I note with wry amusement that the VERY ELECTED LEADERS who have been preaching doom and gloom over the potential effects of I-695, and indicating that it will take money out of the mouths of babes, close the schools, put little old ladies out on the street, etc., NOW BELIEVE that there is an extra $415 million kicking around the general fund in petty change, to provide additional money for light rail, since the $100 million a mile isn't gonna do it. Any of you anti-695 apologists for the nanny state want to explain the sudden reversal? Why isn't this taking money away from necessary programs, pilfering from our public schools, etc. What hypocrisy.

-- Craig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), October 15, 1999

Answers

Ummmmm, I believe the articles I've read this morning place these comments in the mouths of local officials who don't have any control over the state's general fund. The responses from Olympia seems to be of the "keep dreaming" variety should 695 pass.

This seems to be yet another one government said something so EVERY government said it generalization. Do you actually believe that the state will just hand over $400 million in tax dollars (actually they're requesting a sales tax exemption) in a session in which they would be facing a $700 million decrease in revenue? Let me remind everyone that this same effort was proposed last session and rejected by the legislature. I should also point out that should 695 pass, Sound Transit will have bigger things on its mind other than tax exemptions (like figuring out if their main funding source still exists).

This isn't a reversal Craig, this is planning for the future. 695 has not passed, so the speculation that there will be a revenue shortfall, or that there is a political possibility that Sound Transit could convince the legislature to give a $400 million tax credit is just that, speculation. Once we actually know what the fiscal realities are, THEN we can complain if people are trying to spend more money when they said that there was going to be less of it. Otherwise this is a lot like a co-worker telling you that he's going to ask the boss for a 15% raise, and you getting mad at your boss before he's even been asked.

-- Patrick (patrick1142@yahoo.com), October 15, 1999.

Re: Do you actually believe that the state will just hand over $400 million in tax dollars (actually they're requesting a sales tax exemption)

Do you actually believe that the state will just hand over $1.1 billion in tax dollars (actually we're requesting a MVET tax exemption)

Heck no. We are going to have to vote YES on I-695 and take back OUR money. Don't know what Seattle is going to do, my guess is they're screwed.

-- zowie (zowie@hotmail.com), October 15, 1999.

Further to Zowie:

Good point. Note that this week's Wall Street Journal editorial said that some state officials privately concede the 2 percent reduction in revenues isn't such a problem.

How "honest" of them. But did they offer to return that money to the taxpayer? No. It's too easy just to let that money they didn't earn keep flowing to Olympia. Why should they care? We'll take it back ourselves, and do it within the system.

Power to the People. Vote Yes.

-- A.C. Johnson (ajohnson@thefuture.net), October 15, 1999.

"Otherwise this is a lot like a co-worker telling you that he's going to ask the boss for a 15% raise, and you getting mad at your boss before he's even been asked. " Government isn't our boss, Patrick, it's our SERVANT. If it tries to act like the boss, it's going to get FIRED, one way or another. I-695 is just a warning shot across the bow.

-- Craig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), October 15, 1999.