Harger: WA bought the pool before the bonus check was cashed, now a financial crisis looms

It’s not every day you see an iceberg in the Puget Sound, but Seattle and Washington state are steering straight for one.

For years, we’ve been counting on Uncle Sam’s checkbook to keep our roads smooth, our clinics humming, and our safety net intact.

Now, there is a real possibility that the White House pulls the plug on a lot of the money they send our way, and there’s nothing left in the tank to make up the difference.

Earlier this week, the Trump administration published its list of “sanctuary” states and cities, and both Seattle and Washington landed right at the top.

The message could not be clearer: follow federal immigration policy, or the money stops.

But let’s be honest, Seattle and Washington state leaders are never going to cave to that demand. That sets up a collision we have never seen before.

What does this mean for Washingtonians?

Federal dollars account for nearly a third of Washington’s state budget, approximately $28 billion annually.

That is not just a line item. That’s the money for roads, hospitals, housing, police, and the elderly. Take that money away, and a big chunk of what keeps this place working disappears.

What’s even tougher is the timing. At the state level, lawmakers just passed the biggest budget and the biggest tax increases ever, all to patch an even bigger hole.

This is not a crisis that came out of nowhere. For years, instead of trimming back, we have kept expanding government services, all with good intentions, but never really living within our means.

And every time the budget didn’t balance, we just looked for another place to patch the hole. Not by cutting back or holding off on launching new costly programs, but by raising taxes.

Now, with the threat of federal money disappearing, I worry all that extra spending is about to catch up with us.

It’s a little like Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation — planning to put in a backyard swimming pool before the Christmas bonus check was in his hand. For years, we have made commitments and expanded services, assuming the federal money would keep rolling in.

We bought the pool before the bonus was a sure thing, and now, the bill may be about to come due.

After this week’s primary, it is clear voters here are moving away from moderates and instead choosing more liberal candidates. They want to stand up to MAGA. That is their right, but it makes Seattle and Washington the perfect foil for the Trump administration: Big, beautiful, blue targets to make an example out of.

And based on what we have seen from the president, does anyone think he will pass up the opportunity?

State and city leaders need to be planning now for what to do if the federal money dries up, and I’m sure they are. It won’t be pretty.

I wish I could sugarcoat this. But this time, there is no easy fix. You should also be planning now for what would happen if a service you rely on gets cut.

We’ll all have to be serious about what we spend on and what we can really afford.

This could be the year we learn what happens when you buy the pool, but the bonus check bounces. And unlike Clark Griswold, we can’t just laugh it off over eggnog.

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Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here. 

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