Gregoire Lies

"For weeks, all we've heard about from Gregoire and the Democrats who control Olympia is the state government's $2.6 billion deficit. It started at $1 billion, went to $1.8 billion, and currently sits at $2.6 billion. The hysterical press conferences and screaming press releases are meant to create a crisis mentality where 'emergency measures' are necessary. In the tug of war over taxes, the establishment is pulling the rope really, really hard for higher taxes, especially a state income tax.

"But not mentioned is the simple fact that just before Gregoire took over in 2005, the state budget was $23 billion. This year in 2009, Gregoire signed a $30 billion budget into law.

"The state's government is bigger than it's ever been. There is no deficit -- it's all a lie.

"But that's not stopping Gregoire and the Democrats from pushing hard for massive tax hikes to continue their business-as-usual, unsustainable spending.

"An editorial this week by the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin newspaper said it well: Gregoire's call for deep cuts in state programs is merely politics ... The governor called for deep, painful cuts in the hope it would spur lawmakers to embrace higher taxes. Gregoire’s budget isn’t really a budget, it’s a political ploy. ... The governor’s seemingly draconian budget shouldn’t be taken seriously. It was slapped together for only one reason — to build support for tax hikes.

-- Tim Eyman

More Taxes

Make the Democratic Party rich by sucking the life out of the rest of us.

Listening to last week's hearing in Olympia by the Economic & Revenue Forecast Council, Governor Gregoire and the Democrats couldn't have been clearer about their top legislative priority: raising taxes. My favorite was Democrat Senator Rodney Tom: we're gonna tax things "we never dreamed of." They've been dreaming of a state income tax on everyone forever -- they love higher sales taxes because it brings in tons of revenue -- they've always supported higher property taxes -- they adore bigger business taxes, gigantic gas taxes, catastrophic car tab taxes, titanic tobacco taxes, larger liquor taxes, and unlimited utility taxes. But those are taxes that they've thought of before -- on top of those, they're pushing taxes they've "never dreamed of." With their imaginations and their power, be afraid, be very afraid.

More taxes = longer recession. So raising taxes is willful economic suicide but it's what Big Labor has ordered them to do (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2010246447_democrats11m.html).

Initiative 1033 follow on

This item was sent out by Timothy Eyman.

RE: How ironic: Mr. Disclosure Sam Reed asks the Court to block disclosure - hearing: Fri, 9 am, before Judge Richard Hicks

For months, Secretary Reed and his staff have made numerous claims that are at variance with the facts. The greatest thing about our lawsuit (RE: citizens and their names, signatures, and home addresses on initiative petitions should be protected from harassment, commercial exploitation, and identity theft) -- the greatest benefit is the opportunity to have Secretary Reed answer questions under oath and under penalty of perjury. We have been especially eager to receive the results from discovery: the disclosure of requested documents and the answers to written questions. It would no doubt prove embarrassing for Secretary Reed for his under-penalty-of-perjury-answers to contradict earlier statements, assertions, and claims made earlier when he and his staff were made not under oath.

So it was especially ironic to have Secretary Reed file a motion with Judge Hicks to NOT DISCLOSE DOCUMENTS and to NOT ANSWER QUESTIONS under oath. Given his supposed commitment to disclosure, transparency, and openness, it is truly ironic to have him take such a contradictory stance.

This Friday at 9 am at the Thurston County courthouse, Superior Court Judge Richard Hicks will hopefully order Secretary Reed to comply with discovery. But regardless of the court's ruling, it is important for the public and the press to make note of Secretary Reed's hypocritical position: he's committed to disclosure as long as he's not implicated [in obfuscation].

You see, the leftist mind control NEA (Yes, the National Education Association) spent millions of dollars in advertising to defeat initiative 1033. The NEA also filed for and received a list of all the signatories to the petition. Why would they take such unusual action? Perhaps to harass and intimidate signers? Such prying seems pointless otherwise.

I hope things aren't that far gone.

Democratic lawmakers are greedy

Referendum-71 was enacted, mainly so the Washington State "Democratic" Party could buy another constituency "buddy". These little "Democratic" Party constituencies are getting very expensive for the taxpayer. Tax revolt specialist Tim Eyman had proposed Initiative-1033 in remedy, but big government types came out with $3.5 million to spend against the already broken taxpayer: I-1033 spent nothing, we the taxpayers are broke. I-1033 was defeated.

The tax burden is nearly crushing everyone's imitative.

