WOWZA - Seattle Times endorses I-960
27 Oct 2007
The repeated and egregrious abuse of the emergency clause by the
Legislature shoved the Seattle Times into I-960's arms. Many newspapers,
including the Times, have aggressively criticized the Legislature's
Pavlovian instinct to make laws "referendum proof" by slapping emergency
clauses on them.
Since Gregoire's been Governor, 205 laws were "emergencies." That
means the Legislature and Gregoire took away our constitutional rights 205
times. During a KXLY Spokane radio debate with me last week, House
Majority Leader Lynn Kessler proudly said putting emergency clauses on
bills "is part of the culture down here." Through public disclosure and
transparency (the Times calls it "embarrassment"), I-960 will report this
abuse of our constitutional rights when Olympia pushes an "emergency" tax
increase. Thanks to newspaper editorials that expressly state the reason
for their I-960 support is because of Olympia's abuse of the emergency
clause, thanks to I-960's debate being focused on the abuse of the
emergency clause, thanks to the scarlet letter effect of I-960's policies,
and thanks to the voters approval of I-960 on November 6th, the use of the
emergency clause will drop like a rock.
THE SEATTLE TIMES RECOMMENDS ...
LEAD EDITORIAL, SUNDAY OCTOBER 28, 2007
I-960 WAKE-UP NEEDED
INITIATIVE 960 deserves the people's support. In this decade, the
Legislature has raised statewide taxes on cigarettes, liquor, inheritances
and gasoline. Initiative 960 makes further tax increases a bit more
difficult, but still allows them in three ways:
* First, by a 50-percent-plus vote of the Senate and House, and then
of the people;
* Second, by a two-thirds vote of the Senate and House, with the
people retaining their constitutional right to collect signatures and
challenge the tax increase in a referendum, and,
* Third, by a two-thirds vote of the Senate and House, plus the
declaration of public emergency, which takes away the people's right of
referendum. At the next general election, there would be a nonbinding
advisory ballot.
That is a kind of embarrassment vote. It says, in effect, "Here is a tax
increase your legislators passed by declaring a public emergency, so that
you can't run a referendum against it, and here are the names of the
legislators who voted for it." Such "emergencies" have spread like slugs
in a garden, and though Initiative 960 would not stop them, it would paste
legislators' names on them at the delicate moment of re-election.
This is not a great solution, but it's about all the people can do by
ballot. We think it would have a wake-up effect on legislators.
Opponents say Initiative 960 would bind the hands of lawmakers too much.
We don't think it does. The first two tax-raising methods are already in
state law, and the third adds only the embarrassment vote, which is hardly
a ball and chain. And, there is another way: After two years, any
initiative may be changed by a simple majority of the Senate and House.
This is the difference between I-960 and SJR 8206 (described below).
That measure amends the state constitution. It is a concrete dam. I-960
is an earthen dam, guaranteed for two years only. It will continue to
work only if legislators don't erode it.
I-960 does some other things. It subjects increases in state fees to
simple majority vote of the Senate and House, rather than agency fiat. It
requires that the state calculate the 10-year cost of proposed tax and fee
increases, and alert the public whenever a tax bill moves toward passage.
We like both of these things, and we think the people will like them,
too.
-- END --
When a dog barks, it's not news; when a cat barks, that's news. The
Seattle Times, the crown jewel and flagship newspaper in Washington, has
now joined the Everett Herald, the Centralia Chronicle, the Yakima
Business Times, and columnists Adele Ferguson, Elizabeth Hovde, and John
Carlson in enthusiastically endorsing I-960. Opponents have a longer
laundry list of groups arrayed against I-960 but that's to be expected --
they've always been in the 'no' camp.
Remember, our initiatives have consistently received voter support
EVEN WHEN THE MOST POWERFUL GROUPS ARE SOLIDLY UNIFIED AGAINST US -- we
win even when opponents are together. But with I-960, the usual
anti-coalition is splintered and in chaos. Most of the money is coming
from out-of-state, mostly Washington DC unions. We've had as many
lawmakers speak out in favor of I-960 as lawmakers publicly opposed. Even
opposition newspaper editorials are supportive of I-960's goals and its
public disclosure and transparency. The Association of Washington
Business is staying on the sidelines, officially neutral but tacitly
supportive, unlike in the past.
Their coalition is shrinking, ours is growing.
In the homestretch of campaign, it's a devastating blow for 960's
opponents to have the Seattle Times enthusiastically endorse I-960. We're
thrilled that they focused on Olympia's abuse of the emergency clause.
It's great to win support under any circumstances, but it's especially
satisfying to earn their support over the key provision targeted by
opponents.
Jack, Mike, and I are extremely grateful for the folks who have
contributed to our compensation fund this year. We ask that you continue
that support. If you like and appreciate our past, current, and future
efforts on behalf of taxpayers, please send us a donation for $10, $25,
$50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or more (there are no limits on how much can
be given). Please consider a monthly pledge from now through December for
our fund. We ask you to please help us help taxpayers. Your
voluntary contribution to our compensation fund will be divided between
the three of us and compensate us for our political work.
We're in the homestretch on I-960 and we're doing everything we can
to ensure victory on November 6th. As for our compensation fund, we would
be extremely grateful for any financial assistance you can offer. Thanks.
