Gov. Chris Gregoire seems to be showing ambivalence when it comes to tax and fee increases.

During the 2008 election, when the state thought it would be dealing with a $3.2 billion shortfall, the governor repeatedly said that now is not the time to be raising any kind of tax or fee.

"We're looking at one of the worst economic times in the history of the country. Now is not the time, and I mean now meaning period, not the time to consider raising anything," she said in a debate with Republican Dino Rossi.

"We're struggling to get through with what we need to do now. Families are struggling so why would you put a tax or fee on them? Businesses are struggling why would you put a tax or fee on them?"

Now the state faces a shortfall almost three times larger. In recent weeks Gregoire has floated the idea of putting a bond measure on the ballot -- without saying how she'd finance the debt -- and she's talked about creating a surcharge to attend the state universities to help make up for budget cuts.

Gregoire was asked this morning if the types of state budget cuts being considered are so severe that it no longer makes sense to stick with a no-new-tax pledge.

Gregoire said: "I'm very troubled at a $9 billion deficit. At some point here, we're going to do so much damage that we're not going to be able to recover. That we're not going to be able hit the ground running when we come out of the recession ... that we're going to do such damage to individuals that they won't be able to recover."

The governor said that when it comes to ballot measures to raise more money, "I think it's important that the Legislature look at every option. I have no reticence saying I support them 100 percent."

But Gregoire also dismissed several possible tax increases that could be put before voters. Sin taxes wouldn't raise much money, she said. And she spoke against raising the property and B&O tax "because then people are struggling to stay in their homes and businesses are struggling to keep their doors open."

Gregoire continued: "That leaves you with a sales tax. One of our major problems right now is lack of consumer confidence. So people aren't buying anything. So I don't know how much that really gets us."

She said that although she supports the Legislature's efforts to look at tax options, it's "an open question whether I'll support it."

If the Legislature approved a ballot measure, it would bypass the governor's office and go directly to voters.

Pearse Edwards, Gregoire's spokesman, said the governor's position has not changed and that she's always said it was up to the Legislature whether to put a tax package on the ballot.