OK it's time to make some believers out there to vote Yes on I-695.

First, I-695 is not deceptive. It spells out in plain English everything about it. There are no pages and pages of text--just two simple blocks of text any seventh grader could understand.

1. All tabs $30 and 2. All new fees, taxes and such must be approved by voters before they can take effect. Where is the deception in that? Why shouldn't you be asked first before you are taxed more?

Next, all this talk about cut services. Are they trying to tell me that the 2% or so "specifically" goes towards basic services (cops, transit, fire, etc) and if 695 passes, basic services get cut first? Is this the logic of how YOUR government works? Cut basic stuff first, but keep the $60,000 towncars for officials??? People, this is what they are saying! This is how they are scaring you! They don't want to cut THEIR projects or funding first!! THEY ARE NOT PRIORITIZING! Prioritizing for most of us is deciding what is what we can get by on, regular unleaded or supreme unleaded gas. I can get by with regular, thank you, though I would like to have supreme, I just can't afford it. The government is working opposite. It WANTS supreme no matter what and they will get more from you to get it, and if you don't want to, they'll take it from you from YOUR basic services which should not be touched in the first place.

Are you getting it yet? Basic services SHOULD NOT BE THE FIRST THINGS CUT! Why must they be the ones cut first? Why? Where the hell does that other 98% or so go from the budget!!!!??? Why can't something that makes up that other 98% be cut first or at least cut back on? They are scaring you into believing that the 2% DIRECTLY funds basic services!!! COME ON!!

If that were true, then our state has a budget for basic services that amounts to $2 billion to pay for it. Where does the other 98% go? THAT IS WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE ANSWERED FIRST BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO VOTE NO. Where does the other 98% go? Where does the other 98% go? Stop being so dead set on the 2%. It's not the whole pie!!

Next, let's talk transit. The scare is you won't see any workers out there fixing roads because they will lose their jobs. Can you say CONTRACT LABOR JOBS? That is what these people are. They are not REAL STABLE JOBS!!! They are hired hands just like any temp agency doles out! They are telling you that 1000 cops, some number of construction workers and other will lose their jobs. That's a crock. The truth is their will be no funding for these TEMP jobs! If a cop wants to be a cop and have a stable JOB, get one that can't losing funding!! Construction workers too! You are all licensed. Surely you can't tell me you don't do other jobs if you are not working on a state project!?

Next, the debate of this aiding the wealthy. Oh please. Listen here. No one owes you anything. No one owes you a big wad of money for your existence. If you want to make more money, it is up to YOU (unless of course you inherited it from someone who already made all the money). Rich people can afford the things they have because they have INITIATIVE and THE DRIVE TO MAKE THEIR LIVES BETTER. They may have gone to night school, or college or whatever, but bottom line is they are rich because THEY made themselves rich. I-695 is not about making the rich, richer. It is about getting rid of a tax that EVERYBODY hates, but more importantly, it is about getting more control over where YOUR tax dollars are spent. If you don't care where your tax dollars are going, send me a check for $500 to pay for my tabs next year. You don't care about paying the MVET and you obviously don't care where your money goes either so you might as well pay for mine.

Next, the scare of Income Tax or Property Tax. Two words: Voter Approval. When I-695 passes, the government can't just turn around and tax you, they MUST get your OK first. You all out there don't want an income tax, this will make it more difficult for them to try to start one.

And about those elections for fee increases. You will never see a special election that cost $30,000 to put together, just to raise the price of copies at the library 5 cents. They will prioritize funding within first before shelling out thirty grand for your OK.

Finally, what if you are right? What if the sky falls, all the programs do get cut, all the horror stories come true. You know what you can do after saying "I told you so!"? We can REPEAL I-695 in the next election and we can go back to the way we were and not caring where our tax money goes and also going back to regular gas too!

I'm Sandy D. Have I changed your mind now??

-- Sandy D (sandy_d1@yahoo.com), October 26, 1999

Answers

EXCELLENT POST!!!! It says it all. My hat off to you and your ability to lay it all out there. Buy Henny Penny, the sky is still falling...isn't it?

-- just a guy (torijosh@yahoo.com), October 26, 1999.

Woohoo!!!!! Great job Sandy!!!

-Jim

-- Jim DeFord (jimdeford@home.com), October 26, 1999.

Willful disbelief will not prevent the bad stuff from happening. The sky isn't falling, just parts of it. We don't know what programs it will fall on. Better plan: Vote No.

No, you didn't convince me.

-- dbvz (dbvz@wa.freei.net), October 26, 1999.

After watching Town Meeting last night and comparing it to the card I got in the mail and this post, I definatly will be voting YES. Thanks Sandy! You really help me make up my mind. Thanks also too for putting each item it all in plain english and to the point.

-- Dan (thanks@hotmail.com), October 27, 1999.

