaginary world inside Raquel Shoch’s office at an elementary school on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The clinical social worker keeps a table- top sandbox filled with plastic soldiers and other miniature toys. ``Play is their world,’’ Shoch explains. ``It allows them to bring their guard down, to emote through play.’’ Many of the military kids Shoch sees at Carter Lake Elementary School have a lot of emotions bubbling beneath the surface. Feelings of sadness and anxiety - feelings all kids experience - can be amplified for children whose parents have gone away on multiple military deployments, experts say. And life does not suddenly return to nor- mal after a homecoming celebration. When soldiers return from tours of duty, it can dis- rupt household routines and family relation- ships that changed while they were gone. For the past two school years, kids at Carter Lake and five other schools at JBLM have taken advantage of a program called See SERVICES on page 4
