In April, Pete von Reichbauer (https://www.kingcounty.gov/vonreichbauer.aspx) cut a backroom deal with
the Democrats (specifically Larry Phillips, the senior Democrat on the Council) and sold his vote in exchange for a lollipop in 2012 King County budget (in
King County parlance, a lollipop is a pet project or pork barrel earmark).
All 5 Democrats on the Council (Larry Phillips, Larry Gossett, Bob Ferguson, Julia Patterson, and Joe McDermott) were always going to vote to unilaterally jack up car tab taxes, but they needed one sell-out Republican to get it passed. (After reading this:
"King County Council member Larry Phillips, meanwhile, tells PubliCola he’s optimistic that the Democrats on the council will manage to sway at least one Republican vote", we did some investigating and learned about Phillips' backroom deal).
On April 25th, we sent everyone an email alerting you that one of the four Republicans on the King County Council (Jane Hague, Kathy Lambert, Pete von Reichbauer, or Reagan Dunn) had sold
their vote -- we did not name von Reichbauer. In response to your emails and phone calls, each of them, including von Reichbauer, denied cutting the deal and emphatically opposed unilaterally imposing ANY increase in car tab taxes without a vote of the people.
Here was what Pete von Reichbauer sent to the media and to constituents:
"In his second Inaugural Address, President Ronald Reagan asked: If not us, who...if not now, when? If the Washington State
Legislature will not listen to the taxpayers the King County Council should, and I for one have listened to my neighbors and I will NOT vote for the proposed car tab. Thanks for taking the time to ask me if I was going to vote for the fee increase. Pete
von Reichbauer"
On Monday, the day of the Council's vote, after returning from recess and in a very Perry Mason-like moment, PVR announced
that "new information has been brought to my attention" and then asked for a 20 minute recess. It was all fabricated theatre. By hyping it in this way and postponing the vote until August 15th, he was able to get even more lollipops.
So he's been lying for months. He lied to the media, lied to constituents, lied to all of you. It's totally sleazy under
any circumstances -- ignoring the voters' ballot box mandate -- but it's beyond the pale to sell a council vote in exchange for pork barrel earmarks.
We need your help to put a bright spotlight on his betrayal. Let him know your thoughts right away. Email him right away:
Here's his office phone number: 206-296-1007.
Democrats in Olympia have repeatedly ignored our repeated votes for $30 car tabs. They even passed a bill empowering the King County Council to unilaterally jack up car tab taxes BUT THEY NEEDED TO GIVE POLITICAL COVER TO THEIR DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES BY
REQUIRING AT LEAST ONE SELL-OUT REPUBLICAN TO GO ALONG. THEY FOUND ONE: PETE VON REICHBAUER. AND HE SOLD HIS VOTE CHEAP.
Too often, Republicans in the minority believe they've gotta cut sleazy back-room deals with majority Democrats to get re-elected (as if selling out the taxpayers for pork barrel projects is going to be well-received by voters).
Don't let this sell-out politician get away with taking away the
people's right to vote and our $30 tabs.
Best Regards, Tim Eyman, Jack Fagan, & Mike Fagan, Fighting for Taxpayers for 15 Years, ph: 425-493-9127, email:
tim_eyman@comcast.net,
https://www.VotersWantMoreChoices.com
P.S. There are thousands of politicians, bureaucrats, lobbyists, and special interest groups working each and every day to raise your taxes. Shouldn't there be at least one person, one team, one organization that fights
to lower your taxes? Please help us so we can continue our successful efforts on behalf of taxpayers.