Reject scare tactics and support Initiative 747

Tim Eyman

Washington is the fifth highest taxed state in the nation. That means 45 other states provide education, transportation, criminal justice and other government services at a lower level of taxation than Washington does. Taxpayers desperately need and deserve meaningful tax relief.

Consider property taxes. For decades, numerous taxing districts have increased property taxes 6 percent per year. That means state government has jacked them up; counties, cities, fire districts, library districts, special districts and ports have all dramatically jacked them up. Property taxes are skyrocketing in Washington. Currently, property taxes double every seven to nine years. We need I-747 to defuse Washington’s "property tax time bomb" so working class families and senior citizens, and not just rich people, can afford to buy and own homes.

Over the years, numerous efforts have been made to limit property tax increases but they’ve either been struck down by the courts or contained huge loopholes. I-747 carefully follows recent court rulings and closes previous loopholes. I-747 limits property tax increases to 1 percent per year unless voters OK a higher increase.

"But wait, isn’t 1 percent below inflation?" I’m sure you’ve heard that. The reality is property taxes will exceed the rate of inflation, even without I-747’s voter approval provision. Why? Because I-747 only limits property tax levy increases – but governments receive property taxes from many sources, not just the levy. Governments receive additional (and substantial) property tax revenue from new construction and improvements which average 2.5 percent per year. Governments also receive property tax revenues from real estate excise taxes, as well as substantial impact fees on new construction. In addition, governments receive property tax revenue from voter approved excess levies, school levies and bonds. So property tax revenue will continue to exceed inflation. But as a "safety valve," I-747 allows governments to go even higher if voters agree. And don’t forget, even with the passage of I-747, governments will continue to receive tax revenue from sales taxes, business and occupation taxes, utility taxes, excise taxes and other taxes and fees. The point is I-747 doesn’t "wreck" government or "end representative democracy" or any of the other threats, lies and scare tactics you’ve heard.

We knew I-747 would be attacked, so we purposely made I-747 a very moderate proposal. I-747 doesn’t slash property taxes, it simply limits property tax increases. So, concerning "lost revenue," politicians simply can’t complain — I-747 doesn’t take away any more money from government than they had in 2000.

Family budgets are under assault. Health care premiums, utility bills, housing costs, transportation expenses, rent increases, taxes — they’re all skyrocketing. Politicians must learn that family budgets desperately need meaningful tax relief. And I-747 takes an incredibly modest approach: limiting property tax increases. Without I-747, soon only rich people will be able to afford to buy and own homes.

Politicians offer no alternative — their response to taxpayers is "tough it out." Well, that’s fine for rich people, they can accommodate huge tax increases. But working class folks and senior citizens living on fixed incomes find skyrocketing property tax increases simply unbearable.

When I-747 passes in November, as we hope it will, some politicians will say, "When voters OK’d I-747, they were telling us taxpayers don’t mind huge tax increases, they just want a public vote." That’s not the message at all. I-747 doesn’t mean going back to business-as-usual with limits on property taxes increases. Voter approval of I-747 means taxpayers want politicians to consider tax increases — any tax increases — only as a last resort. That means exhausting all other options first. That means prioritizing government services and requiring long-overdue performance audits on every government program and agency. And yes, that means discontinuing government programs that are either ineffective or whose costs outweigh their benefits. In other words, taxpayers want politicians to give up their sacred cows so that tax dollars are spent in the most cost effective manner possible.

We ask every voter to use I-747 as your megaphone to scream in the ear of every politician that you don’t want any tax increase as long as sacred cows are allowed. Please vote "Yes" and tell politicians that the taxpayers of Washington won’t tolerate being taken for granted any longer.

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