RSSI-1033 will spell disaster throughout Washington
I-1033 debate -- CONYakima Herald-Republic
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What would Washington state look like if Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033 were to pass this November?
Classrooms would become more crowded, the doors to nursing homes would close and fewer people would have health insurance. We know this because of what happened to Colorado after voters passed a very similar initiative in 1992.
After this initiative was passed, the portion of low-income children without health insurance doubled. Support for education plummeted to 49th in the nation. Colorado still ranks near the bottom in high school graduation rates. College students pay higher tuition because support for higher education also ranks 49th in the nation.
Coloradans suspended the law in 2005, but the damage was already done. Classrooms were underfunded, jobs were lost, roads were a mess and seniors faced an even more severe health care crisis.
We have no reason to believe things in Washington would be any different under I-1033.
This national recession has already forced massive cuts in education and health care -- cuts I-1033 would make permanent even as the economy recovers.
Public schools have laid off teachers and librarians, cut bus routes and increased class sizes. Public education suffered $1.5 billion in cuts, with public schools in Yakima losing $2.2 million.
All across the state, college students are paying up to 28 percent more in tuition, courses are being cut, and staff vacancies are being left open. Yakima Valley Community College lost $2.4 million even though enrollment is up 25 percent. YVCC students have 100 fewer classes to choose from, and Washington State University had to close its Yakima Academic Center.
Health care would also be hurt by I-1033. Hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers are being forced to cut back vital services. The state's Basic Health Plan provides low-cost insurance to 9,611 people in Yakima County, while another 3,903 are on the plan's waiting list. But 35,000 people are in danger of losing health insurance because of cuts to the Basic Health Plan.
I-1033 would make these and the other cuts made during the worst recession in decades permanent, locking them in place even as the economy is recovering. I-1033 wouldn't stop there. Eyman's initiative would force even deeper cuts in the future.
By 2015, the nonpartisan Office of Financial Management estimates I-1033 would cost cities and counties $2.8 billion -- funding used to support infrastructure and public safety. State revenues that support education, health care and other services would be cut by $5.9 billion over the next five years. Just like in Colorado, our health care crisis would become more severe, even more resources would be taken away from our classrooms and kids, and it would be harder to dig out of this recession.
After capping city, county and state budgets at today's recessionary levels, I-1033 would apply a rigid and arbitrary formula to determine future growth.
This one-size-fits-all formula would apply to every single city and county in Washington, regardless of its needs and priorities -- leaving no way to respond to emergencies or support local priorities. It wouldn't come close to keeping up with the increasing costs of health care and education.
And Eyman's formula fails to consider the growing portion of seniors in our population who have greater needs for social and emergency services.
These are some of the reasons why I-1033 is opposed by more than 225 businesses, education organizations, environmental groups, health care leaders and labor unions. I-1033 is also opposed by Democrats, Republicans and independents from Yakima County and all across Washington because of the disastrous impacts it would have on communities.
Despite what Eyman says, ground zero for I-1033 will not be Olympia. I-1033's negative impacts would be felt the most in our communities, hospitals, schools and businesses across Washington state.
We urge you to vote NO on I-1033. Times are tough, but Eyman's I-1033 would make things worse.
* Bill Williams is executive director of the Washington State PTA.
* Leo Greenawalt is president of the Washington State Hospital Association.
Nearly ALL the public services mentioned above have ballooned out of control. Big Government spenders LOVE to justify their lack of discipline on the backs of the children, using them to get the sympathy votes. That philosophy is short-sighted, since it is the children's money they are spending, and the children will have to pay it back!
People simply must live within their means. State welfare help should be extended to those who deserve it, and then they must prove permanent disability to keep getting it.
One BIG way to reduce spending is to take the multitude of welfare benefits away from non-citizens. The same goes for college tuition, free or severely reduced to many non-citizens.
Chronic welfare recipients are also a drain. Make them work for their benefits - government jobs comes to mind - where they can work off a sweat-equity for the benefits they receive after a certain reasonable period. Don't tell me that the vast majority of chronic welfare recipients are unable to work at anything, there is always a job that can be done, even if someone is disabled to a degree.
Another change that should happen is the reward of welfare benefits for a mother to have another baby. State-subsidized baby-making should not be an option.
A little bit of what some Liberals would call, "Protectionism" is not a bad thing. We should practice more of it. After all, it is OUR money they are blowing down the drain.
Nick, I agree we need to control welfare spending for no legal residents, but Eyeman's obsession with taxes belies the fact that we are an aging population with almost zero population growth except for the Latino portion of our population. Read the demographic studies..that is what is making up our future work force, unlike japan which has ZER0 and is failing behind in technology because the minds that drove it are gone.
