I must admit that I have noticed that more and more oxygen is reaching the brains of many columnists, and to a lesser extent, many editorial writers in recent days... have you all noticed it as well?

Corr hits the nail precisely in the head, again voicing my concerns as expressed to Jeffey: Locke has, in reality, proposed nothing; done nothing; accomplished... nothing... except, perhaps finding a way to rachet up voter cynicism even more.

For someone opposed to this initiative, we could not have asked for greater political ineptness and timidity on his part. In short, Eyman couldn't have scripted The Whimp's bumbling and fumbling around with this issue.

As on I-200, Gary... I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your "help."

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Posted at 05:35 a.m. PDT; Wednesday, October 20, 1999 O. Casey Corr / Times Staff Columnist Pardon us, dear governor, but promises won't cut it

YOU'VE got to hand it to Gary Locke.

The elected leader of Washington state boldly announced that if voters reject Initiative 695, he would propose something to change the dreaded motor-vehicle excise tax.

Make that a dramatic something to change the MVET.

Details to follow after the November election.

Wow.

There's a guy putting his political neck on the line.

As governor, Locke realized he had to do something about the state's hottest political issue. That's his job. But acting like a leader and leading are different things.

Many people on both sides of I-695 would prefer a third way, a choice between continuing a bad tax or drastically cutting the MVET, which will disrupt public services. But the polls show that I-695 will pass, and government's about to get a painful spanking.

This was a moment when a strong governor could have offered a sensible alternative and then sold it to the public, or at least tried to.

Locke instead held up a blank sheet of paper and asked us to guess the rest. No wonder supporters of I-695 are suspicious of politicians.

He wimped out.

Locke took a similarly meaningless stand last week on Sound Transit.

At a speech to the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce in Spokane, Locke endorsed the $415 million idea of getting rail service to Northgate. He "shares" that goal, he said. But he dodged the question of whether the state should contribute money, saying that topic needed study. (Never mind he was quick to support the state's role in financing Insane-co Field.)

Asked to help Puget Sound's largest transit project, Locke turned the topic into an attack on I-695. He said the measure would wreck the agency's financing scheme, but that was yet another reason for him to propose an alternative to I-695.

Locke could have proposed a significant change to the MVET long ago. He knows the MVET is wrong. A year ago, he proposed a token cut tied to a big increase in the gas tax, but that died in the Legislature.

In July, he could have proposed a significant change when I-695 sponsors showed up with more than a half-million signatures. He could have called a special session to fix a tax almost everyone agrees is flawed.

If Locke truly believes I-695 is a huge mistake, what's he offering the people as an alternative?

Zip.

"The governor favors a dramatic overhaul of the car tax," says a Locke spokesman. "If I-695 is defeated, the governor is prepared to call a special session as quickly as possible. ... Otherwise, reducing the car tax will be the first order of business when the Legislature convenes in January."

For Locke and others in the political establishment, it has been easy to do nothing as taxes pegged to inflated car values poured in. It has been easy to criticize I-695, rather than propose a better idea.

Those inside government let outsiders do the hard work of reform and then carp with the result. So who's being irresponsible?

Critics of I-695 describe the initiative's sponsors as know-nothings who haven't considered the implications of their proposal, who haven't realized the complexities of state government.

Taxes, they seem to say, must be collected from people too dumb to know what's best for them.

Locke's a smart guy. He knows the budget. He understands the hard choices. So what's his alternative to I-695? A vague promise.

It's hard to believe there's anything to the promise. Locke hasn't bothered to consult with legislators, or even his own staff. The governor's big policy idea so far hasn't merited a press release.

Locke's effort so far looks feeble, political or both. He's got a secret plan, just as Richard Nixon did to end the war in Vietnam in 1972.

There's little reason to expect meaningful change will come from his office, so the people have taken charge. The initiative process goes forward, just as the state constitution intended.

Hoping to lure people away from the initiative, Locke may have solidified its support. The state needed a leader, and still does.

O. Casey Corr's column appears alternate Wednesdays on editorial pages of The Times. His e-mail address is: ccorr@seattletimes.com

Copyright ) 1999 The Seattle Times Company

-- Westin (86se4sp@my-deja.com), October 20, 1999

Answers

Gary Locke.. well this one says it all http://maddjak.bizland.com/chariman.jpg

-- maddjak (maddjak@hotmail.com), October 20, 1999.

Surprise! Surprise! Gov. Locke's promises to "correct" the MVET IF I-695 is rejected. This is the same promise the fox makes when put in charge of the chicken house. Hey fool me again! It never fails to amuse me, (and should likewise others), how mealy-mouthed politicans will shuffle, posture, pander, position, promise and do whatever it takes to lie, distort, misinform, and/or disuade voters. What you all are seeing here, and now, is the classic political reaction that Prop. 13 dealt with in the closing days before it's election day and victory. Keep focused and unswerving in support and ignore the others.

On to Victory,

Rich Henderson

-- Richard Henderson (grassroots3@earthlink.net), October 20, 1999.

I must say....all you people who support this I-695 are only concerned with the welfare of your OWN. The impact it'll have on our society is totally obscured....Think about it. who doesn't want to save money? Who enjoys paying taxes? But think about what's behind all this. Attractive title, bad intitiative.

-- Yumei (yumei_tsang@yahoo.com), October 27, 1999.

Yumei It's about freedom. You remember the reason your ancestors or maybe even YOU came to this country.

-- maddjak (maddjak@hotmail.com), October 27, 1999.

Yes Jack, it is about freedom:

I have the freedom to take the bus and save time and money, and you have the freedom to be a dumbass and get stuck in traffic.

"You remember the reason your ancestors or maybe even YOU came to this country."

Unlike your ancestors who came to this country for the freedom to merry their siblings!

-- jack's ozark relative (sisteris@wife.yes), October 27, 1999.

Another poor loser from the pro-MVET crowd, obviously.

-- (zowie@hotmail.com), October 27, 1999.

What Zowie?

No more "Chaffing" and "Flare-ups"?

I guess that ointment worked... now just stay away from craig

-- Doogie (craig8@yorY.yuk), October 27, 1999.

Yumei,

In case maddjak now has you fooled into thinking that he's really misty-eyed about the ancestry of people of Asian descent (and therefore a really sensitive guy who knows how to cast his vote rationally), you might want to log onto his website from his post at the top of this thread.

Yes, that is the mentality of at least one pro-695 mover'n'shaker. He mistakes government by, for, and of the people with the dreaded "Red Menace", and he loves a good racial slur to boot, the Locke parody being only the tip of the iceberg.

Beware of misty-eyed anti-gov types, Yumei. But I'm sure you already knew that!

Vote sane & see you at the voting booth!

-- Jeff Stevens (yes jakk I'm back) (chez@u.washington.edu), October 28, 1999.