Tim Eyman's I-1366 will be on the ballot.

[JanS]

This is a quote I got today from Northwest Progressive Institute:

“Eyman’s I-1366 certified for ballot; jeopardizes $8 billion in revenue through 2021

As required by law, the Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) has completed a fiscal impact statement for Tim Eyman’s I-1366, which was today certified for the November 2015 statewide ballot by Secretary of State Kim Wyman.

According to OFM’s analysis, I-1366 is an even greater threat to Washington’s future than previously believed. The 13% sales tax cut that I-1366 would impose if legislators don’t submit to Eyman’s demand for a constitutional amendment to sabotage Article II, Section 22 translates to a loss of $1.4 billion a year in 2017, the first year it would fully be in effect. It only gets worse after that. Through 2021, Washington’s treasury would be deprived of approximately $8 billion in funding for vital public services like schools and universities.

“OFM’s fiscal impact statement for I-1366 confirms what we’ve been saying for months about I-1366: This is the most destructive, mean-spirited initiative that Tim Eyman has ever qualified for the ballot,” said Northwest Progressive Institute founder Andrew Villeneuve. “Eyman doesn’t have the votes in the Legislature to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2013 League of Education Voters decision, so he’s resorted to blackmail. And he’s taking Washington’s young people as his hostages.”

“We can see what’s at risk by looking at the state budget. The sales tax is easily our state’s largest single source of tax revenue, supplying nearly half of the money that goes into the general fund. And more than half of the general fund goes to K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. Education is our single largest responsibility as a people. And, in the words of our Constitution, it is also our paramount duty. We are obligated, as a society, to make ample provision for the education of Washington’s youth.”

“”The Supreme Court has determined we have not been meeting this obligation and ordered our legislators to act. The slight progress the House and Senate have made to date towards complying with the Court’s McCleary orders is jeopardized by I-1366. Legislators just agreed on a bipartisan basis to put more money into schools and lower tuition. That carefully crafted agreement will be undone in the span of a few months if I-1366’s first scenario comes to pass,” Villeneuve said.

“And under other I-1366’s second scenario, our regressive tax code would be locked into place permanently. As few as seventeen senators – twelve percent of our entire Legislature – could kill any attempt to raise or recover revenue for our state treasury. Our founders strongly believed that decisions like these should be made by the many, not a few. We should honor and uphold the Constitution they gave us by rejecting I-1366.”

OFM’s analysis also determined that funding for implementation of I-900, Tim Eyman’s performance audits initiative from ten years ago, would be cut by Scenario 1 of I-1366. I-900 stipulated that a percentage of state sales tax revenue be dedicated to funding performance audits. Ironically, money for conducting those audits is now at risk along with the other public services that the sales tax funds. “

Please think long and hard on anything he wants done. He doesn’t give a damn what turmoil it throws things into in Olympia. I’d like to suggest a no vote on I-1366 this fall.

Share This

[metrognome]

if I counted correctly, Mr. I-Man has submitted requests for numbers for 16 initiatives (you can sort by first name by clicking on ‘primary sponsor.’) If you click on ‘initiative subject’, you get the summary below plus contact info; interesting but not surprising that the contact person is in good ‘ole conservative Spokane, my childhood home.

http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/Initiatives.aspx?y=2015&t=p

here’s the summary of Eynitiative 1366, aka ‘Taxpayer Protection Act 4’ followed by a link to the complete text of the 20 page Eynitiative. Bonus points for anyone who can list the substantive legal differences between TPA4 and TPA1-3 and 5-8.

Ballot Title

Initiative Measure No. 1365 concerns state taxes and fees.

This measure would repeal business and occupation taxes unless the legislature refers to voters a constitutional amendment requiring two-thirds legislative approval or voter approval to raise taxes, and legislative approval for fee increases.

Should this measure be enacted into law? Yes [ ] No [ ]

Ballot Measure Summary

This measure would, on April 15, 2016, repeal the business and occupation tax which is imposed on a wide variety of businesses and occupations. The measure would not repeal those taxes if, by April 15, 2016, two-thirds of both legislative houses refer to the ballot a vote on a constitutional amendment that requires two-thirds legislative approval or voter approval to raise taxes, and majority legislative approval to set the amount of a fee increase.

http://sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/initiatives/FinalText_726.pdf

Share This

[anonyme]

And who pays for these multiple fiscal impact statements? Isn’t it the very taxpayers who Mr. Eyman postures to protect?

There should be a limit on initiatives. Mr. Eyman is a pathetic narcissist who cares only about creating (more) chaos in government, and for the thrill of semi-turgidity in his tiny little member as a result of these petty power games.

Anything with his name on it should be avoided at all costs.

Share This

[JanS]

anonyme….I absolutely love your second paragraph…lol

Share This

[metrognome]

according to the Seattle Times, a lawsuit against the initiative was filed today. The lawsuit alleges Ey-1366 ‘… oversteps the powers granted citizen initiatives by trying to indirectly amend the state Constitution.’ Eyman’s response was the usual tantrum.

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/suit-filed-over-eyman-tax-measure-just-a-day-after-it-makes-the-ballot/

Share This

[Author]

Posts