Tuesday, January 12, 2010
To: Our thousands of supporters throughout the state (cc'd to the media, house & senate members, and Governor)
From: Our Expanded Team of co-sponsors for this year's initiative: Tim Eyman, Jack Fagan, Mike Fagan, Mike Dunmire, Senator Don Benton, Senator Janea Holmquist, Erma Turner, Nancy Nelson, Dagny Lord, Keli Carender, Senator Pam Roach, Rep. Matt Shea, John Ahern & Ken Morse, www.VotersWantMoreChoices.com
Yesterday, Gregoire attacked the initiative process, saying that legislating can only be done by the experts in Olympia. She told our thousands of supporters and the voters to "stop meddling" and to "leave it to us." Her arrogance seems boundless. And she's not alone -- on Friday in Seattle, Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown said "We have to get 960 overturned as soon as possible." She even goes so far as to say that raising taxes is a "moral necessity."
With politicians like them in charge of Olympia, is it any wonder that taxpayers want the opportunity to fight back with our initiative?
But it's really important for everyone to connect the dots and understand why they're on this crazy kamikaze mission to raise taxes -- after all, doing so contradicts everything Gregoire said for the past two years (that raising taxes in the middle of a recession will only make things worse). Here's why:
STATE DEMOCRATS FACING REVOLT BY LABOR
By Andrew Garber, Seattle Times, Wednesday, November 11, 2009
State Democratic lawmakers have a revolt on their hands among major labor groups that provide the party crucial support during elections. The Washington State Labor Council, the Service Employees International Union and unions representing teachers and state workers have either stopped or sharply reduced donations to Democratic caucus political-action committees that back candidates for the state House and Senate. "I think the labor movement is more serious about withholding support from Democratic candidates this year than I have seen in my 30 years in politics," said Dwight Pelz, chairman of the state Democratic Party. There's even talk of trying to defeat some Democratic incumbents if they don't support issues important to labor in the next legislative session -- such as raising taxes to help close a growing budget shortfall.
...
All of this puts Democrats in a tough spot. Raising taxes in an election year is politically risky. But so is alienating the party's base. Democrats currently control the House, the Senate and the governor's office. Labor groups typically donate several hundred thousand dollars a year to the Democratic caucus PACs, controlled by House and Senate leaders, and provide volunteers to staff phone banks and campaign door to door. But this year, labor donations are a fraction of years past.
...
Labor groups are unhappy with lawmakers for not raising taxes to help close the $9 billion budget shortfall earlier this year.
...
The next legislative session will be key, they said, to labor support in the 2010 election. A big issue will be how the Democrats close a shortfall approaching $2 billion in the current state budget. Democratic lawmakers who don't support a tax increase and fall short on other labor issues could find themselves without union support. Or even become a target.
...
In the upcoming legislative session "there are people who will have to get off a fence this year and grow some courage," said David Rolf, president of Service Employees International Union Local 775.
-- END --
This front-page, above-the-fold news story by the Seattle Times back in November explains why Gregoire and the other Democrats are so eager to raise taxes.
They are under strict orders: either raise taxes or their Big Labor backers will stop bribing them.
Please help us fight back by going to our website to help us "Save The 2/3's Vote For Tax Increases" with our 2010 initiative
Posted by Tim Eyman at January 12, 2010 12:31 PM | Email ThisI am always impressed when someone who doesn't have to grow some 'courage' can challenge someone else on that matter.
And honestly, what is the Democratic party anymore, except the Unions and the public officials that work for them? Sure - they may support a different Democrat over the incumbent. Although I guess if they withdraw support from Democrat candidates, the Republican contender will hold the advertising edge.
Posted by: erich on January 12, 2010 01:28 PMAs for Governor Gregoire--
Take a look at this independent Audit of the Labor & Industries Accident Fund by Towers & Perrin--
http://www.workcompcentral.com/pdf/2010/misc/washaudit2010.pdf
An actuarial analysis prepared by Towers Perrin estimated the accident
fund had a nearly 75% chance of insolvency within two years and an 89.5%
chance of having its liabilities exceed its assets within five years.
They have played the shell-game for labor here and now is the day of reckoning.
How long can a state have low rates and the highest benefits when investment income is dropping??
Answer--Not forever!
Lots of chickens coming home to roost and they all point to one thing...INCOMPETENCE AND OVERSPENDING!
And Gregoire wants us to "TRUST" her??
