I feel changing the state motto deserves consideration.

We could be known as "THE WE EXPECT" state.

We are fast approaching the point where we expect the govt to do everything for us, so why not step up and admit it, and start by changing the state motto.

-- rons (ron1@televar.com), September 09, 1999

Answers

What "we expect" is a government that provides the services required of it by the citizens. It's not a hard concept to understand. We pay taxes, and get services and puplic works projects and programs established through a political process. I-695 proposes to cut the taxes, but the expectations stated here, are not adjusting. Government is to continue to provide what "we expect". That is unlikely, if not impossible.

-- dbvz (dbvz@wa.freei.net), September 09, 1999.

Just a question-

The motto of the UW is "Lux sit." That isn't a command for your husky named lux, it's a Latin biblical expression out of Genesis, "Let there be light!"

Why haven't any of you rabid liberal separation of church and state guys got your pants in a bundle about this, like you did with the Ten Commandments? Ignorant of Latin? The Craigster

-- Craig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), September 09, 1999.

dbvz.........

"We expect a government that provides the services required of it by the citizens" Thats a mouthful !!

"We pay taxes and get services"

I agree that we pay taxes and the govt spends the money, but I do not agree that we get services, at least not to the extent that we pay taxes. I would ask what you consider required services? I'll bet that on your list will be transit and ferry systems, paid for almost wholly paid for with tax dollars.

"Government is to continue to provide what we expect"

As you say, "that is unlikely, if not impossible", I agree and hope that is the case.

I would also suggest that the more "we expect", the less we produce.

-- rons (ron1@televar.com), September 09, 1999.

rons:

Currently, yes, the services the government has been expected to provide include the ferry system and some trinsit. Did I miss something? Did I-695 have a provision that makes it a referendum on the government providing ferry service and transit? This is an example of what is wrong with these program-specific arguements in connection with 695. We are not voting on transit or ferry subsidies! Those programs and services are operated by government at the direction of state or local voters and elected representatives. If you want to change that, do it directly by getting involved in the decisions, or electing representatives. If you want to propose a referendum on privatization of the ferry system, do it. That is not what 695 is. If you did that I would predict it would be defeated, but at least the question would be fairly asked. If 695 is approved, is someone going to claim that is some kind of mandate to privatize the ferry system? The ferry system and transit are not even mentioned, so why is it an issue in this forum?

-- dbvz (dbvz@wa.freei.net), September 09, 1999.

Ron you quoted "We pay taxes and get services"

But the original is slightly incorrect. It should read:

We pay taxes and we get serviced.

-- maddjak (maddjak@hotmail.com), September 10, 1999.

d,

"The ferry system and transit are not even mentioned, so why is it an issue in this forum?"

because you liberals keep saying that if 695 passes, those systems will vaporize into thin air and the state will suffer a horrible loss.

-- hammer (hammerhead1@hotmail.com), September 10, 1999.

Maddjak:

Companion statement to your statement "We pay taxes and we get serviced" is Reagan's famous line "Aren't you glad you don't get all the government you pay for?"

-- A.C. Johnson (ajohnson@thefuture.net), September 10, 1999.

I think this "humor" kinda sums up the situation!.....The traveler knocked on the door of the house where a cabdriver had told him he could be sexually accommodated. An eye-level panel slid open and a female voice asked what he wanted. "I want to get screwed," said the man. "OK, mister, but this is a private club, so slip twenty bucks as an initiation fee through the mail slot," answered the voice. The man did this, the panel was closed, minutes passed. Nothing happened. He began to pound on the door insistently, and the panel slid open. "Hey," exclaimed the sport, "I want to get screwed!" "What?" said the voice, "Again?" ......(EXACTLY!)

-- dje (jsbbc@yahoo.com), September 10, 1999.

Ill bet that door was in Olympia,,,,,,,,,,,, did it say WSDOT on it?

-- rons (ron1@televar.com), September 10, 1999.

hammer wrote: "because you liberals keep saying that if 695 passes, those systems will vaporize into thin air and the state will suffer a horrible loss."

Not a liberal. Never said it.

-- dbvz (dbvz@wa.freei.net), September 10, 1999.

I know of one transit system that is already planning which routes to cut if I-695 passes. Are they bluffing when they say they will loose a large portion of their financial support?

-- Bobbie Harper (bharper@telcomplus.net), September 14, 1999.

"I know of one transit system that is already planning which routes to cut if I-695 passes. Are they bluffing when they say they will lose a large portion of their financial support?" Don't know Bobbie, but give me the transit system and I'll try to find how much they get from MVET versus fares versus sales tax, etc. They certainly can cut routes if I-695 passes. They can also cut routes if I-695 doesn't pass. Heck, they can cut routes if it's Tuesday if they want to. Wheter or not they will be FORCED TO CUT ROUTES is a different story, but one of the ways to influence voters is to tell them the sky is about to fall. It's right up there with, "It's for the children ......"

-- Craig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), September 14, 1999.