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Thursday, December 3, 2009

Olympia Eyman Announces Plans to Preserve Two-Thirds Majority

Posted by Unpaid Intern on Thu, Dec 3, 2009 at 11:48 AM

Posted by news intern Sarah Lloyd

Tim Eyman has apparently taken the loss of I-1033 without batting an eye. He announced yesterday that his next attempt to fuck over the state budget will be to preserve the two-thirds majority required by the legislature to raise taxes:

That rule is already in state law because of earlier initiatives. But the Legislature can amend them with a simple majority vote after they're two years old.

That expiration date runs out at the end of this year. And top Democrats say it's virtually certain they'll suspend the two-thirds requirement to help fill the growing state budget deficit.

The two-thirds rule was one of Eyman's earlier projects, the Washington Taxpayer Protection Initiative (I-960), passed when we weren't in quite the same gigantic hole we're in now. It pretty much terrified lawmakers from proposing sensible legislation then, in the good old days without the $2.6 billion deficit. Now were looking at "streamlining" natural resources programs and... four-minute Keno (?).

This is where Eyman stops being a politician (was he one ever?) and starts more resembling a high school kid running for student body president promising extended recess and five-day weekends to reduce teacher salaries. These tax-limiting initiatives were impractical, and wielded a lot of destructive power, in better times for the state budget (everyone still remembers the $30 car tabs fiasco, right?)—so we dodged a very large bullet with I-1033. If this one passes, our options become even more limited than they currently are, and, looking at how big if a hit we're taking right now, we need to leave as many options open as possible.

Comments (23) RSS

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Can we write an initiative preventing Tim Eyman from writing initiatives?

Posted by Little Red Ryan Hood on December 3, 2009 at 11:56 AM

gosh, what a GREAT idea!

the 2/3 majority tax plan is working SO WELL in california state!

oh, wait...FML.

Posted by Josh Bomb

on December 3, 2009 at 11:58 AM

Why doesn't he just move to Cali-fucking-fornia already.

Posted by heywhatsit!? on December 3, 2009 at 11:58 AM

The guy may have started out as an angry anti-tax populist, but now he's just a professional pain in the ass. Tim must be making a much better living fucking up the state than selling watches. He's going to get his and to hell with everybody else.

Posted by Westside forever on December 3, 2009 at 12:02 PM

gotta keep himself employed!

Posted by Max Solomon on December 3, 2009 at 12:12 PM

God, what a loser. Makes you long for the days of tarring and feathering.

Posted by Hernandez

on December 3, 2009 at 12:24 PM

@2 That's exactly what I was thinking. The right wing fucks up everthing they touch. And they really fucked up California. That's why I-1033 failed. The commercial that said they fucked up Colorado with these knucklehead initiatives made the difference. Keep running them.

Posted by Vince on December 3, 2009 at 12:33 PM

Well, at least he's repeating himself and not coming up with new bad ideas...

Posted by J.R. on December 3, 2009 at 12:33 PM

@1 - yes, we can.

But it can't say Eyman, it just has to regulate those who file more than three unconstitutional initiatives from being permitted to file any or be connected with any campaign for any such.

You can target a class of people, but not a specific person.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on December 3, 2009 at 12:35 PM

and it's better to force him to pay $1 million per day while remaining in this state, actually. Have the money go to keeping murderers and rapists in prison and it will pass.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on December 3, 2009 at 12:36 PM

In other news, Tim's colleague in Oregon, Bill Sizemore, is goin' ta jailllll

Posted by Baconcat on December 3, 2009 at 12:39 PM

Of course, winning on I-1033 and on this won't mean a damn thing if Democrats don't grow a spine and admit that we need to raise taxes to meet revenue needs. Which so far doesn't seem to be in any danger of happening.

Posted by Proteus on December 3, 2009 at 12:52 PM

Everybody knows keno is the worst odds of all games. You might as well eat dollar bills on the off chance you might shit out a twenty.

Posted by Fnarf

on December 3, 2009 at 12:52 PM

Where do I sign up to get a political sugar daddy who'll pay me to waste the government's time and lie to people all day? Because I want in on that sweet Eyman teat.

Query: Is it possible Eyman is actually a secret anarchist? His initiatives certainly seem more damaging (if passed) and frustrating (even when they fail) than anything found in the Anarchist Cookbook.

Posted by Karla

on December 3, 2009 at 12:53 PM

Well, I suppose you could always run ads saying... "This initiative will turn Washington into California." Only a few words, and it sums it all up.

Posted by I have always been... east coaster on December 3, 2009 at 12:56 PM

The conservative sign south of Chehalis on I-5 (the one with the gigantic uncle sam) now sports on one side "Tim Eyman for Governor" I laughed pretty hard when I saw that.

Posted by Annag on December 3, 2009 at 1:29 PM

Oh Gheezuz here we go again with the Doom and Gloom. No Virginia, Washington won't fade away if taxes are not raised. No Virginia the world will not end if law makers have to ask tax payers for more hard earn money. And YES Virginia, if you want to send Olympia a check for your pet social cause NO ONE is stopping you. So cut the Doom and Gloom crap. You bitch when bus fares go up. You bitch when housing rents and prices go up. You bitch when coffee costs $2 a cup. You bitch when Seattle is TOO expensive to live in and then you bitch when some one tries to REDUCE the cost of living here. You want it BOTH ways! You CAN'T have it both ways.

Posted by Sargon Bighorn on December 3, 2009 at 2:01 PM

"the 2/3 majority tax plan is working SO WELL in california state!"

What, with high property taxes, high sales taxes AND high income taxes? No thanks, that's why I left Cali.

Posted by Asian1981 on December 3, 2009 at 2:03 PM

@17: I can't help but notice that you know fuck-all about politics. So I choose to disregard your patronizing "Yes, Virginia" crap. Get bent.

Posted by Sargon Smallbrain on December 3, 2009 at 2:34 PM

@18 - Our state is fucked, but we have low property tax rates. It's actually one of the reasons for our fucked-ness!

Posted by Dougsf on December 3, 2009 at 3:17 PM

Dear Tim: I would like to keep all the current state services and pay no taxes. You said you can make that happen. Please do so.

Thank you.

PS: I would also like a pony.

Posted by Geni on December 3, 2009 at 3:32 PM