Yakima City Council’s 5-2 decision to thwart the EMS Levy will cause a domino effect on other tax issues. Namely, the dream of a publicly supported Aquatic Center. How can this council lead us to a ballot measure on aquatics when it won’t even let the citizens vote on their number one priority – public safety.
This all republican council is excessively worried about the county’s .03 sales tax sunset in 2010 for the police. In between there would have been the Fire Dept EMS Levy, Aquatic center sales tax proposal, Street bond property tax or car tab tax, and a school bond, and then in 2012 the renewal of the County EMS levy. Sounds intimidating doesn’t it? It’s enough to make any republican office holder look for a place to hide. Failure to lead is the main attribute of the Republican party. They’ve proved that from the top (George Bush) down!
Perhaps the Aquatic Center issue would have failed anyway, I don’t know. But I do know that, as of now, you can kiss it goodbye. If our number one priority can’t get before the voters what else can?