The whinners and nay sayers to I-695 are sounding just like those groups, politicians, and bureaucrats did in California on Proposition 13 back in 1978. I lived there then; I well remember the lies, distortions, doomsday predictions, and dire consequences if Prop. 13 passed and became law. Well history has shown that the opponents were flat out wrong! I can, with confidence, say that just like what happened in California, (and more recently in Colorado), that I-695 will offer substantial tax burden relief, force government to trim fatted and bloated budgets; layoff excessive government employees; and force budget personnel to pull in the ever-expanding excesses of taxing and spending requests to the various elected-representative bodies. The essentials of government will continue mostly undisturbed and undiluted. As we get closer to the election day; do look for the lies, disinformation, misinformation, and threats in intensify. Hang in there all believers, relief is not far away.

On to Victory,

Richard Henderson

-- Richard Henderson (grassroots3@earthlink.net), September 30, 1999

Answers

As a former Washington state resident currently residing in California, I encourage I-695 proponents to watch out for legislative revolt. California Proposition 13 was passed by voters in 1978 and significantly reduced or removed high property taxes. The state of California legislature went on to eliminate revenue distributions owed to cities. State services and infrastructure descended into disrepair, while maintaining overstaffed government agencies with outrageous employee salaries, benefits and retirement packages. Then all of sudden infrastructure is a priority requiring emergency action that translates to the perpetual process of increased or new taxes.

Do not be intimidated by your lawmakers in Olympia. You will be subjected to plenty of hyperbole from opponents in an attempt to scare or embarrass voters. All you will be doing is returning the stolen power back to the people. Remain vigilant. Thank you.

-- James Andrews (jimfive@hotmail.com), September 30, 1999.

Richard and James:

695 has little in common with Prop 13. In comparison 13 was at least clear about what it was attempting to do, and it was written well enough to be implemented as law (as a Constitutional amendment no less). 695 is not well written. It will probably not be implemented as law untill several constitutional challenges are addressed. It is not a constitutional amendment, so it is subject to challenge on existing constitutional grounds, and there are several.

As for effects of Prop 13, one of you is of the opinion nothing important was changed (just cut the fat), and the other gives a list of several important effects. You can assume the problems in California were due to the willful disregard of the public will, by politicians, if you want to. I believe elected officials do the best they can with the information and resources they are given. Prop 13 did not give them sufficient resources. That, at least, is similar to 695. If 695 is approved, the state and local governments will not be provided sufficient resources.

-- dbvz (dbvz@wa.freei.net), October 02, 1999.

"If 695 is approved, the state and local governments will not be provided sufficient resources. "

Sufficient resources for essential functions, or sufficient resources for the nice-to-have wish list?

-- Craig Carson (craigcar@crosswinds.net), October 02, 1999.

I too was in Ca. at the time of prop.13 I was in fact a city bureaucrat at the time. The same unholy alliance, telling the same lies, was at work there then as it is here now. These people operate under the assumption that the bigger the lie,the more people will believe it. Unfortunately,that is often the case with uninformed and easily fooled people. We must keep getting our message out. I am working on a letter to the editor to do just that. JOIN ME!

-- Ricardo LeGoode (ricardoxxx@home.com), October 02, 1999.

Craig:

Sufficient resources to do what the community expects them to do. My local city expects to lose about $800,000 per year. They have plans for that money approved by the community and the city council, that are needed community improvements. You can call them nice to have wish list items; but the people who have a surface water control problem that needs to be fixed, or delays in traffic at a corner that needs a traffic light, may disagree.

I have noted before, if you want low taxes you should consider a third world village. No taxes, no surface water controls, no traffic, no pavement, no running water (except in the street), no police, no fire department, etc. What you or I may consider necessary public services, is a result of the quality of life we expect.

-- dbvz (dbvz@wa.freei.net), October 02, 1999.

Howard Jarvis's book "I'm Mad as Hell" (1979) gives a blow by blow history of California's Prop 13. It has been a great help in understanding the I-695 campaign.

It is like having the opposition's game plan before a game. It has given us insight and confidence that the people will win the "WAR OF FERROR" the opponents are waging against the citizens of Washington State.

I-695 is winning! The opposition has squandered their credibility. Their campaign against I-695 plays like a cheap horror movie. (O.Casey Corr, Times Staff Columinist)

The liberal Govenor Jerry Brown of California at first said "Prop 13 would replace one monsster with another". After it passed he said "We have our marching orders from the people. This is the strongest expression of the democratic process in a decade."

We in the I-695 campaign do want to thank the opposition for pumping $2 million to $4 million into our economy. The sales tax alone is more than the entire amount of money I-695 has raised. It's great! Now the opposition will have less money to buy the politicians when the legislature goes back into session.

-- RD (Monte) Benham (rmonteb@aol.com), October 03, 1999.