Thanks, geniuses. Mr. Eyman states that it's now up to Gary Locke to write a budget around the passage of I-695. Problem is, he has never, and WON'T take to heart the ongoing plight of health care workers such as myself, nor the people we work for. It's going to be fun for my developementally disabled clients to try to figure out Bellingham's diminished bus lines as well. Now Locke has even less money to NOT give us. Have fun with the cash you save on your tabs. You'd better, because you've effectively screwed plenty of non-selfish people. What a cop-out - this whole "straighten out the politicians" platform is like taking away a classroom's books and telling the teacher to try harder. OF COURSE the initiative passed - you appealed to the basic human trait of GREED.

-- Bryan Tewell Hughes (xon@netos.com), November 03, 1999

Answers

If it makes you "feel" better...make sure you pay your current higher tab fee for licensing your vehicle instead of the new $30 fee...then you can know deep in your heart that you are doing everything you can to help big government cope with the loss of revenue.

-- dee jay (angus@eburg.com), November 03, 1999.

"Bellingham's diminished bus lines as well. " Currently, farebox revenue provides 6% of the operating expenses for Bellingham Transit. Nationwide, user fees fund about 40% of transit. Maybe the USERS ought to pay a little more, and the bus lines might not have to diminish quite so much.

-- Crraig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), November 03, 1999.

"You'd better, because you've effectively screwed plenty of non- selfish people" Hey man, all you non-selfish people can spend YOUR money any way you want to.

-- zowie (zowie@hotmail.com), November 03, 1999.

Gee... less than twelve hours after the polls closed and Bellingham already has reduced transit service??? Damn, those politicians are good!

By the way, I agree that I-695 appealed to the basic human trait of GREED. But the greed we're talking about is that of the legislators who (1) want to keep their cushy jobs, (2) receive gifts and payoffs from special interest groups and (3) want more of our money to spend on their worthless projects. GREED??? You're darn right I-695 was about greed!!!

-- just a guy (torijosh@yahoo.com), November 03, 1999.

Greed? I'll tell you greed, Mr. Hughes. Its the government reaching into the Citizen'e pockets for every whim and fantasy the politicians can dream up. Greed is people lining up for government handouts. Greed is creating more laws making more things criminal, so the government can justify hiring more enforcement officers to arrest more people, creating a need for more jails, and justifying higher taxes to pay for them. Greed is what motivates the all consuming government machine. The basic human trait is survival. The basic Government trait is GREED!

-- Leithel Lady (leithellady@yahoo.com), November 03, 1999.

Bryan--"Thanks, geniuses. Mr. Eyman states that it's now up to Gary Locke to write a budget around the passage of I-695. Problem is, he has never, and WON'T take to heart the ongoing plight of health care workers such as myself, nor the people we work for."

Ah, so it's all about YOU. Isn't it funny how we're given the label of selfish and greedy.

"It's going to be fun for my developementally disabled clients to try to figure out Bellingham's diminished bus lines as well. Now Locke has even less money to NOT give us."

It's called private fund-raising and you probably ought to get started. Hurry, your clients are counting on you.

"Have fun with the cash you save on your tabs. You'd better, because you've effectively screwed plenty of non-selfish people. What acop-out - this whole "straighten out the politicians" platform is like taking away a classroom's books and telling the teacher to try harder. OF COURSE the initiative passed - you appealed to the basic human trait of GREED."

I could care less about the money I stand to save on tabs. I don't particularly think this is about "straightening out the politicians" (whatever that means).

You're appealing to the basic human trait of PITY. . .sniff.

-- Brad (knotwell@my-deja.com), November 03, 1999.