Never.
Keep on keepin' on Tim.
Gary Locke and Locke's former Budget Director told us over a year ago that Gregoire has done NOTHING substantive. Nothing.
She acts like the Budget Fiasco just fell out of the sky like a meteor and landed on her pointy noggin. Gregoire acts like a victim!
No leadership...now the No Tax Increase in a Recession Governor has Tax Increase Amnesia!
What a loser.
But what do you expect from someone who spent 40 years at the government trough.
OINK OINK
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/1025094.html
My favorite:
Holmquist vowed to introduce a bill to reinstate the requirement.
She described Democrats as having a "ravenous appetite for spending" that must be curbed.
"It is imperative we have this taxpayer protection," Holmquist said. "It's time to teach my colleagues a lesson they should have learned a long time ago."
The quote ends here but her next sentence at the press conference was:
"It's time to teach my colleagues a lesson they should have learned a long time ago ... that you can't tax and spend your way out of a recession."
So true.
Posted by: Tim Eyman on January 12, 2010 04:44 PMbtw, you should really stop lying. she didn't say 'stop meddling' - she challenged you to man up and run for office, instead of being a wimp and hiding behind the undergarments of dunmire and fagan.
also, is it true you've been meddling on craigslist again? dirty.
Posted by: mike on January 12, 2010 06:48 PMThey say the cruelest thing you can do to a politician is quote them back to themselves.
Posted by: Tim Eyman on January 12, 2010 06:55 PMIt appear to me that Tim does more for this state than both democrat caucuses combined.
So, why and how would it make any difference, one way or the other, if he ran for office?
Posted by: Hinton on January 12, 2010 09:44 PMIsn't Gregiore's statement here actually the very highest arrogance?
Isn't she really saying "If you aren't a politican/bureaucrat, your views don't count" when she accuses Tim of somehow being where she's decided he doesn't belong?
After all, the initiative process is designed to give regular people a voice in government. As governor, she should recognize this and respect our voice. She obviously doesn't.
The state government has a ton of PR hacks, spokespeople, etc. working to get our tax dollars. The unions have their political clout, the union dues taken from their members, and their own spokespeople, political action committees, etc. They want to tell us why they deserve our money more than we do, and they've stopped even pretending to listen to our objections.
That's why we taxpayers have grown to support Tim and his small team. He actually speaks for the common taxpayer who's had enough of special interests and politicians tha don't listen. (And as one might expect, because he doesn't work for the government or a union, he works 10x as hard as any of them do and he gets results.
If they would respect the citizens initiative as part of the government process, we might have a government that isn't 2.6B in the red right now.
Posted by: johnny on January 13, 2010 06:13 AMAll initiatives can be amended by the legislature after two years. If people are so opposed to elected leaders doing that, they can vote them out of office. But they don't, do they?
See, they think they like some of what you say, Tim. But you're actually too radical for them. So they're content to vote your initiative ideas up or down - mostly down, history shows - but still have the legislature around to be a check on your shenanigans.
It's called a balance of power. Go get yourself elected as Governor-for-life somewhere if you don't like it.
All initiatives can be amended by the legislature after two years. If people are so opposed to elected leaders doing that, they can vote them out of office. But they don't, do they?
See, they think they like some of what you say, Tim. But you're actually too radical for them. So they're content to vote your initiative ideas up or down - mostly down, history shows - but still have the legislature around to be a check on your shenanigans.
It's called a balance of power. Go get yourself elected as Governor-for-life somewhere if you don't like it.
All initiatives can be amended by the legislature after two years. If people are so opposed to elected leaders doing that, they can vote them out of office. But they don't, do they?
See, they think they like some of what you say, Tim. But you're actually too radical for them. So they're content to vote your initiative ideas up or down - mostly down, history shows - but still have the legislature around to be a check on your shenanigans.
It's called a balance of power. Go get yourself elected as Governor-for-life somewhere if you don't like it.
All initiatives can be amended by the legislature after two years. If people are so opposed to elected leaders doing that, they can vote them out of office. But they don't, do they?
See, they think they like some of what you say, Tim. But you're actually too radical for them. So they're content to vote your initiative ideas up or down - mostly down, history shows - but still have the legislature around to be a check on your shenanigans.
It's called a balance of power. Go get yourself elected as Governor-for-life somewhere if you don't like it.
Posted by: tra-la-la on January 14, 2010 06:05 PM