Here we go again.
Tim Eyman has decided to run another initiative that cuts funding for education, health care and other government services. Here’s what the State’s Office of Financial Management says will be the impact of these cuts:
Initiative 1033 limits annual growth of state, city and county general fund revenue to the rate of inflation and population growth. General fund revenues exceeding this limit must be used to reduce the following year’s state, city or county general fund property tax levy. The initiative reduces state general fund revenues that support education; social, health and environmental services; and general government activities by an estimated $5.9 billion by 2015. The initiative also reduces general fund revenues that support public safety, infrastructure and general government activities by an estimated $694 million for counties and $2.1 billion for cities by 2015.
So to summarize, Initiative 1033 would cut government spending by an estimated $5.9 billion by 2015. It would also cut $684 million for counties and $2.1 billion for cities.
As the No on 1033 site points out a similar initiative was passed in Colorado in 1992. People in Colorado suspended the law in 2005. Here’s why: The share of low-income kids without health insurance doubled. Colorado’s per capita funding for education plummeted to 49th in nation. The state couldn’t even afford to vaccinate children entering school to help protect against diseases like whooping cough.
The No on 1033 side continues to explain why 1033 would be a bad idea for Washington. This year, 40,000 low-income people in Washington have lost their health insurance. $1.5 billion has been slashed from education, taking resources away from kids and classrooms. And as many as 3,000 teachers and school employees face layoffs. As the economy recovers, we could restore funding to education and health care – but I-1033 would make these cuts permanent and force even deeper cuts in the future.
Now, I understand that people want their taxes lower. I even understand that there are a bunch of people out there who don’t want to invest any more in public schools or 4 year universities; ensuring people have basic access to health care; or roads, transit and other infrastructure provided by city and county governments.
But, I DO want to invest in those things. I believe that our long-term economic outlook depends on investments in our schools. Washington State kids are competing in a global economy. We can duck our heads in the sand and ignore the need to ensure they are ready. But, I think it would be a mean and shortsighted thing to do.
I also think we should ensure people have basic access to health care. Our system requires that emergency rooms take care of sick people. Those costs get passed on to the rest of us. They are much higher than if someone was seeing a regular doctor and catching problems before they have to go to expensive emergency rooms. One could argue that we should let people die, but I can’t imagine that’s part of the talking points of the Yes on 1033 campaign.
We have also seen that roads and bridges need repaired all over the state. Many of these projects are taken on by city and county governments. We are jeopardizing our own safety by cutting funding for county and city governments.
The Yes side could argue that we just need to trim the fat but when we have already cut teachers, cut 40,000 people off of basic health care and counties/cities are laying off employees, it doesn’t seem like giving them less money is getting the intended outcome.
Now, if Tim Eyman wants to specifically point out where programs or government employees should be cut, we could have that conversation. But that’s where he becomes a duplicitous snake. He will never do that because he knows that many of the programs that he would like to see cut are popular with voters. If he was specific, he would not get anything passed. Not that he has a very good track record of passing initiatives in the first place.
So, let’s keep telling Tim Eyman NO. Let’s get out of this recession and invest in our infrastructure and public education to limit the damage of recessions in the future.
how dare you to try deny Tim his way of making a living! Any good shyster does not have to be a lawyer!
As destructive as Eyeman’s 1033 might be, and that would remain to be seen, if it is approved, you gotta admit that he does have a point. Property taxes are too high, and it would at least appear that both county and city governments are a bit capricious with their bag of tax gold. If 1033 only cut out the fat and got the extra supervisor to at least look like he is doing something other than leaning on the shovel, it would be a good adventure. But, based on what I have read and attempt to understand, it would destroy certain benefits that we have grown to adore.
The major point of it all, is that we have a level of spending that nobody wants to gut. LEVEL OF SPENDING. I think Eyeman has a certain validity in his proposals…noteably, that government is going wild with spending in every conceivable direction. We discharge our vile against crime, and then speak NOT about the Nov. 15th gun show at the SunDome, knowing anybody can walk in there with the money and buy anything they want. And the hypocrisy –(the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform)– is that Edler is taking lumps for being a member of a mayor’s group that wants it under better management. Now, I know the yahoos are going to jump on this like stink on shit, but the simplicity of it is dramatic. We spend 80K to control gangs then let ‘em buy all the guns they want. As Spock would say, “this is not logical.”
Initiative 1033 does not cut spending, it only limits the growth of government. “Initiative 1033 limits annual growth of state, city and county general fund revenue to the rate of inflation and population growth.” Limiting growth is NOT a cut, only democrats see a limit to growth as a cut in spending, if you only increase spending by 3% but you wanted to increase spending by 10%, you are calling that a 7% cut in spending even though you are spending more than the year before. Larger government and more taxes are not the way out of a recession…the more the government takes from us the less we have to spend and the longer the recession lasts, so lets limit government, and give us the power to say when we can afford to spend more. The free market works…it’s what made our lifestyle the envy of the world.
I went to the scrub SB5688 rally at the Yak Convention Center. I went, I saw, I experienced reverse peristalsis. There was more pushing of the idea that you cannot be a Christian if you are in favor of R-71. There was also a great deal of — You cannot be American unless you wanna go blow the crap out of somebody who does not embody the American creed–great many pictures of waving American flags and soldiers in full combat gear. Another message was that promoted by the John Birch Society, and/or, Obama is leading you off the deep end into socialism. I think we are in danger from super-patriots and religious zealots. There was a vilifying of the buzzword “socialism,” and the message that Obama equals lack of freedom. I wanted to ask for the Social Security cards and Medicare cards, but my ride was also gettint ill and wanted to go home.
But the real freezer was the promotion of the John Birch leader–more pastors, marching their version of Christianity up to the stage. I was terrified.
Thanks for experiencing the moment for those of us who couldn’t make ourselves walk through the door. Were there any protesters outside? Any estimate of the the size? I heard the event organizers were going to introduce the Selah woman who is intending to run against Rep Johnson in 2010 – handpicked by Skip Schoff and his Christian minions who want to oust Johnson and Sen. King for their votes on the domestic partnership bill.