Seattle Times Editorial Board Expresses Frustration ... They're Not Alone

Two good pieces appear today on the Seattle Times opinion pages. In an editorial, the Times summarizes the session so far: Legislature shuns reform and leans on the taxpayer.

THE priority of the majority Democrats in Olympia has not been economic recovery. If it were, the Legislature would not be leaning on the taxpayer for nine-tenths of a billion dollars.

...The priority of legislators has been protecting state employees.

Read the whole thing. Then turn to this column by editorial columnist Kate Riley. After reviewing the session's missed opportunities, conflicted leadership, rifts within the majority caucus, and plans to raise taxes, she comes up with a good one-line explanation for the overtime session.

The Legislature appears headed into a special session because the House and Senate can't quite agree on the damage they want to do.

There will be damage.