OLYMPIA —— A tough night February 4 at the polls for money issues does not seem to have dampened the will of local legislators when it comes to possibly asking the voters for money in November.
While measures for funding libraries and schools and bond issues to construct facilities lost, the call for measures that would raise the state gasoline tax or fund transportation projects, while muted, still is alive.
For most legislators, the results were not so much a rejection of taxation as an on-going issue of a lack of trust by voters of their government and elected officials, a reflection of the economy or an aberration typical of a low turnout election.
The lone Republican legislator from the region, state Sen. Dave Schmidt of Mill Creek, agrees that the results may be a reflection of the economy. But he thinks voters are sending a secondary message as well.
“They are telling us we need to tighten our belts,” he said. “The message that will filter down to the legislature is that people are unwilling to increase property taxes,”
He believes that is a separate issue from a general tax increase like the gas tax.
The most despondent reaction of the night came from 21st District Sen. Paull Shin, D-Mukilteo.
His first concern was for the schools in his home district and around the state.
“I don’t know why any teacher is going to stay,” he said. “Last year, I sponsored a bill to allow retired teachers to return to the classroom. What are they going to think?”
He also was frustrated by the issue of a super majority being required for bond issues.
“You cannot fund schools with super majorities being required. Three times I have proposed changing that law and every time it has been voted down.”
Shin, despite his disappointment at the outcome and working from the minority in the Senate, still plans to introduce his bill proposing a five-cent per gallon gas tax increase this year and asking the voters for an additional nickel in 2004 after they have seen how the first increase was spent.
But his concern is that people no longer have trust in government.
“The trust between people and government is gone,” he said. “But we lost a battle tonight. We have to fight on to win the war. The legislature has to negotiate and come up with solutions and rebuild that trust.”
His 21st district counterpart in the House, Mike Cooper, D-Edmonds, believes that the legislature will look past this election.
“This hasn’t changed my mind about the fact that the legislature needs to show responsibility and leadership to resolve the transportation issue. And local leaders are going to have to look closely at what happened today to see what they need to do to get a regional package passed.”
Cooper, a member of the House Transportation Committee, believes that the legislature needs to enact a gas tax increase and let the voter know what they are getting for their taxes.
“They will have a referendum on it when we are up for re-election in the fall,” he said. “Voters need to know that their money is going to be well spent.”
Lake Forest Park Democratic Sen. Darlene Fairley does not believe that people view such community oriented agencies as schools and libraries as ‘government’. She believes all were victims of consumer confidence.
“All we her every day is that there is going to be a war,” she said. “Everyone knows someone that is being called up. People are not sure of what the future holds and are reluctant to commit the monies they are being asked for. People are hunkering down.”
She thinks that legislators need to address the perceptions that people have about government and the economy.
“Confidence is not based on reality, it is based on what people perceive the situation to be.”
She believes that the legislature will press ahead with any money issues it sees fit, but with a twist.
“They are liable to look for issues that speak to the basic needs of the public, things like public health.”
First district sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell believes that this election was far from a barometer for future elections.
“The turn-out was quite low,” she said. “For many people this election was not high profile.”
She voiced another common concern expressed by her colleagues, the state of the economy.
“We are in a tough time,” she said. “We will have to look carefully at the results to see if the economy in particular areas may have had an effect.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
