Initiative 1125 is the Wrong Vision for our Transportation Future

re: Initiative 1125 is the Wrong Vision for our Transportation Future

Marie — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:55:15 GMT

Hum, from that article here seattletimes.nwsource.com/.../2016606680_danny26.html

" It [Initiative 1125] also seeks to bar light rail on the Highway 520 bridge (assuming tolls are used there.) If I-1125 passes, though, it would almost certainly be challenged in court. But here's one thing that can be said for sure: Eyman's initiative would not repeal any of the light-rail taxes. So if voters in Bellevue and across the Eastside vote for I-1125, they will be rejecting their promised benefit — the light-rail project — but not the taxes they levied on themselves to pay for it."

re: Initiative 1125 is the Wrong Vision for our Transportation Future

Deb — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:28:32 GMT

I like the idea of enforcement of the collected toll no diverted to non-transportation projects. Also that tolling will end after the project is completed.

The cause for concern is the mention that tolling funds to be used for only the same highway from which it was collected. Does this mean that interior roads and also roads leading to the highway cannot benefit from the finds collected from the said highway?

re: Initiative 1125 is the Wrong Vision for our Transportation Future

Toly — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 16:27:37 GMT

Hans R: Reading your comment, it is a typical rebuttal of an anti-populist opponent of a small government. Lets hope people have a better reason to vote for or against this initiative then a dislike or admiration of its author and his motives.

re: Initiative 1125 is the Wrong Vision for our Transportation Future

Hans R — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 00:41:33 GMT

Reading the text of the iniative it looks like a typical populist Tim Eyman piece of work. As usual Eyman is trying to justify his continued existence and paycheck by putting the future of our state at risk.

Let's hope the citizens of this state take the time to carefully think this through, weigh the pros and cons, realize the impacts and then decide AGAINST I-1125.

re: Initiative 1125 is the Wrong Vision for our Transportation Future

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:19:14 GMT

I will be first to say I don’t always see eye-to-eye with Mr. Eyman. And, while I do need to dig into this bill deeper, it seems that this is worthy of my vote at first glance. Like others, I see a toll as a de facto tax. I also believe that we have the responsibility to utilize public funds in a manner that is efficient, effective, with oversight, and within mechanisms that establish transparency.

I would be one of the first to sign up for a car tab, or other TEMPORARY tax to ensure that light rail has the appropriate funds to complete. However, I am completely against giving the state an open inflow of funds to complete a project that was not in the original bill of sale to the public. If memory serves me, the tolls for the 520 bridge were to build an alternative to the viaduct and the floating bridge (as was the “emergency” 9 cent gas tax our current governor enacted without vote). I have had enough of taxes being enacted which don't have a sunset, and end up being utilized for purposes they were never intended for.

Sometimes it amazes me that tactics that would NEVER fly in any business never even receive a blink of an eye when it comes to appropriation of public funds. I guess I should pad the next project I work on by 50% and for 1.5 million so I can use 500K for somthing shiny and fun that will make me happy... Kind of the same thing, right?

At what point is this toll money not about transportation any longer? What is to stop our politicians from using these same funds for pork projects without placing some boundaries around it?

re: Initiative 1125 is the Wrong Vision for our Transportation Future

Toly — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:09:35 GMT

Ben Schiendelman: Leaving aside the merits of the light rail system, how will this initiative halt light rail? It deals with the funding collected from tolls (how they are used and when the end), moves the responsibilities of assigning tolls to the legislature, and links these funds to 18th amendment. I found no mention of light rail system in the initiative.

N: Again, this initiative deals with how to use tolls and when they end. It does not kill any specific project, just make the legislature, should it choose to use tolls, define the project for these tolls, and when the project ends, end the toll. This law makes it harder to raise taxes, and easier to end a "temporary" tax/toll/fee.

My tirade against multiple simultaneous forms of taxes/tolls/fees, etc. applies no matter what taxing system is used (sales vs. income). The merits of one tax system vs. another, how easy it is for the tax payer to avoid or postpone paying of taxes, etc. are all good things to discuss, but not as it relates to this initiative. With this initiative becoming law, a toll designated for 520 bridge will not pay for light rail, and will not linger to pay for any other project that is needed to rectify the "consequence" of 520 bridge changes.

re: Initiative 1125 is the Wrong Vision for our Transportation Future

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:43:56 GMT

To the person commenting about increasing sales tax - This puts the state at the whim of the consumer, and right now consumers are spending less, therefore a contributing factor to the huge budget shortfalls we have in the state. Additionally, Sales taxes are extremely regressive with the lower/middle income taking the majority of the tax burden. (What we really need is a state income tax, but that's another argument) The truth of the matter is the 520 bridge has to be replaced, the voters has voted down just about every other transportation iniative, and WA's hands are tied. Tolling works as it is targeted to the primary users of the bridge, albeit somewhat regressive as well. There's not a lot of other options. We need to move forward with SOMETHING instead of doing nothing.

I envision those that don't want to pay taking 90 or 522 instead to avoid the toll. I am not sure what the reasoning was in only tolling the 520, likely due to the interstate being a federal asset.

re: Initiative 1125 is the Wrong Vision for our Transportation Future

Ben Schiendelman — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:26:44 GMT

Toly, did you miss the part where it would also halt light rail to Microsoft?

re: Initiative 1125 is the Wrong Vision for our Transportation Future

Toly — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:43:47 GMT

Travis and others,

There is no negative impact. The projects that are/will be funded by this toll can be funded in other ways, so they do not have to stall at all. The only negative here is that there is yet another law that clarifies or enforces the spirit of the constitution.

I wish the political discourse would separate the argument over a method of funding from the merits of whatever is being discussed. This will eliminate these type of initiatives.

re: Initiative 1125 is the Wrong Vision for our Transportation Future

Travis — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:31:48 GMT

Let's just keep in mind that we're not voting on the "spirit" of an initiative; we're voting on text as written. If the details are not perfect and have negative impacts, then the parts that we DO like had better be pretty darned exceptional. And we don't need new laws to restate our constitution. That's what our constitution is for.