Friday October 15 10:40 AM EDT Locke vows a car-tax overhaul if voters reject I-695 By Jim Lynch Seattle Times Olympia bureau

OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke says if voters turn down Initiative 695, he will pursue a dramatic overhaul of the state's car tax. Locke decided to make that promise after advisers told him the Nov. 2 ballot measure is likely to pass unless he offers voters a good alternative, said Ed Penhale, spokesman for Locke's budget office. Locke is still working out the details of his tax-cut proposal, but he is already talking to legislators about meeting - if the initiative fails - to work on the issue before they are scheduled to convene in January. "The governor favors a dramatic overhaul" of the car tax, Penhale said. "If I-695 is defeated, the governor is prepared to call a special session as quickly as possible. . . . Otherwise, reducing the car tax will be the first order of business when the Legislature convenes in January."

Polls continue to show about 60 percent of voters support I-695, which would replace the vehicle license tax with a flat $30 fee and require voter approval of any future tax or fee increases. The initiative's popularity is, in part, fueled by the controversial way the state taxes vehicles. State officials estimate the value of a new car on manufacturers' suggested retail prices - the dealer sticker prices that usually get haggled down. The problem is compounded by a depreciation schedule that often overvalues cars, resulting in taxes based on inflated values. Eyman isn't impressed Locke has told his staffers he thinks the tax rate - 2.2 percent of a vehicle's estimated value - should be lowered, and the formula for calculating a car's worth should better reflect true market values. But it is unclear how deeply Locke would agree to cut the tax. I-695 sponsor Tim Eyman laughed at Locke's sudden proposal, which surfaces more than three months after Eyman turned in a near-record 514,000 signatures to get his initiative on the ballot. Eyman says Locke and other lawmakers lack credibility on the issue because they had their chance to make the tax reasonable and didn't do it. "You can use your common sense and see these guys are lying again," Eyman said. "The only way they're going to get the message is if 695 passes." Eyman also noted Locke isn't proposing to give voters the control over tax and fee increases that I-695 offers.

In fact, Locke has said he is more opposed to that voter-approval part of the initiative than to its car-tax cut, which would reduce by $750 million the revenue stream that helps finance state and local government programs and services. Lawmakers tried to quell the public's mounting disgust over the state's high car tax last year by giving taxpayers a $30-a-year rebate. They also tweaked the depreciation schedule to lighten the burden on taxpayers. But there were no efforts by Locke or lawmakers to cut the tax further during the most recent legislative session, while Eyman quietly gathered signatures for a second consecutive year.

Talk of special session a surprise Although Locke has opposed I-695 from its inception, he hasn't yet aggressively tried to defeat it, as he did last year with an anti-affirmative-action measure that voters overwhelmingly approved. Earlier this week, however, Locke surprised his staffers and legislators by mentioning at a public gathering in Aberdeen that if the initiative fails, he would like to call legislators to Olympia to deal with the car tax. Senate Majority Leader Sid Snyder, D-Long Beach, says the Aberdeen gathering was the first he'd heard about it. Snyder agrees with Locke that the Legislature needs to act swiftly - if voters give it the chance - to make the tax more fair. But he questioned whether an emergency meeting was feasible.

"Calling a special session is very, very difficult," Snyder said. "You need agreement ahead of time and good attendance." More likely, he said, the car tax could be the top priority when the Legislature convenes in January. Snyder says Senate staff members are already mulling alternatives. "We're looking at options, on ways to soften the blow." For example, Snyder said, perhaps the state should tax new vehicles at 90 percent or 80 percent of their sticker price. He also said perhaps the owners of motor homes - who often pay more than $1,000 annually to keep their vehicles street legal - could buy cheaper, seasonal license tabs.

If the Legislature meets before January to work out a car-tax cut, Snyder and other lawmakers say they may also use the special session to cut unemployment-insurance taxes that businesses pay in Washington.

Despite months of negotiations among legislators, business and labor leaders, there isn't an agreement on how best to grant companies a tax cut in exchange for an increased commitment to the state's worker-retraining program.

#1 "The governor favors a dramatic overhaul" of the car tax Since when? Maybe since he saw the last poll numbers.

#2 Lawmakers tried to quell the public's mounting disgust over the state's high car tax last year by giving taxpayers a $30-a-year rebate How generous of them. But I still paid over $1300.

