"Gas tax foes turn in nearly double the signatures needed for ballot"
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at July 08, 2005 08:08 PM | Email ThisI think this is the first time I have felt good about anything in politics since the Election (the part about Bush winning, not the part about Dino getting robbed). It is nice to get good news, and great to see that so many people are actually paying attention to the mismanagement down thier in Olympia.
Posted by: Kim S on July 8, 2005 08:20 PMCongrats to all the hard-working volunteers. You deserve a toast! Like Concord--Shot heard 'round the Sound.
Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on July 8, 2005 08:25 PM
Their booth was busy! I'm sure their effort played a major part in the success of I 912! As did the efforts of many from the SP blog!
Posted by: Deborah on July 8, 2005 09:02 PMRemember them next year when X marks the spot on the ballot.
Mel
Now to endure the horror of "vote by mail" in Clark County. ARGH!!!!
Posted by: Jim in Clark County on July 8, 2005 09:29 PMThat way you are sure that the elections department in King County doesn't illegally enhance your ballot and use voter intent to make the decision for you!
Posted by: Joe on July 8, 2005 09:39 PMDoes anyone know how is the inititaive going to be worded? I did not save a copy of the petitions I sent in and I know it had the wording on them. Just want to make sure I vote the correct one!
Posted by: cc on July 8, 2005 10:15 PMI'd been feeling a little down, because my daughter and I only managed to collect about 50 signatures over the Independence Day weekend, before Haggens kicked us out of their parking lot in Ferndale. Every person who signed said, "I'm sure glad you're here! I've been looking for someplace where I could sign this petition." Several people said they would tell their friends. I'm certain we could have collected many more signatures, if we had been able to stay longer.
It's great to know that it was all worth it!
Posted by: KB on July 8, 2005 10:24 PMNow--We can look at the Legislature squarely in the eye and ask: (a-la that Robert Di Nero movie) "Are you talking to ME?!!"
Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on July 8, 2005 10:32 PMThe first on the list is Shirley Hankins from the Tri-Cities. Upon hearing that the gas tax initiative would be put in all Eastern Washington newspapers, she told people to take the petitions out of the newspaper and shred them.
Next in line is Rodney Tom, who despite having an R next to his name, has voted like a Seattle leftist during his time in Olympia. The only conceivable reason to have him in the legislature is that he votes for the Republican leadership. That's about it. We can do better.
Next is Beverly Woods, who, upon being asked to sign the petition at a local Republican meeting, laughed at the idea. As Kirby would say, she's laughing at you. How about we laugh her out of office?
Posted by: Jason Duprew on July 8, 2005 10:34 PMI can hear the woosh of a 'water closet' representing 3 re-elections and 3 political career aspirations now being revised;
Posted by: Jimmie-howya-doin on July 8, 2005 10:39 PM wonderful news it just shows what can happen
when enough citzens work together and they
accomplish the impossible.
Don't expect the state gop to back this.
in todays seattle pi chris vance that this
has divided the party as much as abortion
and gay rights has.
please vance has no guts and he can't possibly
believe that crap.Is it any wonder why the
state gop has become such a joke.from handing
over 14,000 dollars to the dems for legal
fees from the election contest to this.
whats next?
The worst thing to happen for democracy was GreGore stealing the election through fraud in King County.
Posted by: BananaLand (aka Iguana) on July 8, 2005 11:03 PMThe initiative probably needs at least 280,000 to qualify. I would not be at all surprised if there is a higher than normal level of improper/double signatures given the haste and emotions at play. I would guess that they turn in 245-260,000 total signatures, and the total legal signatures turns out to be more in the 175,000 range, if not lower.
If the I-912 people are honest, they will admit defeat and move on if they have under 275,000 signatures. However, given that the far right desire to make a propaganda point over anything substantive, I expect them to claim that Sam Reed and others are fraudulently checking the petitions.
One does have to wonder if the powers that be at Fisher Broadcasting are wondering if they should have made money by running adverstising instead of giving up a couple of hours an hours a day for free infomercials.
Posted by JDB at July 7, 2005 09:46 AM
Ahharyuk!
Posted by: Who.... me? on July 8, 2005 11:06 PMIt will be fun to watch GreGore - who now has no credibility at all - turn into the scream queen about how eliminating this tax will result in millions of deaths, or some other outlandish lie.
Posted by: BananaLand (aka Iguana) on July 8, 2005 11:08 PMThe only people divided on this are multiple-time losers like him. This poor fool thinks he's going to run for the US Senate against Cantwell. Don't think so, Chris.
Get a real job, Vance. And, oh yeah, actually behave like a Republican.
Posted by: Lisa on July 8, 2005 11:33 PMI had a feeling we would get enough signatures when I went to Pierce County drop off yesterday and the desk was covered with petitions.