The zealots on the anti-tax crusade are the ones who expectt expect thier roads to be paved and police and fire to show up in an instant, then you have the let government pay for everything crowd...its guys like me that want our streets to be paved, enough police and firemen to make our community safe, parks for children and I want the best education system for our community...
I guess that makes be a tax and spend liberal...or just a reasonable guy?
I don't like welfare programs, illegal immigration, criminals, gangs, etc...but I also know that there are elderly sick people who worked all thier lives who cannot afford health insurance and have to wait in line for their medication for hours...I have seen it recently when I had to pick up medication for a sick relative...the chaos, the long lines and the people I saw were not immigrants...
The best solution for unwanted spending is still the ballot box...but these times right now have decimated cities across America...this iinitiative will a bad situation even worse.
Just one comment that sums up the above:
"The sky is falling, the sky is falling..."
Uh, I meant the above article... ;-)
Report ViolationI didn't even need to read this piece of garbage. The chicken little headline was a dead giveaway that it was BS.
I'm sure the fair and balanced YHR (sarcasm) will follow this up by publishing an opinion piece by a I-1033 supporter. Polls show this initiative will likely pass, so once again the YHR takes the side of the tax and spend liberals instead of the tax payers.
Thankfully, the YHR's opinion is becoming more irrelevant by the day.
I will agree with everyone that the State has been out of control with its spending. That out of control spending is what makes I-1033 look so attractive. Here are the problems I have with it. First, it includes city and county governments. Our local cities and the county as well are all struggling in these difficult economic times to makes ends meet. I-1033 would cause them to remain at this years level of revenue or pay for a special election to ask the voters for more. Second, Sales revenues over and above the 2009 level will be rebated back to property owners. As a property owner that sounds like a good idea, but if I am a renter, I won't see a dime and my sales tax money will be going to someone else. I don't like that one bit. Have someone propose a more sensible plan to hold down State spending and I'll vote for it, but I-1033 is not it.
Report ViolationBill Williams sounds like a tax and spend individual who like the principals and superintendents in all our school districts think you can buy an education with more money. HOGWASH! He has no proof of what he says. So he is president of the Washington PTA. I think PTA means pay and tax Association! Our school systems have increased it's spending more and more each year in the last 20 years. But, our graduation rates are declining yearly. Bill Williams; can you tell me why. Not enough money. Oh lets give these superintendents $235,000.00 a year and not make them produce as what happened in Yakima under Soria ! Lets put more principals in these high schools like Sunnyside has. One principal, 3 VPs and counselors and a Dean of Students. Our educational facilities ran by these liberal surperintendents want to run school like hARVARD OR pRINCETON and cannot even graduate 50 to 60% of the students. Oh yes, we need more monies in our educational system ! Bill Williams, you insult our pocketbooks and our sense of pride for wanting our kids educated !
Report ViolationI-1033 is a blatant attempt to reduce taxes while saying it allows government to grow. Eyman is spinning an elaborate lie as usual.
Any attempt to limit public spending to this year's recession level plus adjust slightly for inflation and population is really a freeze on public services.
At best adjusting for inflation only means you can buy this year's services next year at their inflated price. Because a gallon of gasoline for a police car costs more next year, and you cover that inflated cost, in the end you have still only purchased 1 gallon of gasoline. Your level of services has not increased.
Any adjustment for population is not an increase in individual services; it only means you have more people needing services.
When the economy recovers and more tax revenue becomes available, normally this would be invested in restoring lost services and improving services. This occurs without an increase in any tax rates. There is no increase in taxes being imposed. Tax revenue, because we are dependent on sales taxes, increases as the economy improves.
Eyman proposes to take this revenue and transfer it only to those that own property. This tax shift hurts low and middle income taxpayers and benefits those with lots of property. It is a transfer of wealth to the rich.
So Eyman as usual is trying to fool people by removing tax dollars from our cities and counties and the state at the same time he is saying he allowing government to grow. Government is not growing under I-1033. I-1033 is decreasing the normal revenue that would be available without any tax increases being imposed.
This is a radical attempt to change our tax system just to benefit property owners. It makes no sense and is regressive. Vote No on I-1033.
You know what I'd like to see? I'd like to see an election with two Eyman bills to vote for:
1) I-1033 maintaining current tax rates, and/or
2) Another bill mandating the elimination 1/2 of all state employees.
The state has never, in my experience, instituted a reductino of force. They only add, never lay off. This breeds "entitlement" thinking in state employees and empowers the unions... at the public expense.
This way, people could decide, gee, do I want taxes to be frozen, or simple cut the state in half? Or both? I wonder how THAT would be received? I can hear the screams now. But sooner or later, that may be what'll have to be done...
Is this like what I heard would happen with the banks? Fees will be charged for each transaction when you use a teller. I have yet to get charged for using a teller. The sky is not falling and no one truly knows the future but a lot of people "think" they do.
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