Who else fights our very high taxes?

Regarding the March 3 letter about Tim Eyman, “He’s not helping the common man”: Then who is? Who else has done anything about our out of control taxes? Surely not our elected officials who are concerned about a raise and re-election. These raises should be decided by the voting public and not a board of the “good guys club.”

The words the writer used to describe Eyman also fit some officials. Don’t they always promise to lower taxes? Politicians get campaign money using the same methods he touts Eyman for.

We passed an initiative to make car tabs $30. Our officials have added fees and charges so they are no longer $30. We now have a “trauma tax” to pay for ambulance service for those who don’t have insurance. Don’t property taxes pay for fire and EMT services?

We need watchdogs like Eyman to get our government spending and taxes under control. What has been the benefit of paying some of the highest gas taxes in the country? Not a single new major highway or freeway system has been built in the last 30 years. Yes, improvements have been made on existing roads. Just drive through Monroe after 4 p.m. We need to move the Capitol to Monroe – this would fix Highway 2 and get a bypass built. Let our politicians fight their way through the traffic and road rage. All this congestion should mean more people are paying taxes. Recent TV ads tell us that Washington is 46th in the nation on school spending. Where does all our tax money go?

After Proposition 13 passed in California, it made the elected officials stand up and take notice to what the people wanted. The time is here for Washington residents to do something. If people don’t want Eyman to step forward, then who?

Perry Baxter

Snohomish

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