Posted by: Miriam on July 9, 2005 12:03 AMGreat job to the organizers of this campaign! I still can't believe how many signatures were collected. Way to go, folks!!!
Posted by: Burdabee on July 9, 2005 12:58 AMIts about the frustration we all feel when our elected representatives (NOT elected "leaders") betray us by claiming their agenda is an "EMERGENCY" that requires limiting our rights.
And finaly its about the utter disgust we feel toward the public transit pushers who continually dream up new ways to dip into our wallets to pay for hare-brained non-solutions to the transportation mess they have created in the Puget Sound area.
I congratulate all of those who worked so hard to get and turn in signatures to get I-912 on the ballot this November.
Now the work really begins, as you can be sure the opposition will re-double its efforts to kill this. The vested interests behind the tax have a lot of money so we can expect a barrage of slick lies (remember the "French" monorail ads).
Posted by: Deadwood on July 9, 2005 08:54 AM'Course, y'all realise the Legislature is gonna declare another "emergency" to try an siphon off (pun intended) more taxpayer dollars for their pet projects. Again. I don't think the Clueless Bunch in Olympia are really paying attention - at least, not yet. Wait'll election time rolls around!
Oh, and our clueless Spokane County elections official, Vicky Dalton, wants the next election to be an all mail-in ballot.
I see the train a-comin', folks...
Igor
Posted by: Igor on July 9, 2005 10:07 AMThis initiative will win in November. But, if the bonding proceeds and the funds are bonded before the election, will it be moot?
The intiative group needs to appeal Judge Wickham's ruling for this and the first amendment issue.
I looked at Judge Wickham's website and his background seems to lean heavily (almost exclusively) in the realm of family court and domestic violence. How is it he was the judge to decide on transportation, initiatives or freedom of speech? http://www.chriswickham2004.com/career.htm
Just curious how the system works some times.
"Wickham said he wouldn't second-guess the Legislature's decision to pass a bill that allows the state to sell highway bonds, backed by the new taxes."
However, it seems that Judge Wickham has missed something in the Constitution:
ARTICLE II
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
SECTION 1 LEGISLATIVE POWERS, WHERE VESTED.
The legislative authority of the state of Washington shall be vested in the legislature, consisting of a senate and house of representatives, which shall be called the legislature of the state of Washington, but the people reserve to themselves the power to propose bills, laws, and to enact or reject the same at the polls, independent of the legislature, and also reserve power, at their own option, to approve or reject at the polls any act, item, Section, or part of any bill, act, or law passed by the legislature. (a) Initiative: The first power reserved by the people is the initiative.
Pity he didn't give the PEOPLE as much deference as he did the legislature.
Posted by: SouthernRoots on July 9, 2005 11:24 AMTo the Judge Wickham's of this world - you wouldn't know how to apply the Constitution if your career depended on it and it probably will, thank God !
Posted by: KS on July 9, 2005 11:27 AMNow that the initiative has qualified, the state would have to include that fact in any bond agreement, making it essentially a junk bond. The state would be in some serious deep water if they were unable to raise the necessary $5 billion + portion of the bill that the initiative removes to pay back.
Posted by: Alicia on July 9, 2005 12:28 PMThe freeways in Olympia suck! Whoever designed the exit 105/104 interchange should be sued for incompentence. The mess in Olympia is further proof that we need to implode DOT & the elite rulers in Olympia and start over rather than chuck more money down a rat hole.
Realtors, email Jim Harris: jim@jimpharris.com & tell him that you do not support the excessive gas tax increase & are for real transportation & Olympia reform so we can get even more done under existing revenue streams.
Mariners fans, call or write the Mariners & tell them not to support the excessive gas tax either. The Mariners owe it to us fans to stay neutral on this issue.
Posted by: AP on July 9, 2005 12:46 PMI was reading all the articles about this initiative passing and got to thinking about the people who are opposed to this. And as I was thinking of this, I had a stray thought drift into my nugget:
I wonder how these people would have reacted had they lived in the 1700's and heard about a group of men who dressed up as Indians and dumped a bunch of tea into Boston harbor as a protest against the tax. Would they have bemoaned that that tax was going to be 'for the kids?' Would they declare the end of humanity with all the lost jobs caused by this action? Would they explain that 'it was ONLY a few pence, it was a barely noticeable increase for so much good?'
It seems to me that some people have forgotten our past, and now have become the VERY things we used to rally against. It will be interesting to see how this drama play out. The only thing I am worried about is that when we win this, the politicians in Olympia, mad that we DARED to question them and show them who they really work for, will try to punish us in their usual passive-aggressive ways. You know it will happen, I am just wondering how.
Domo.
Posted by: Left Behind by the New Democratic Party on July 9, 2005 12:53 PM"We're not gonna take it
No we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
Oh, oh we're right, yeah!
We're free, yeah! we'll fight yeah!
