- Eyman's initiative can't break 50 out of the gate.
Last up in our afternoon drive through the leaked Elway Poll results: Tim Eyman's Initiative 1125, bankrolled by Bellevue developer Kemper Freeman.
It would place all kinds of restrictions on tolling—including a ban on variable toll pricing—and would effectively derail plans to put light rail across I-90. Survey says: Only 49 percent of respondents approve of this idea, with support very soft. Just 17 percent of respondents will "definitely" vote for the measure.
To me, this says that the initiative is, on its face, confusing. A lot of voters probably don't get what it's about, but can smell that it might be about more (derailing light rail) than it seems to be about (restricting tolling).
Geographically speaking, the lowest support for this measure in the state was—no surprise—here in Seattle, a hotbed of informed light rail supporters and seasoned Eyman haters. Demographically speaking, the lowest support for this measure was—again, no surprise—among the younger and poorer voters who probably a) don't have as high a percentage of car ownership and so aren't as worried about tolls and/or b) get that tolls can help pay for the kind of affordable mass transit they want.
Eyman's initiative is the only one of the three headed for the ballot this fall that is currently getting below 50 percent approval. Not a good return, yet, on Freeman's investment of more than $1 million in the measure.
