RE: Our statewide initiative for 2011 is ...
Voters approved Initiative 1053, the Taxpayer Protection Act, last year with a 64% 'yes' vote. It passed in every legislative district outside Seattle (44 of
49 districts overwhelmingly approved it). I-1053's policies were clear and unambiguous. Nonetheless, we've been watching politicians for months find sneaky, underhanded ways to get around I-1053 and our state Constitution.
We had originally planned to simply reinstate the policies in I-1053
with a Son of 1053 initiative next year. WE'RE STILL GOING TO DO THAT.
But we've decided to do an initiative this year that addresses Olympia's sidestepping of I-1053 but also brings a few urgent transportation policy decisions to the attention of the public. Special interest groups and
politicians don't want an open debate on this ... they prefer cutting backroom deals and keeping the voters in the dark about what they're doing. Our initiative puts a spotlight on these critical issues and gives the public the chance to weigh in.
Here's the main things this year's "Protect Gas-Taxes and Toll-Revenues Act" I-1125 does:
* As required by voter-approved I-1053, I-1125 mandates that the Legislature, and not unelected bureaucrats at Gregoire's transportation commission, set tolls (in the pending transportation budget, the Legislature violated I-1053
by re-delegating toll-setting authority back to Gregoire's transportation commission -- this completely goes against what the voters said in November);
* As required by the 18th Amendment to our state Constitution, I-1125 requires that transportation taxes be spent for transportation; and
* I-1125 requires that tolls on a project be spent on that project and not be diverted and spent on other things.
Here is Initiative 1125's official ballot title (written by the Attorney General):
This measure would prohibit the use of motor vehicle fund revenue and vehicle toll revenue for non-transportation purposes, and require that road and bridge tolls be set by the legislature and be project-specific.
Why is I-1125 necessary? Here are two recent examples:
As the intent section of I-1125 makes clear: The 18th Amendment to the Washington Constitution protects gas taxes and toll revenues. But politicians and special interest groups have been working for years to sidestep
the 18th Amendment’s protections and divert those revenues to nontransportation purposes. This measure protects our gas taxes and toll revenues from a legislative raid by giving voters the chance to reaffirm their support for the 18th Amendment to the Washington
Constitution.
When it comes to these questions, I-1125 lets the voters decide:
* Should transportation taxes and tolls be spent on transportation or should politicians be able to raid transportation taxes and tolls and spend them on anything they want?
* When it comes to imposing tolls, should it be the elected representatives of the Legislature or unelected bureaucrats at Gregoire's transportation commission who decide?
* Should tolls on a project be spent on that project or should politicians be allowed to divert toll revenues and spend them on anything they want?
* Should politicians have to listen to the will of people and abide by the state Constitution or should they be allowed to ignore it?
* Should gas-tax-funded lanes on state highways continue to be used for highway purposes (as the state Constitution requires) or should politicians be able to ignore the Constitution?
* Should citizens, regardless of income, have access to the bridges and highways our taxes have paid for or should only rich people be able to use them?