Post-election, new battles loom over Eyman's car-tab measure

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

OLYMPIA — Most ballots are counted but the fight over Initiative 976 is far from over.

It’s just changing venues.

The measure paring the cost of car tabs to $30, erasing local transportation fees and eliminating most, if not all, of Sound Transit’s vehicle tax is passing comfortably statewide. By design, it will leave the state, the regional transit authority and dozens of cities with less dough to spend on all things transportation.

One new battleground will be Olympia.

The state transportation budget faces a huge hit, and lawmakers will be jousting a lot before settling on a response. With I-976, the notion that “to the victors go the spoils” means apportioning cuts in bus service, delays in projects and longer waits for road resurfacing due to less money.

The leader of Washington’s public school systems took to Twitter last week with an idea: Reduce spending in communities in proportion to the level of their backing for the measure.

“I support those areas that want lower taxes. But you don’t get lower taxes and still get the projects. Fiscal responsibility! Less taxes, less services,” tweeted Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, a Democrat and former state lawmaker.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/post-election-new-battles-loom-over-eymans-car-tab-measure/

[MichMan]

1. I never understood why funding mass transit always falls on the backs of car owners

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

4. Only a small part does

Depending on the community you live in about 12% of Sound Transit's funding comes from car tabs. I imagine it's likewise with other transit agencies in other communities. The rest comes from sales taxes.

Where transit benefits drivers is during peak hours. Every person who rides a bus, train or van pool usually amounts to one less car on the road.

I realize not everyone can take transit. Usually those are the people who drive commercial vehicles and or work construction sites hauling material and tools.

They still benefit from fewer cars on the road.

[SonofDonald]

2. I have personal plates

So my bill for tabs is $100 bucks a year

I don't get new plates saying the same thing every year and I know they aren't spending any money to recuperate any kind of loss

So I know the money goes where it's needed, I'll not have $30 tabs no matter what the law is

If you've sat on I-5 or 405 or 167 or my fave, highway 16 during "rush hour" it should be obvious we need to do something about transportation and taking money away from it is idiotic

Luckily I think mr eyeman will have other things on his mind soon

Payback is a bitch

[SonofDonald]

3. I'll explain myself

We've already voted for $30 tabs before and it passed

But our government just kept right on doing what they wanted to and out price for tabs didn't go to $30

They have levied untold millions to be used for transportation projects and light rail in the Puget sound and there's already some huge cost overruns that have been revealed

It's a mess but we do need something to be done about transportation here

I hate the fact that only some counties are being taxed for these projects, we should all be paying the bill

But I'm reminded by my ballot the other day, there were measures that needed a vote but the reason why is spelled out clearly

"The state legislature passed without a vote of the people"

And that's what will happen again, Olympia will do what they want again, we need to come up with a way to pay for all of this but we need to do it together

Because this back and forth isn't working