Eyman to talk up I-985 to City Council

Tuesday marks Tim Eyman's triumphant return to the Yakima City Council, 10 months after Mayor Dave Edler gave him the heave-ho.

Technically, the issue at hand is traffic congestion and Initiative 985, Eyman's latest and a departure from the tax-reform measures that made the Yakima native a household word throughout Washington.

The council last month voted to give Eyman a public hearing on I-985, which would set aside a portion of sales taxes on new and used cars to reduce traffic congestion.

But for anybody who's been paying attention, Eyman's pending appearance is the first since Edler tossed him out for grandstanding on the Rick Ensey/Ron Bonlender blogging scandal.

Ever since then, Eyman has been taking advantage of the council's ongoing dispute over political endorsements to bargain for a hearing on I-985.

In an interview last month, Eyman described his motive in seeking a hearing as "mischievous fun," referring both to endorsements and Edler. The mayor tossed him at a council meeting last December in the midst of a rant on the blogging scandal that enveloped a race for a seat on the council between incumbent Ron Bonlender and his opponent, Rick Ensey.

The council has been deeply divided over the issue of endorsements since February, when the group squabbled philosophically over the school district levy.

The issue has popped up several times since then thanks in part to Eyman, who began asking for a hearing on I-985 before it even qualified for the ballot.

For the record, I-985 proposes to reduce traffic congestion by synchronizing traffic lights, limiting carpool lanes to rush hour and improving roadside assistance.

To pay for it, the initiative creates a continuous revenue stream that sets aside 15 percent of sales taxes on new and used cars as well as revenue generated from red-light cameras. Backers estimate such revenue would raise about $150 million a year.

Eyman says at least part of the motivation behind the initiative is to put some teeth behind performance audits conducted by the state auditor's office.

He says lawmakers and bureaucrats ignored a Puget Sound traffic audit last year, which included synchronization of signals among nearly two dozen recommendations.

Critics, including Edler, have derided I-985 as a big tax grab for the west side, saying most of the money would go to fixing traffic in Seattle.

* Chris Bristol can be reached at 577-7748 or cbristol@yakimaherald.com.