A new survey commissioned by statewide business groups indicates the Legislature and new Gov. Bob Ferguson have a lot of work to do, but they don't need more money to do it.

The elected leaders need to take the poll results seriously and spend within their means while looking for ways to bolster the state economy.

We'll get into the results, but first, a little background. The Association of Washington Business, Washington Roundtable, and large Seattle-area chambers of commerce commissioned a survey to gauge voter sentiment in light of a revenue projection that suggests the state could generate $12 billion less than previously imagined over the next four years.

As we've made note of before, this isn't a budget deficit; It isn't even a decline in revenue. It's a situation where the state's tax collections still are expected to grow by billions of dollars over the next four years, just at a slower rate of growth than previously forecast.

In the survey, which reached 600 voters statewide last month, just over three-quarters of respondents said the state Legislature has the funds to address important priorities and needs to spend it more efficiently. Six in 10 said the state's budget issues are of their own making, due to the Legislature's inability to control its own spending.

Perhaps the most damning result is the belief, with more than 90% concurring, that the doubling of state spending over the past decade hasn't had an impact on key quality-of-life issues, such as cost of living and cost of housing.

More broadly, 7 in 10 polled voters are concerned about the state's economy and the availability of good-paying jobs.

While economic indicators continue to indicate positive growth at this time, the broad concerns suggest state leaders shouldn't be adding to the tax burdens for employers or individuals in the coming years.

In response to the survey, AWB President and CEO Kris Johnson said, "Voters understand Washington has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. And they understand raising taxes on employers will drive up the cost of living for all of us."

Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce CEO Rachel Smith states among her comments, "Voters are smart," and she's correct. They see how the state's budget has grown over the past 12 years while issues with drugs, public safety, homelessness, and affordability have worsened. The Democratic Party has held the Governor's mansion and the Legislature that entire time—and continues to do so. Poll results like this serve as a good reminder to those in power that they represent all of us, not just government workers and labor unions, and should be looking to make measurable gains on the problems that vex communities statewide.

New Gov. Ferguson has talked about fiscal responsibility and looking for efficiencies before looking to add to the tax burden we already feel. We've used this space to applaud him for the approach, and we hope his perspective filters through the Legislature.

Voters have made their sentiments clear; there isn't much gray in these results. Please take the results to heart.