Governor's/Legislature's dismissal
of I-900 spurs 2008 initiative
06 January 2008
State Auditor Brian Sonntag has been doing his job; the Governor and Legislature have not. The voters in 2005 sent a clear message when they approved I-900, the 900 Pound Gorilla: business-as-usual isn't good enough any more. Auditor Sonntag has been hiring experts to conduct comprehensive performance audits of state and local governments to identify ways to deliver government services more effectively.
Sonntag's performance audit recommendations spanning various governments have been consistently ignored by Olympia.
This is unacceptable. Sonntag is listening to the people -- so ignoring him is the same as ignoring the voters. So to spur the Governor and Legislature to act on past, current, and future audit recommendations, we've decided that our 2008 initiative will adopt the recommendations of Sonntag's most popular, most needed, and most legislatively dismissed performance audit so far.
ReduceCongestion.org, the official campaign name for the Reduce Traffic Congestion Initiative, will be filed with the Secretary of State's office in the Capitol Dome in Olympia at 11 am, January 4th, the first day initiatives to the people can be filed. Petitions for ReduceCongestion.org will be sent out to everyone in mid-February. We'll then have until early July to raise the funds and gather the 224,880 voter signatures to qualify ReduceCongestion.org for the November 10th, 2008 ballot.
Not surprisingly, the focus of ReduceCongestion.org is reducing traffic congestion. The measure:
* Opens carpool lanes to everyone during non-peak hours (midday and evenings on weekdays and all day and all night on weekends -- peak hours defined as Mon-Fri 6-9 am, 3-6 pm) -- which reduces traffic congestion and increases traffic flow;
* Requires cities and counties to synchronize traffic lights on heavily-traveled arterials and streets (with benchmarks and accountability provided by the State Auditor) -- which reduces traffic congestion and increases traffic flow; and
* Increases funding for emergency roadside assistance to clear out accidents faster (with benchmarks and accountability provided by the State Auditor) -- which reduces traffic congestion and increases traffic flow.
Here's an excerpt from the intent section of ReduceCongestion.org:
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In 2005, the voters of Washington overwhelmingly approved Initiative 900 granting the state auditor the power to conduct independent, comprehensive performance audits of state and local governments. The auditor was hired by the people to determine ways for government to deliver services as effectively and efficiently as possible. Through extensive outreach with citizens, including focus groups and town hall meetings, in 2006, the state auditor learned that 80 percent of citizens said reducing congestion is their number one transportation priority. Congestion incurs incredible costs to citizens, businesses and government; congestion is an important aspect of transportation and is an indicator of how well the state’s transportation system is working. Reducing traffic congestion means minimizing vehicle trip delays, the amount of time it takes a vehicle to get from point A to point B. So the state auditor contracted with the prestigious auditing firm of Talbot, Korvola and Warwick, LLP who brought years of experience in performance auditing. They hired subject-matter experts with internationally recognized experience in traffic and congestion management. Members of the audit team had more than 200 years’ cumulative experience auditing transportation systems. In October, 2007, the state auditor released the results of their independent performance audit report “Managing and Reducing Congestion.” Their number one finding was that congestion relief is not a top priority of the department of transportation so the audit’s fundamental recommendation was: “Commit to congestion management and reduction as a primary goal.” The anger, defensiveness, and condescending dismissal of the report by the department of transportation, the legislature, and the governor was swift and resolute. The new head of the department of transportation rejected the recommendations the day they were released. House and senate transportation committees refused to acknowledge the report or even hold a public hearing as required under Initiative 900. At the public hearing held by an unaffiliated legislative committee, legislators lashed out at the state auditor for even broaching the topic. The governor’s chief of staff said citizens don’t understand transportation and simply take for granted what government does. Legislators quoted from statutes that no longer existed to defend the status quo. Some promised legislative retribution on the state auditor and interference in future audits (which is illegal under Initiative 900). The state auditor identified and retained internationally recognized experts in state, federal and international transportation issues. Their recommendations are crystal clear. This measure provides voters with the opportunity to implement the strategies recommended in the report which have immediate impact on reducing traffic congestion using existing infrastructure and resources. Upon its approval by the voters, it is incumbent upon the department of transportation, the legislature, and the governor to listen to the people and make congestion management and reduction the primary goal of transportation. As State Auditor Brian Sonntag says in his accompanying letter to the report: “Citizens have identified congestion as a priority, and therefore, so must the Department (of Transportation) and the Legislature.” It is clear from the establishment’s reaction to this transportation performance audit that the only way for voters to change the attitude of those in power is to approve this measure.
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To provide funding for these policies, ReduceCongestion.org DOES NOT RAISE TAXES, INCREASE FEES, OR IMPOSE TOLLS OR OTHER CHARGES; it instead dedicates a portion of existing vehicle-related revenue to a new dedicated account called the "Reduce Traffic Congestion Account" whose revenues and expenditures will be monitored and reported regularly to the public by the State Auditor.
* ReduceCongestion.org dedicates 15% of revenues generated from the state sales and use tax on new and used vehicle purchases (approximately $128 million per year) and deposits them in the "Reduce Traffic Congestion Account";
* ReduceCongestion.org requires that revenues generated from fines and penalties from red light cameras must be deposited in the "Reduce Traffic Congestion Account."
* Current law requires that a percentage of the cost of any public works project go toward the purchase of art --ReduceCongestion.org requires that percentage is instead dedicated to the "Reduce Traffic Congestion Account" if it's a transportation-related public works project; and
* ReduceCongestion.org DOES NOT create or impose tolls, but if tolls are imposed then those revenues are dedicated and deposited in the "Reduce Traffic Congestion Account".
Auditor Sonntag said it very well: “Citizens have identified congestion as a priority, and therefore, so must the Department (of Transportation) and the Legislature.”
ReduceCongestion.org, the Reduce Traffic Congestion Initiative, is summarized by the closing paragraphs of its intent section:
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Year after year, Washington voters have repeatedly rejected the business-as-usual, the-only-solution-is-a-tax-increase mentality. During these tough economic times, the people deserve a common sense proposal to reduce traffic congestion and increase traffic flow by implementing basic traffic congestion relief strategies and improving Washington's transportation system with better use of existing public resources.
Reduced traffic congestion ensures a growing, thriving economy which is essential in generating the tax revenue necessary to fund government services.
This measure will make travel times faster immediately on our highways and roadways, reduce traffic congestion, increase traffic flow, increase safety and freight mobility, and result in fewer vehicles idling thus decreasing carbon emissions, all by maximizing the use of existing public resources.
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To get this critical campaign started, we need your financial commitment to ensure the success of "ReduceCongestion.org," the Reduce Traffic Congestion Initiative. Please donate $10, $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or more (there are no limits on the amount that can be given) to our offices in Spokane. We also accept VISA AND MASTERCARD -- you can donate online by visiting the links at the top of the menu on the left. Please send in your most generous donation RIGHT NOW.
We will work extremely hard with our thousands of supporters over the next six months to qualify this important initiative for the 2008 ballot. ReduceCongestion.org ensures immediate reduction in traffic congestion without increasing the taxpayers' burden. We're confident that the voters welcome the discussion prompted by ReduceCongestion.org.
FULL STEAM AHEAD!
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