Election Night Market Watch and Honking for Light Rail
posted by on November 4 at 9:51 AM
Two rosy-cheeked volunteers stood on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Pine Street this morning waving signs for the Pike Place Market levy. The measure, if approved by voters today, would direct $75 million from property taxes to restore the failing systems of the Pike Place Market.
Marlys Erickson, director of the Pike Place Market Foundation, says, “It’s kind of cold.” Lots of passersby are giving her the thumbs up this morning, but she’s nervous about the levy passing.
“I spent several nights calling older voters who said, ‘My pension is in the toilet so I have to vote no on all of the levies,’” she says. “That scared the bejeezus out of me.”
Kitty corner, inside the Starbucks, frazzled employees scurried about, fulfilling the company’s promise to give free drip coffee to people who said they’d voted. One harried barista said they’ve given out “a ton.” Several people inside hadn’t heard of the Pike Place Market levy—despite the signs right outside the window. But they did know about the other Proposition 1, which funds the expansion of Sound Transit’s light rail.
Two volunteers carrying “Mass Transit Now!” signs were sipping free joe in the corner after standing with their signs on Mercer Street. How’s the response been? Were drivers honking—for light rail?
“The honk-to-finger ratio has been about 40 to one,” says Sara Nikolic, a two-year veteran of the Sound Transit Campaign. Last year’s transit proposition, which included rail and roads, failed. She’s got more hope this year, though. “I think for people in the campaign, the environmental conservation movement has unified around it,” she says, “Whereas last year they were fractured about it.” She thinks the Sound Transit measure will pass by the margin that Tim Eyman’s so-called anti-congestion measure, I-985, will fail. Fingers crossed.
Well, I have faith in Prop 1 passing since we were told it would pass resoundingly when they removed the roads portion.
There were a ton of Prop 1 supporters waiving signs and a huge ass banner at the South Bellevue Park and Ride this morning. I honked.
City of Seattle Prop 1 and Sound Transit Prop 1 are two different Levies! I am in complete support of both, but you need to know that Seattle Proposition 1 is to support Pike Place Market for renovations and upgrades essential to keep this Seattle Icon running and in decent condition! vote yes on both prop ones today! but know that they are two different ballot measures!
Let's hope Tim Eyman made sure he hit the water when he jumped off the bridge.
Vote NO!
$2.6 per $1,000 sounds cheap but there are not many homes in Seattle worth less than $200,000. So that comes to a minimum of $520.
Could you pay $500 or more for the market out of your pocket right now?
I know it's historic and all that, but why come after every home owner in the city to pay for it? I don't work downtown, I'm never down there, I haven't gone in the Market in years.
I want my taxes to pay for things like Transit and Schools and Police and Firefighters.
I don't want my taxes to pay for a tourist destination.
I know I sound like a greedy Republican, I'm not really, I've voted Democrat in every election I could, all the way back to Clinton in 96. I normally vote for things like this. Just after paying a Mortgage, and Condo Dues, and having just paid the second half of my property taxes the other day, I'm broke.
Really broke, and thanks to this economy my work is slowing down, I can't afford this.
If this and the Parks levy pass my property taxes will jump from $1,600 this year to over $2,600 next year. This is for a TINY closet with a bed in it "one bedroom" Condo.
Don't think if you rent you will avoid paying this either, the property owner will pass this on to you in higher rent.
Plus remember that "Pigs on Parade" bullshit to raise money for the market a few years back. They paid artists about $1,000 (plus $500 in materials) to decorate a Fiberglass pig that they had to pay another artist to design and then paid to manufacture and then they sold them in an auction for an average price WAY LESS than $1,500. Add in to that all the advertising and well, why are they losing money? Why should we reward that kind of shit? Why don't they charge more in rent? Isn't there a waiting list for a space in there? Why not a Tourist Tax on all those fucking horrible Seattle T-shirt vendors down there? Or a fish throwing tax or something?
