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News & ArtsTuesday, May 25, 2010
Politics Four Teabaggers on the King County Council
Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, May 25, 2010 at 3:11 PM
We put out the paper on Tuesdays, so I don't have time to dig into details here (sorry). But Scott Gutierrez at Seattlepi.com has the story on the King County Council's second failed attempt to cover public safety costs. Here's more info on last week's failed vote to raise the sales tax 2/10ths of a percent. It lost because four members (all Republicans) of the (nonpartisan) council don't want any taxes—even if it means firings scores of sheriff's deputies and prosecutors:
The King County Council's second attempt at finding money for criminal justice services failed Tuesday as a proposal to ask voters to increase their property taxes didn't garner enough votes.Like the sales-tax vote one day earlier, the council voted 5-4, along partisan lines, in favor of putting the measure before voters in August. Because it was considered an emergency measure, it required six votes to pass.
The proposal would have asked voters for a new levy to fund criminal justice. ... The net increase would have been about $38 more per year for the owner of a $400,000 home.
The four council members voting against both proposals—Kathy Lambert, Reagan Dunn, Jane Hague, Pete von Reichbauer—do they have a plan? The county is running $60 million in the hole next year. They're $47 million short on police, prosecutors, and firefighters. Nobody wants to push a regressive tax, of course. But time is nearly gone to get a revenue measure on the August ballot (in time for planning next year's budget). Nobody wants to call 911 and have zero response or have violent criminals released from jail because we don't have the resources to charge them with a crime quickly, either. So do these four teabaggers have any ideas about how to fund those services—or are they just petulantly screaming, "No," and voting against any tax increase?
UPDATE: Council member Jane Hague, who voted against putting proposals before voters, says in a statement: "I’m eager to work on a broad bipartisan solution in which we seriously address King County’s structural budget gap. If this entire process were about ‘voter choice’ as some of my colleagues have suggested, we should at least present them with something we are all committed to.” But Hague doesn't present any plan, a proposal, or a bi-partisan solution.
UPDATE 2: I'm not the only one who notices that the teabaggers on the council have zilch for solutions—no plans for cuts, for revenue, etc. "There's no specifics, there's no proposal up here. There's nothing," says council member Julia Patterson.
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Besides, the FBI says violent crime is at 50 year lows per capita, as County stats agree.
Guess Sue Rahr will have to find another taxpayer-financed springboard to her GOP nomination for a Congressional seat ...
or are they just petulantly screaming, "No," and voting against any tax increase?"
Republicans rarely just petulantly scream "No!" when tax hikes are proposed. Instead, they petulantly scream "No!" and then, in the next breath, explain how the shortfalls should be made up with "efficiencies" or "trimming the fat."
If they're feeling really ambitious, sometimes they'll name a government service that sounds comically unnecessary (usually by virtue of being poorly understood) as an example of all the "fat" in the budget.
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They have a crazed blood lust for marijuana raids as well. we should be throwing a party they got their budgets cut.
If the conservative types that live in the exuburbs need some socialism make them beg for it.
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"I don't know what they have to say,
It makes no difference anyway,
Whatever it is, I'm against it.
No matter what it is or who commenced it,
I'm against it.
Your proposition may be good,
But let's have one thing understood,
Whatever it is, I'm against it.
And even when you've changed it or condensed it,
I'm against it.
I'm opposed to it,
On general principle, I'm opposed to it."
I immediately start thinking of these lyrics when I hear about republicans/teabagers who say no or are against it.
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Yeah!!! It’s really surprising when one considers how supportive the Democrats were of all the Bush policies...
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Payback's a bitch.
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Oh, yeah, those "Tea Partiers" are up in arms...saving a few million here...a few million there.
But what about that tunnel and bridge?
Not much noise there from coffee or tea members...
Vote
Pillory 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh2y2TqAL…
16
So according to the Stranger I'm a teabagger. What a fucking world.
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As for the "paying twice" argument, do some research, dummy. Seattle Police patrol and respond in your neighborhood if you live in Seattle, Sherrif's dept in Unincorporated KC, and they back each other up (because they're completely understaffed already). I appreciate that the closest available officer will come to my aid when needed and that I don't have to wait for one of the 5 officers who patrol all of West Seattle, Delridge, and South Park at once to have time. That green Sherrif car is welcome anytime I call 911.
Oh, and that's not to fucking mention the R's put out a press release detailing EXACTLY HOW THEY WOULD FUND THE KCSO and COURTS with a tax neutral bill. They would pull funds off of non-priority property taxes, you know, the KCD, AFIS and parks expansion levy (Really??? we have dedicated funds to expand parks, but not fund the Sheriff and Courts?? WTF is a priority in this county?) to CJ services. all without raising taxes. How's that for a solution? Oh. I forgot. It's easier just to say we'll reduce critical services if you don't vote for more taxes. The sky is falling, blah blah blah.
Hack.
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Good faith as in the county is willing to trim more of the budget before they come begging for even more money from the taxpayers. Here is the budget...
http://www.kingcounty.gov/operations/Bud…
Items marked in red are reduced or cut...tell me you can't find more fat to trim. Here's one: I think the Kokanee and Steelhead Salmon Study ($65,000) can wait a year or two. That took me about 10 seconds.
People are drowning out there and the city/county/state can't wait to increase taxes. And don't get me started on the state income tax.
Let's run down the list:
Starting off your post saying you didn't have time to "dig into details?" (Read: do any research) Check.
Name calling? Check.
Cutting and pasting a large chunk of your posting from another source? Check.
Being completely incorrect about a critical complaint in your post? (The R's DID present an alternate solution) Check.
Congratulations. This is officially the laziest post of the day.
*Slow Golf Clap*
Parks, roads, fish studies, cost over-runs on the sewer project etc. and more should be cut or axed before people's safety is put at risk. It does sound like the County Council needs to cut a couple Council reps and some of their staff. I'd also say a number of management positions at the Sheriff's office need to be cut or reduced back to patrol - in these tough times having a manger sitting behind a desk supervising a few employees isn't what we need. Reduce the managers (serg. captains, majors etc.) and you will save salaries, they make over $100,000 so 10 would save over 1 million dollars!! Those funds could be used for patrol officers or detectives..
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