The Necessity of Initiative 1125

Initiative 1125 will regulate the big government politicians and bureaucrats so that money put aside for a special purpose can only be used for that purpose. Naturally, politicians and bureaucrats would prefer to keep the People out of government.

In these tough economic times, the idea of government taking thousands of dollars per year out of working families’ already-stretched budgets shows a complete lack of compassion for the challenges they are facing right now. People are hurting, and yet state and local politicians are nonetheless sneaking forward with below-the-radar “anything goes” tolls that will cost families billions of dollars.

If there's going to be tolls, there must be accountability and transparency or the toll should never be accepted by the citizenry. A toll, by definition, is a specific charge that is used to pay for improvements to a specific project imposed on the specific people using that project. Struggling taxpayers might, and we emphasize might, accept that. But “anything goes” tolls? Not a chance.

Last year's voter-approved I-1053 required tolls to be set by the elected representatives of the people. Recession-weary taxpayers might, and we emphasize might, accept that. But automatic tolls imposed by unaccountable, unelected bureaucrats at state agencies? Not a chance.

Taxpayers should never accept handing over a blank check to a bunch of unelected bureaucrats.

In the entire history of our state, tolls have always expired after the project is paid for. Olympia recently repealed that protection so that tolls will now continue forever -- once a toll is imposed, it will never go away.

There's no way the people of Washington will be OK with never-ending tolls. I-1125 reinstates our state's longstanding guarantee that once the project is paid for, the toll will go away.

As Kemper Freeman said: “Citizens are rightly suspicious of tolls because of a valid concern that Olympia will raid such revenues during 'emergencies.' That's why I-1125's policies requiring accountability and transparency are so necessary. Tolls aren't taxes and I-1125 keeps it that way.”

He’s exactly right.

Advocates for "anything goes" tolls are seriously out-of-touch if they think citizens will accept sky-high, automatic, never-ending tolls imposed by unelected bureaucrats without accountability and transparency.

Please help us continue the fight on behalf of taxpayers. Olympia's appetite for our money is insatiable.

-- Tim Eyman

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You'll hear many rants against I-1125, but they all revolve around the idea that government should control our money, lives and resources.

What makes bureaucratic judgment superior to our own? The bureaucrats don't care. Neither do the entrenched politicians. They just want to run our lives.

Voters Want More Choices. Legitimate government requires consent of the governed.