Before I go off to lick my wounds (perhaps in beautiful San Juan County, the only county in the state of Washington that followed Sightline’s advice and voted “no” on I-1053), I want to point out one thing.
Voters approved this undemocratic, unconstitutional, unfair, oil-industry Trojan Horse by 64 percent to 36 percent, but they didn’t vote for it by a wide enough margin to approve it under its own math. It didn’t get two-thirds of the votes, yet it imposes that test on the state legislature. One-third of legislators in either house in Olympia can now block the closure of any tax loophole or the collection of any new revenue.
Under Oregon’s constitution, it would have failed, despite its landslide victory. Oregon rules say that new supermajority requirements must win approval of the supermajority they specify. In Oregon, to impose a two-thirds voting requirement on the legislature, two-thirds of voters have to agree.
Unfair: minority rule by majority vote.
Tim Eyman, I-1053 co-sponsor
Only 50% + 1 was necessary to pass I-1053 and yet it received 64% support from voters. That is a blowout, landslide victory. And that huge margin is despite opponents spending $1.5 million in advertising against it compared to next to nothing spent by proponents in the fall campaign. And that makes the 4th time voters have approved I-1053’s tax limits – that’s extraordinary. You wrote that winning by a 28 point margin wouldn’t be enough if we lived in Oregon—but we don’t, we live in Washington.As I said on election night: “With all three initiatives, the voters rejected the argument that the business community and successful people are the enemy. Divisive efforts to demonize them backfired. They are allies, not enemies. They are heroes, not villains. They are the job creators who provide the fuel for our economy’s growth. They are role models who deserve a pat on the shoulder, not a knife in the back. Voters rejected the ugly politics of envy, resentment, and class warfare—that’s just not how most Americans think or feel. Our state and our society benefits from appreciating and encouraging our entrepreneurs and risk-takers. Voters rejected stealing their earned achievements. “As Lincoln said: You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatreds. “Tonight, the voters embraced a positive, hopeful, we’re-all-Americans attitude. And that’s inspiring. “Voters found this year’s attacks on me ridiculous and irrelevant. And when it came to initiative spending, voters didn’t care which side had more money, they cared which side had the better argument. The citizens of Washington are smart and fair—they’re perfectly capable of making decisions on initiatives. Attempts by the elite to belittle the people’s intelligence and underestimate their interest in public policy have only energized the electorate even more.”
Josef
You forget that voters can approve tax increases by a simple majority or the legislature can approve fees by a simple majority (supposedly). I voted NO (just don’t trust Eyman + Te$oro) + at the time felt the cap wasn’t tough enough (as in tuition could be raised again to balance the state budgets instead of general taxes) but I prefer voter approval or at least after the legislature imposes the tax voter consent on tax & fee (e.g. tuition, park) increases. Government is going to have to learn that we ARE hurting and to go Lean America!
Josef
Dear Tim Eyman,I agree w/ you on most of what you say. But do you really think you had to accept money from Tesoro – especially after their lack of a good safety culture killed seven great blue-colors Americans?Nor do I think its okay to write an initiative that furthers the ideal that all we have to do to balance budgets is gut higher ed and raise tuition. Higher ed is the pathway to a good economy just as much as fair and low tax rates.Just my thoughts.
Tim Eyman, I-1053 co-sponsor
To: Josef64% of voters approved I-1053 (over 1.5 million people for, 866K against) and every one of the 333,000 citizens who signed I-1053’s petitions did so voluntarily. Everyone who donated to I-1053 pays taxes in Washington state and wanted to give the voters their 4th opportunity to vote for its tax limits – the lion’s share of voters agreed with the petition signers and donors.
Stacey
Mr Eyman, The ‘blowout, landslide victory’ by the ‘lion’s share’ of voters still does not meet the 2/3 supermajority standard now imposed on us.
Tim Eyman
Response to STACEY:Refer to post above by Josef 11/15/2010 09:40 AM You forget that voters can approve tax increases by a simple majority