#3 Talk of special session a surprise Poll numbers show that 67% are voting yes on I-695. This number hasnt gone down with their doom and gloom commercials. More absentee ballots are being mail out for this election than another.

#4 Snyder agrees with Locke that the Legislature needs to act swiftly - if voters give it the chance - to make the tax more fair Theyve had their chance, not once but 10 years of chances and they havent done a thing yet.

#5 More likely, he said, the car tax could be the top priority when the Legislature convenes in January Could? Thats reassuring, so all this talk about doing something about the price of tabs is just what it appears to be, a smokescreen so the voter will think our trusted leaders care about us.

#6 Snyder and other lawmakers say they may also use the special session to cut unemployment-insurance taxes that businesses pay in Washington Thats right, put something in here to appease the ones who give you your big donations.

#7 Despite months of negotiations among legislators, business and labor leaders, there isn't an agreement on how best to grant companies a tax cut in When was the last time you and your buddies negotiated with the citizens of this state so we would get a tax cut. If it wasnt for I-695, you and Locke wouldnt even be talking about this.

The politicians are scared, now their throwing out ideas on what to do with the MVET only as a ploy to get people to vote against it.

Ed  voting for it. Then let them live with tightening their belts for once.

-- Ed (ed_bridges@;yahoo.com), October 15, 1999

Answers

Sid Snyder? The grocer from Long Beach Washington??? I knew him when I lived there in 1974. He was in the state legislature then. He's been in for AT LEAST a quarter century. He ain't part of the solution, he's part of the problem.

-- zowie (zowie@hotmail.com), October 15, 1999.

Right on Ed,

I read that in Seattle Times this morning and just roared. What a hoot! I'm voteing YES on this as this initiative has my support like never before. Notice how Mr. Locke doesn't give ANY details on what kind of relief we 'may' get.

And they want to give business even more tax breaks. "They don't need it" because they CLEARLY have enought money to donate to the No camp on I-695.

I wish I can vote today because I can't wait to vote YES.

-- William Sheehan (wsheehan@billsheehan.com), October 15, 1999.

""Calling a special session is very, very difficult," Snyder said. "You need agreement ahead of time and good attendance." More likely, he said, the car tax could be the top priority when the Legislature convenes in January. Snyder says Senate staff members are already mulling alternatives. "We're looking at options, on ways to soften the blow." For example, Snyder said, perhaps the state should tax new vehicles at 90 percent or 80 percent of their sticker price." YGTBSM!

-- The Craigster (craigcar@crosswinds.net), October 15, 1999.

What a joke Locke knows that I-695 will pass. They had their chance to do the right thing. but they turned heads as if to say I-695 didn't make it last year it wouldn't make this year! I don't hear any promises. It would be funny if I-695 passed even with the big bucks against it. Let's all hope and do everything we can to get it to pass in a BIG way.

-- Bruce Knudson (mixedcrazy@webtv.net), October 15, 1999.

But the good news is that he wouldn't be trying to buy us off if we weren't staying ahead in the vote. And with absentees already going out, many votes will be cast before the "no" campaign really gets their advertising blitz going. Or is this pathetic campaign we've seen so far all you can buy for $2 million anymore? No wonder they don't want a public plebiscite. It's a lot cheaper to buy a few committee chairmen than it is to try to fleece 50% (plus one) of the voters.

-- Mark Stilson (mark842@hotmail.com), October 15, 1999.

Ed

I join you in ROFL.

Locke has become positively Clintonesque. Disembleing,lying and avoiding facts are now the approved "normal" behavior among politicians,especially Democrats. But that mealy-mouth Ballard is not far behind.

They're living in a cocoon,surrounded by syncophants and divorced from reality.

Algore---"I didn't realize I was in a Buddhist temple."

Ricardo

-- Ricardo (ricardoxxx@home.com), October 16, 1999.

Promises, Promises; Where, and when, have we all heard such from the politicians facing the wrath of voter's anger. Well, Gov. Locke may not see the light; but, he sure is feeling the heat. This maneuver, by the Gov., is a last desperate move in face of an I-695 victory. Take his, and other like-minded politician's, promise very lightly. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Keep focused on, and moving toward victory on Nov. 2nd.

On to Victory,

Richard Henderson

-- Richard Henderson (grassroots3@earthlink.net), October 16, 1999.

What a joke! Sell me the brooklyn bridge!

Vote YES ON I695

-- dee Suter (ard@get.com), October 24, 1999.