In my column this morning, I suggest that the state’s ongoing budget shortfalls provide the proper lens through which we should view the coming election. The polar positions have been clearly defined.

Reformers are calling for fundamental policy changes: conforming public employee pensions to fiscal reality and private sector norms, streamlining state operations, ending unfunded mandates imposed by voter initiative, and reconciling long-term expenditures to available revenues.

Arrayed against them are public employee unions that benefit from the status quo, social service advocates decrying budget cuts, and liberal activists pushing for higher taxes.

AG and Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna has already released his budget white paper, which contains some ideas consistent with those advanced in our Thrive Washington series and those embraced by the bipartisan Senate budget coalition (Emily has written on them here, here, here and here). His Democratic opponent, Jay Inslee, will doubtless release his own ideas soon and we’ll look forward to reviewing them as well.

As I point out in the column, “people of faith and goodwill can disagree on how best to serve the less fortunate, educate the young and organize our tax system.”

This campaign season, we should keep that in mind as we engage in spirited debate about the future of our state.