You'll see, yeah!"
Great job to everyone that worked hard to get those signatures. Now we'll see if Olympia starts opening their ears and realizing that we won't let them pull things like anymore.
Posted by: Darth Dogbert on July 9, 2005 01:02 PMSue
Posted by: Sue on July 9, 2005 01:42 PMBut
We Dood It! And We Dood it real real well. WOW 420,000 signatures in a month.
Sounds like we have alot of P'd off people in this state right now ready to send some representatives a walkin!
I can hardly wait to hear Mr Sims and Queen Gregoire crying the blues on this one.
The Sky is falling oh my!
Everyone deserves a great big thanks for shoving this sucker so far up Olympia's behind.
It's time for some Big change in Olympia and this is the tip of that Iceberg!
Posted by: GS on July 9, 2005 11:05 PMI thought it was choice last Friday - driving past Olympia - with DOT road work signs but no road work! Yet, the traffic slowed to a snails pace at Olympia - for absolutely no reason - and continued this pace all the way to Fife! (For no reason.) But the DOT had a traffic warning sign saying to expect stop and go traffic from Olympia to Fife... (I have this picture of a fleet of moonbats in my mind - driving up and down the freeway at 30 MPH - just to slow traffic to make the citizens believe that their gas tax dollars are needed to speed up the flow!)
I remember driving to Tacoma over 10 years ago on I 5 and feeling the car start to vibrate as though I had a flat tire. I remember years later, talk in Olympia about fixing our roads and the money they needed and took from us to do it! I thought finally that stretch of freeway would be fixed! As I drove to and from Tacoma last week, the first thing I noticed was that familar vibration and feeling as though I had a flat! They have never fixed that roadway - yet they took money for it!
That is what they do folks! They make false claims of purpose for our tax dollars and yet they never use it for it's purpose! And - we don't know where all of our money has gone over the years! As with our corrupt elections in this state - there is simply no accountability! And we cannot trust our State and Local Government with our hard earned money any longer.
Posted by: Deborah on July 10, 2005 01:19 AM>>But the DOT had a traffic warning sign saying to expect stop and go traffic from Olympia to Fife...
LOL we ALWAYS expect stop and go traffic... mostly stop... *everywhere* we go around here! And now since we so selfishly forced them to put the gas tax on the ballot, they won't be able to afford more stop lights to put on the freeway on ramps (which seems to be their solution to our traffic mess... see if they can pile us up more!).
Or they merge on-ramps from TWO major roads into one big pile-up at the bottom. I.e. Bothell Everett Highway and 522 trying to get onto 405 in the mornings! I end up driving the back roads to Bothell and getting on 405 there because at Canyon Park traffic is backed up all the way back along the B/E Highway. I guess they need a couple more stop lights. :)
Sue
Posted by: Sue on July 10, 2005 05:19 AMDeborah,
I noticed that myself even over here on the east side of the state. The only west side station we get here is NWCN. I saw the DOT spokesman whining about maintenance on the "oh so dangerous" bridge. And if we are going to fix it, it takes 13 years to build a new one and we better get started now. I saw the angry users of the bridge bellyaching about maintenance being done on a weekend for goodness sake. I mean you expect this to be done during the week so you can have your weekend to do whatever you want.
Cry me river folks, I'm not buyin' it.
I'm taking the advice of Rich @ 10:23 p.m. and saving my gas receipts.
Posted by Rich at July 9, 2005 10:23 PM
.... excellent thought. Is this a reasonable issue to pursue? What say ye legal types?
How about Eyman's new initiative? Did performance audits make it on to the ballot?
Posted by: PeggyU on July 10, 2005 10:10 AMNo amount of money or advertising put up by the special interests will save this transportation package.
To many of the initiative designers, gatherers and signers, this is way deeper than a drive to kill the transportation boondoggle.
It is a "Wake up and smell the roses" message from the voters to the so called representatives in Olympia.
Representative? Ignoring voter approved I601
Representative? Ignoring voter approved $30 car tabs.
Representative? An absolutely rediculous over use of the Emergency clause to eliminate even the people's right to referendum.
The nonewgastax vote was not a partisan issue. Citizens in this state from all parties rallied around this historic effort to send a firm message to the current Tax and Dance team in Olympia.
This should be their last dance!
Posted by: GS on July 10, 2005 12:03 PMWhen its enlightened editorial board drives their Yugo's to live in a Tent City for a week to connect with their reader base, I'll listen;
Till then, it's another item vying for space next to the "aliens land with Elvis" paper in the supermarket; hardly the thing used for serious research footnotes;
I fully expect next session to see them outlay the intiative process.
Posted by: pbj on July 11, 2005 09:39 AMfor the vast majority of the people who signed the inititative it's about the tax
Posted by: Yosef on July 11, 2005 10:23 AM