The November 6th election is exactly six weeks away. 2007 is not as glamorous an election year as next one will be, with marquee offices like President and Governor on the ballot in ’08, but this one’s a bit of a sleeper, featuring ballot issues that could affect our community for years to come.
Top of the list, the Sound Transit-RTID “Roads & Transit” proposition, which would raise the sales tax and the motor-vehicle excise tax to bring in $ for a long list of transportation projects in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties. Here’s the “yes” site; here’s a “no” site.
Also high importance, particularly for hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren around the state, is the proposed state constitutional amendment HJR 4204, to change approval requirements for school levies to simple majorities instead of 2/3 — while school-levy approval hasn’t been much of a problem in Seattle, many other districts have had to cope with measures falling just short of 60% and having to spend money on repeated special elections.
These are just two of more than half a dozen ballot measures you will have to consider (also among them, the non-controversial but life-and-death Medic One renewal). Of course, your ballot includes people, too — City Council, School Board, and various county offices. More on them next time; meantime, our area’s largest political group, the 34th District Democrats, have posted their endorsement list — and tonight they are working on a different issue, according to their website; a committee meeting to plan a possible candidates’ forum for State Representative, if current State Rep. Joe McDermott is appointed to replace departing State Sen. Erik Poulsen.
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