What’s wrong with having lawmakers ask us first?
September 24, 2009 · Updated 2:03 PM
What’s wrong with going to the voters? It’s a question that Initiative 1033’s opponents can’t or won’t answer.
Like all of our initiatives, I-1033 includes the safety valve of voter approval. Under I-1033, if government decides the automatic increase provided by I-1033 isn’t a big enough increase, lawmakers can go to the voters and ask for more.
Opponents of I-1033 never, ever acknowledge that fact.
With I-601 in 1993, I-695 in 1999, I-747 in 2001 and I-960 in 2007, opponents could never come up with a good response to the safety-valve each initiative provided, which was, “Iif you need more, ask us.”
Not coincidentally, those four initiatives were approved by the voters.
So rather than providing a bad answer to that question, opponents of I-1033 have decided to go with the ostrich approach and pretend it doesn’t exist.
I-1033 provides government with an automatic revenue increase each year of inflation and population growth, the same limit provided by I-601 — that is until Gov. Christine Gregoire and Democrats got rid of it in 2005, which led directly to a $9 billion deficit.
But if they can convince the voters more money is needed or wanted, then such voter-approved taxes or fees are exempt from I-1033’s limit.
Without limits like those in I-1033 (or in I-960 or I-601),
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