Maryland should have Christine DemTAX Gregoire... This article from Sound Politics:
We drove to the main post office today to send them money to fight this tax...She and the Dem controlled House and Senate of WA pushed this through in 4 MONTHS, even after she campaigned on no new taxes.....
May 05, 2005
NONEWGASTAX.com
soundpolitics.com
There is great anger over the Legislature's last-minute raising of the gas tax.
There are several areas of concern, first: There is a lot of concern that the Dept of Transportation is not making wise use of the billions it gets. For example, the state ferry system, which is in the DOT, in its annual audit for almost 20 years has received a warning that it does not keep proper track of the fares it collects. DOT has not corrected the problem - for 18 years.
A large portion of recent spending has not gone to maintain and expand our highways or has had marginal benefits. Huge projects have resulted only in an HOV lane where a few people zip along, while everyone else plods. And large amounts have gone for environmental enhancements. So people are saying "spend the money to build more road capacity and make better use of it."
Even short-time Governor Gregoire agreed. When she was running for office she said "she did not support another gas-tax increase until taxpayers are convinced that a nickel-per-gallon increase approved in 2003 is being well spent." - Seattle Times
Second, before this increase our gas tax was the 4th highest among the 50 states and DC. This makes it the highest. (Update: This link quit working. Try again later.)
Third, the $9.5 billion they will collect won't do the big projects. To replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct along the Seattle waterfront another tax increase will be required. If the Seattle-area voters don't pass a regional tax increase this money will go away for other purposes. SB 6106, Section 104
Fourth, this is a tax to benefit the Seattle area. Eastern and other parts of Western Washington get very little.
Well, Gregoire promised one thing and did the opposite.
Oh, conditions changed in 5 months. How? She pushed through a tax increase of 9.5 cents, which is 34%. What did she do to make sure taxpayers are convinced that the previous tax increase is being well spent? Let me know; I haven't heard.
Mac Safari users click on the time stamp below to continue.
There is a provision to start some sort of performance audits in DOT in this tax increase bill, which got some Republicans to vote for it. SB 6106, Section 104. We have to watch to make sure the "performance audits" are really performance audits. There are ways to have a program that sounds good, but protects the guilty.
To add insult to injury the Democrat leaders of the Legislature took away our ability to push back the increase. Any law passed can be repealed by a referendum. A referendum takes much fewer signatures than an initiative; and might be otherwise easier to do. But they put an emergency provision in the tax increase bill, which disallows a referendum.
And the late timing makes it impossible to do an initiative. It takes time to draft the legal language, get it vetted for accuracy and get the Secretary of State to approve it. Only then can you print the signature pages. Then you have to get around 250,000 signatures by early July. It takes a lot of money to do this and even more if you pay signature gatherers.
So the Democrats controlling the Legislature cornered us. It is too late, so there is nothing we can do. They got a huge tax increase past us. They are laughing at us.
NO NEW GAS TAX.com
It will take a huge effort by a lot of people. But a group called "No New Gas Tax" in Kirkland is starting the initiative process. According to our popular talk-radio hosts John Carlson and Kirby Wilbur they need to raise $25,000 by Friday or Saturday. If there is that enough interest to accomplish that they will go ahead.
Today John was excited and ready to go. He has done 3 successful initiatives, against no defeats (except for Governor). He knows it won't be easy. But if people are mad about their expressed wishes being violated by our elected representatives, then the impossible can be accomplished.
If you agree, there is a petition and you can make a donation at:
NO NEW GAS TAX.com
nonewgastax.com
Cross-posted at my still-nameless blog.
Posted by Ron Hebron at May 05, 2005 11:06 PM | Email This |
