The State of Washington has denied a request for $600,000 to help fund the 2010 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships, which will take place in that city Spokane. The event's promoters promised to pay $1.2 million to U.S. Figure Skating in order to host the event, according to kxly.com. They raised $600,000 locally and will have to either make cuts or find more funding for the rest of the money.

The bottom line is the event will go on. They've already sold close to 100,000 tickets and promoters say those ticket holders shouldn't notice a difference. But behind the scenes the promoters and Spokane's tourism officials are working hard to make up the shortfall.

"My attitude is come hell or high water this is going to be the best event ever," Barb Beddor with Star USA said.

Wonder what those cuts are going to be? I can't say I'm surprised that the request was denied with budgets the way they are, although the promoters are predicting $2 million in tax revenue for the state (but who knows how accurate that is...)