If I695 passes, we will receive huge funding cuts to WTA, criminal justice and County services/ aren't the lower income indiviuals just going to end up paying more in the end? If you can afford a luxury vehicle, you can afford to contribute to the greater good. Having a motor vehicle is a luxury, not a right.

-- Susan Burke (Sprampi@aol.net), August 03, 1999

Answers

Im sorry you feel that driving a motor veh is at the root of this, I agree that this may not be the best written initiative but I suspect that the voters have had enough of govt waste and I would suggest that you be prepared to live with the results of it passing. Had govt made a token attempt to slow spending I would consider not voting for I-695 but I do not believe that they will listen until the purse strings are tied shut and I-695 will be the beginning of cutting off dollars to the bureaucracy. If you doubt there is waste, dont hesitate to write to me, Ill give you examples, with names and dates of big waste. $300,000.00 in just one case.

-- rons (ron1@televar.com), August 03, 1999.

You folks in Whatcom County can do what most other counties have done and that is take advantage of RCW 82.14.340 and RCW 82.14.350. These laws allow you to levy (with voter approval) up to 0.2 of a 1% sales tax. So far, according to the Department of Revenue, 25 of the 39 counties have voted to use RCW 82.14.340. Only 9 counties have voted to use RCW 82.14.350.

I have also noticed that most counties and cities have a large reserve. They have obtained this surplus by over taxing people. So now it the time for them to use their reserve.

I have enough problems with paying taxes for the services in Benton County without worying about paying for your services in Whatcom County.

I think most people feel that owning a car is now a requirement for employment in most areas. Many must save for months to pay for their tabs. Or they must make it up by spending less money on their children.

-- RD (Monte) Benham (Rmonteb@aol.com), August 03, 1999.

More typical third-grade level backwards logic from a limosine liberal wanna-be who doesn't even know how to spell their own name much less took Economics 101. You liberals just keep repeating yourselves with that same tired mantra about "necessary" taxes. I have to wonder whether some aging hippie buearocrat paid you (with MY TAX MONEY!) to go around and spill your drivel. Face it: your arguments have no reasons, logic, and no common sense. Ours do. Don't even try to repeat all your stupid facts and figures cause we, the real people of the USA, are not listening. It just goes to show what a waste of the money which Gary Lock and co. have stolen from my wallet are the public schools which taught you how to think like such a tofu-eating peabrain. We should shut them all down and privatize them so we can MAKE money on them instead of getting ripped off by Uncle Sham!

-- Four Seasons (tonteria@troll.com), August 03, 1999.

Whoa Susan! Inappropriate premise. Whatcom transit, criminal justice services, and the WTA depend upon tax money, not the MVET. In addition to the $1 billion surplus in the state budget (which continues to grow daily) there is the other 98% of the budget unaffected by Initiative 695. By simply doing an accross the board reshuffle, 98% of the money can be restored. If the surplus is used, 100% can be restored for two years while the legislature figures out how to eliminate the 2% most wasteful and least efficient programs in the budget. No reason that you should think that ANY of these programs will be affected, unless of course you truly believe that they are in the lowest priority 2% of the state b

-- Craig Carson (craiccar@crosswinds.net), August 07, 1999.