SSSSMMMOKIN'!!!! You said it!! Hey, dvszdoo-dah, (did you go to public school to learn how to spell your name?) Why should I, a single mom, working electrician have to pay all those union guy's wages through my car tabs, and any other tax? This is the United States, not the United Socialist States of America. If socialism is so great, let all you communists join and support each other on your own... Oh, but wait, that wouldn't work, would it? Because without gov't's force and stealing the money from us productive Citizen/slaves, you can't get your free cable tv, or food stamps or college education that my childrn will never have. I repent, I've seen the light, forgive me!! Hail socialism!

NOT.

-- Paula (eagleross@pioneernet.net), October 27, 1999.

Ms Paula:

Where did all that come from? I am no more a socialist than I am a fascist. If you are unhappy with your current employment, or the prospects of your children; better make use of some of those state programs for retraining, and the courses at the state supported Community Colleges, before someone in the legislature decides they should be cut to cover the MVET losses. What was that about food stamps and cable T.V.?

-- dbvz (dbvz@wa.freei.net), October 27, 1999.

The point is that I do not need the government to assure my happiness. I do not beg for benefits from gov't. These union guys against 695 are trying to continue to force ME to keep paying more and more taxes so the state can give large contracts to the businesses they work for, which secures their well overpaid salaries.

Me, I make my own way. I don't tell them they have to pay all these taxes to secure me and whatever employment I have. The constitution says nothing about Citizens being forced to pay for their brother's jobs. Call it whatever you want, its pure socialism.

I do my giving and charity work, I help my community, NOT by gov't force, but from my heart. If gov't doesn't force us to "contribute", their social policies will fail, because most are assenine. Examples: Free cable tv for welfare recipients from agencies who recieve gov't grants, slaughtering the unborn on my dollar, gay and lesbien dances, 7 million dollars for an addition to a records facility in Tumwater, government grants to those who are too lazy to work their way through college ( by the way, I'm not envious of anyone who is being dummed down in these gov't funded so-called higher learning centers) My point was that if I wanted my children to go, I don't have the option because they gov't is stealing all my money, not only in taxes, but by the inflation it causes, minimum wage ( which when it goes up, so do prices to pay for those wages, but those who make more than minimum wage don't get wage increases. Now, we have to budget more. Look, the gov't has its tentacles in far, far too much. Until people like you get that in your head, it won't change. Funny, they called the republicans (which I am not) the "I've got mine's", but you socialists are the "I want your's". Gov't is supposed to protect our freedoms, not dip its greedy fingers into our every orifice.

-- Paula (eagleross@pioneernet.net), October 27, 1999.

Whoa there folks! The points addressed here in this board are to cover the MOST hyped up points for and against 695 not about to discuss other types of reasons. The opposition is spending some big chunks of cash this weekend on radio and TV ads that address the items of the orginal post on this board. If anything, please post rebuttals to the TV ads and radio nonsense they are splurging out.

I saw one on tonight that made me so angry because I have yet to really see and TV ads for anything on TV this year. It WAS nice at first watching TV up till now not having to see a stupid ad with people being paid to lie to fellow Americans.

Beware though of your city's council. They are starting their assault to collect extra when 695 does pass. And if it doesn't pass, will they repeal those new rates increases????

-- Sandy D (sandy_d1@yahoo.com), October 27, 1999.

great post. any ill effects from the passage of this initiative will be soley an act of vindictiveness. angry little politicians, mad they we dared to step out of line and attempt to remove their power. if they are unwilling to make the appropriate adjustments then they must be replaced!!!!

we will be watching!

-- richard (ragman88@yahoo.com), October 29, 1999.

But how do we get the rest of our comfortable fellow citizens to notice, or care, to step out and risk being ridiculed? When one of the auditors had the whistle blown on her, she counter-sued for defamation of character. So many complain, but few will act when it comes to such things.

As far as tv ads, I killed my tv a year ago, but I hear the no side is being brutal.

-- Paula (eagleross@pioneernet.net), October 29, 1999.

I just had to make sure this board appeared at the top of the list before tomorrow.

Also, a little more points from recent ads and boards.

From boards I have read that some of that other 98% is going to fund an interpretive display of salmon runs. I think is was in the double digit millions. There were also posts relating to gay-lesbian dances, opera houses, etc. I'm thinking that of these, they should be done/made based on donations and not taxpayer dollars.

You know, I've always wanted a statue of my glorious self atop Mt. Rainer with a big bronze sign displaying the date of my accomplished trek. Maybe I should ask for funding.....they fund other stuff like this right and left anyway!

Again, all those police, construction and fire jobs should not be cut first, and if they are, they are CONTRACT LABOR jobs. When there is new construction, they hire a box with contractors. Police temps, fire volunteers. These are not stable jobs. At the same time, WHY MUST THE GOVERNMENT CUT BASIC SERVICES FIRST INSTEAD OF THE OTHER PORK PROJECTS???? They only tell you all this to scare you. Tell them to cut the displays before cops and others!! VOTE YES ON I-695!!

BUT ABOVE ALL, MAKE SURE YOU GET OUT AND VOTE TOMORROW FOR IT. DON'T SIMPLY RELY ON OTHERS.

-- Sandy D (sandy_d1@yahoo.com), November 01, 1999.