Andrew Garber reported in the Seattle Times, Wednesday, November 11, 2009, in an article titled, State Democrats Facing Revolt By Labor [Unions]:

"State Democratic lawmakers have a revolt on their hands among major labor groups that provide the party crucial support during elections. The Washington State Labor Council, the Service Employees International Union and unions representing teachers and state workers have either stopped or sharply reduced donations to Democratic caucus political-action committees that back candidates for the state House and Senate. "I think the labor movement is more serious about withholding support from Democratic candidates this year than I have seen in my 30 years in politics," said Dwight Pelz, chairman of the state Democratic Party. There's even talk of trying to defeat some Democratic incumbents if they don't support issues important to labor in the next legislative session — such as raising taxes to help close a growing budget shortfall."

Despite the fact Washington State "Democratic" government has driven Boeing's new production out of the state; despite the fact the Washington State "Democratic" government has already sent much of Microsoft’s software development to India; despite generally taxing the people to death already; Washington State "Democratic" government is whimpering. They want more taxes to give to their buddies in big labor.

The planned tax increase is $9 billions. That's an increase of nearly $2000 per person. No wonder Seattle is full of "Vacancy" signs. Will the last person leaving the state please pay our taxes before turning out the light?

More Taxes = Deluxe Poverty

The big government, anti tax-control I-1033 forces have an advertisement airing which says more taxation will lead to prosperity. They want you to vote no on I-1033, so they can stick their hand down in your pockets again. Multiply government subordinates! This means you, bub!

They say this in a round about way. They assert that if taxes do not grow at the 4.8% rate, Washington State will experience a longer depression than the one we were already in. (Washington State has been in depression for about 5 years now, ever since the Left wing Democrats got control of both the legislature and the Governors Mansion.)

But, really, who will believe that more taxation lead to prosperity? Maybe the government employees think that, but by my own straw poll, even they don't buy it.

To be completely clear, some taxes will provide genuine improvement society; for example, city streets. There are some things which people have trouble organizing if it is not done in the public sphere. Economic studies show the rate of that sort of public capital formation is most productive when it is about 14%.

That means, in order to make the prosperity through taxation argument work, the total tax take of all levels of government should not exceed 14% of the total production of society.

The current level of government takings from society exceeds 50%. In short, we have at least one third of society's output being overused (or screwed up) by government.

What galls me is the anti-I-1033 people have an economist talking as if more taxes meas more prosperity. This clown must have been asleep when his macro-economics professor explained there was a maximizing rate of taxation. Beyond that rate (a mere 14%) and society's economic engine begins to crumble.

At this point, more taxation means more poverty.

Domestic Partnership

Referendum 71 on the ballot.

Referendum 71 will extend to "domestic partners" the same rights as married partners, except the word "married" will not be used.

The referendum is simultaneously an attempt by the legislature to dodge the question of formalizing homosexual marriage and what to do when two opposite sex senior people remain unmarried despite living together. The legislature felt compelled to hand out benefits to state workers who choose homosexual lifestyle options.

To mask this display of phony largess with taxpayer money, the legislature added the image of granny and and some new man will receive the same treatment despite not marrying (for social security reasons I guess). The legislature also added private firms will also be required to conform.

Further confusing the voters is the fact that we don't get many referenda 'round here. The legislature knew they risked getting creamed unless they say, "they people said...." So they staged a vote.

Take a look at the ballot measure. The ballot is confusing in its tentative wording. I anticipate an undervote on this one.

A "yes" vote on this measure means you want to see homosexuals and senior living-togethers to have the same rights as married.

A "no" vote will mean you do not want the homosexuals accorded the privileges of marriage. Oh, yeah and granny will have to go on living with her boyfriend.

Initiative to Limit the Growth of State Government

I-1033 will work to limit the growth of state government revenues, and there fore will limit the increase of state spending. The limit for increasing taxation is 1% real increase per person per year.

This is contrary to what the government has awarded itself: A 4.8% per person per year real increase. A quick calculation shows that under the government plan, real state spending per capita will double in 14 years.

Under the proposed 1033 plan, real spending per capita doubles every 69 years.

Despite plenty of lying from the anti-1033, pro-big government crowd, 1033 will not make 'them' throw grandma out of retirement care, nor leave the kids ignorant in schools. The existing system is doing that already.

1033 should make you ask the question: If government is doing such a crummy job already, why shouldn't we put them on a diet? Maybe we can privately fix the screw ups these politicians in the public sector have made.