I just don't see why people in Ballard and Georgetown and the CD should pay for a Market Downtown full of private businesses.
@5 - I think you may be a bit confused, and unfortunately, you are not alone. The additional tax rate related to the market levy for any property owner in the first year of collection would be approximately 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
When the ballot title says that “taxes collected would be limited to $2.60 per $1,000 of assessed value”, the $2.60 is referencing ALL property taxes the city collects, including the housing levy, fire levy, families and education levy. The $2.60 is not how much property taxes would be raised. It’s simply 10 cents.
@5 - I think you may be a bit confused, and sadly, so might many other people be. The additional tax rate related to the market levy for any property owner in the first year of collection would be approximately 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
When the ballot title says that “taxes collected would be limited to $2.60 per $1,000 of assessed value”, the $2.60 is referencing ALL property taxes the city collects, including the housing levy, fire levy, families and education levy. The $2.60 is not how much property taxes would be raised, it's what we're already paying. The Market levy is simply 10 cents.
@5 - I think you're a bit confused and unfortunately are probably not along. The additional tax rate related to the market levy for any property owner in the first year of collection would be approximately 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.
When the ballot title says that “taxes collected would be limited to $2.60 per $1,000 of assessed value”, the $2.60 is referencing ALL property taxes the city collects, including the housing levy, fire levy, families and education levy. The $2.60 is not how much property taxes would be raised, it's what we're already paying. The Market levy is simply 10 cents.
@5 Pigs on Parade (2001 and 2007) was a Market Foundation fundraiser. The Foundation is a nonprofit that supports the low-income and elderly residents of downtown Seattle by way of the human service agencies located within the Market - the senior center, health clinic, child care & preschool and food bank. I'm not sure where you got your "facts" on the pigs...but they are not accurate.
You wrote, "I don't work downtown, I'm never down there, I haven't gone in the Market in years." Hmmm.
***Vote Yes on Seattle Prop 1***
@5: Sell your condo, move to Spokane.
Problem solved.
@6 - 7 - 8
I think you may be confused about how to post a comment. sorry couldn't resist.
Yeah I probably am wrong, wouldn't be the first time and won't be the last. But if so, it's because the levy was written poorly on the ballot.
I looked on the Parks website for info on the parks levy and got totally frustrated because I couldn't find a concrete number anywhere. I don't want to know what it costs the average home owner, I just want a statement that says "it cost X% of home value" preferably from an official source and not an anonymous post.
If the ballot says “taxes collected would be limited to $2.60 per $1,000 of assessed value” and doesn't quantify that with an explanation that says it really costs "$0.10 per $1,000 of assessed value for homes" than it should fail because it was written bad, and the pro levy people did a bad job of getting the word out.
Dear NO!!!!
Wow, you have been misinformed on every issue you have raised. First of all, there is no waiting list for retail space in the Market. In fact, there are very often 4-5 vacant spaces in the Market. Second, by virtue of its public charter, Pike Place Market's tenants are Mom and Pop businesses, which operate very close to the margin. They simply do not have the means to finance the seismic, accessibility and infrastructure fixes that are needed. You've already learned from "Soul of the City" that your calculation of the tax consequences of Seattle Prop. 1 is incorrect, so I won't comment on that. Third, your rant against Pigs on Parade is riddled with misinformation. Pigs on Parade was a fundraising effort of the Market Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that has been supporting the four human service agencies located in the Market since 1982. 10,000 low-income people receive vital assistance each year at the Market Medical Clinic, Market Senior Center, Pike Market Child Care & Preschool, and the Downtown Food Bank. Corporate sponsorships covered the upfront costs of producing each artist-decorated pig, as well as some modest publicity. The Pigs on Parade auctions, where pigs sold for up to $8,500, did raise a significant amount of money, all of which was donated to the four human service agencies listed above for their ongoing programs serving those in need. This money was never meant for nor available to renovate the Market.