Change delivered by our initiatives

Published 5:39 pm Friday, June 10, 2016

We’ve been engaged in a 17-year tug-of-war over taxes in Washington state. For nearly two decades, we’ve utilized the people’s initiative process to help taxpayers communicate with politicians about their opposition to higher taxes and fees.

The voters have consistently supported our initiatives, and the impact from our ballot box victories is undeniable and quantifiable. Look at what we’ve accomplished together:

Our $30 car tab initiatives in 1999 and 2002 were both approved by voters and have directly saved taxpayers $20.95 billion so far. For decades prior, taxpayers were forced to pay hundreds and many times thousands of dollars every year to license their vehicles. Nowadays, annual car tabs aren’t $30, but they’re dramatically lower than they used to be.

For decades, state and local governments regularly raised property taxes 6 percent each year, compounded year after year. But in 2001, voters approved our 1 percent property tax cap initiative that’s still the law today. If not for it, the growth of property taxes would have been six times higher than they were. Directly, that 1 percent cap has saved taxpayers more than $11 billion so far.

Then there’s our numerous initiatives requiring two-thirds legislative approval or voter approval for tax increases:

After voters approved our Initiative 960 in 2007, the Legislature didn’t raise a single tax in 2008 and 2009.

After voters approved our Initiative 1053 in 2010, there weren’t any tax increases in 2011 and 2012.

After voters approved our Initiative 1185 in 2012, there weren’t any tax hikes in 2013 and 2014. Amazingly, during that high turnout presidential year, I-1185 passed in all 39 counties and got more votes than any initiative in state history.

In February 2013, the state Supreme Court told us we needed to pursue a constitutional amendment. We tried in 2013 and 2014 but didn’t make it. But we were persistent and so in 2015, we worked really hard and were extremely pleased to give the voters the chance to vote on I-1366. It was our boldest initiative by far. It asked the voters: Do you support reducing sales taxes $1 billion per year unless the Legislature lets the voters vote on a 2/3-for-taxes constitutional amendment? Because it was so in-your-face, it got an unprecedented level of opposition. The entire media establishment, including The Herald, went bonkers. Voters were told that I-1366 was blackmail and coercion, and it was made 100 percent clear that our initiative was intended to force the Legislature to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot.

And that’s what makes its approval by voters so extraordinary. The fact that voters validated such an aggressive initiative shows you how adamantly the voters supported it. Within high population Seattle, it was opposed by 75 percent of liberal voters, but outside Seattle, I-1366 got a whopping 57 percent of the vote. It passed in 35 of 39 counties, including Snohomish.

How did taxpayers benefit from the passage of I-1366? First, the Legislature didn’t raise a single tax this year. That alone is a huge accomplishment. Second, in response to the voters’ clear mandate, our allies in the House and Senate forced floor votes on a two-thirds-for-taxes constitutional amendment. Every single Republican voted to let the people vote but not a single Democrat joined them. Every House and Senate Democrat ignored their constituents’ wishes and refused to let the people vote (Reps. Marko Liias, Steve Hobbs, John McCoy, Luis Moscoso, for example). Thanks to I-1366, those floor votes have become a defining campaign issue in this year’s elections and will help voters determine which party controls the House and Senate next year.

All of us are obviously disappointed the Supreme Court ignored the Attorney General’s persuasive defense of our initiative and vetoed I-1366, disregarding the will of the people. We agree with the AG who argued the people had every right to push for the right to vote on a two-thirds-for-taxes constitutional amendment. We will learn from the experience, adapt and persevere.

We recently launched a new initiative called “We Love Our Cars.” Initiative 869 repeals certain government-imposed charges on vehicles that we think are unfair. For example, I-869 pulls the plug on express lane tolls that have turned I-405 into a parking lot and made traffic congestion worse. Learn more about it here: www.VotersWantMoreChoices.com.

Politicians, bureaucrats and their special interest allies are always plotting and scheming to take more of your money. Our mission, with your help, is to stop them from constantly and ruinously raising your taxes and eroding your liberty.

It’s amazing how successful we’ve been protecting taxpayers, especially when you consider how much of the political, judicial and media establishment is against us. Our success comes from our persistence.

Taxpayers are counting on us to continue fighting for them — we won’t let them down.

Tim Eyman is co-sponsor of Initiative 869. He lives in Mukilteo. Email him at tim_eyman@comcast.net.