Hey, Neal, your deleted post inspired me to step up on a soapbox, what can I say? It is a shame that my last answer had to be deleted because of your vulgar post. Well, let me edit, cut and paste.

What poor were you referring to? Who is being hurt Where? When?

I know this 43 year old women, who has never worked a day in her life. She laughs about it. Had herself 4 different children, by 4 different Active Duty Military fathers. She has collected child support for each one, lives in one of those subsidized apartments, collected her welfare checks and food stamps, and when the cash was cut off from welfare, she got on SSI disability, because some socialist Doctor (that the taxpayers funded) said she couldn't work. Her hobby is to buy Levi's at garage sales to return to stores for refunds. Oh, and she spends her nights at the Suquamish Casino. Yes, she is poor, just got a 3 year old Taurus. Bet SHE was happy I-695 passed.

I know lots of poor people. They live in nice apartments with gyms and pools. They have better medical insurance than I do, and get food stamps. Poor my foot(approximately 32 inches higher than the back of my foot, to be exact.) Just who are these poor people you are referring to? I am already supporting them and taking care of me and mine, as well. Just how much more do you think I can afford? I have always put a roof over family and friends heads when they were in need. THAT WAS BY CHOICE! You want to force me to take care of everyone in need?

Do you mean poor, retired, senior citizens, living on fixed incomes? Sorry Neal, every retired/senior person I talked to was very much in support of I-695, regardless of income. It was the "principal" of I-695 and the prospect to control future increases in taxes that they were in favor of. And guess what? These folks vote in large numbers. See, they understand the premise of "my income stays the same, but you keep taking more" much better than you. And someday, it will be you. Why? Because your taxes are too high, you can't put enough away towards retirement now, to offset the tax burden your socialist ideas will need to support.

If you are talking about children who are poor. Then I would say you could be right. They may be hurt by lower taxes in some small way. However, this is not the fault of I-695. It is the parents who are the responsible party for children in poverty. If they can't afford to take care of them, they shouldn't have created them. You can't hold the voters responsible for every poor child. We pay for plenty of condoms and birth control for the poor.

Maybe you meant that poor teenage girl with two kids, never married? The one who collects child support, goes to Community College paid for by taxpayers. Gets food stamps and WIC and free medical. The one who lives virtually rent free with her folks. The one who likes to party too much with the boys? Come on Neal.

Perhaps you meant that poor Entrepenuer. You know, the one with a custom built 8 bedroom house at the farthest reaches of your county, 30 miles from town, out in the sticks. The one that opened a group home. She is the one with the new Land Whale. The one who schedules multiple trips with transit for her residents every day, the one who you can't ever get to pay the fare. Yes, the 50 cent fare owed, for the 30 mile drive to the mall, so the residents can work 2 hours. She could't possilbly be expected to drive them herself. (even though she is being compensated to) What is that you say? YOU don't know her? I do.....and many more like her. I know Bus Drivers who quit their jobs to open up homes too.

Did it ever occur to you that the poor are also being burdened by over taxation?

The real problem in our country, is this, "TOO MANY PEOPLE WANT THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR EVERY NEED! Where is personal responsibility? Family Responsibility? Where, in the Constitution or Bill of Rights, is the guarrantee for poor people, to receive life time support?

I fail to understand your apparent hostility towards Tim Eyman. Too bad Westin won't see your post. Just who are you upset with? Did you personally witness Tim Eyman beating or harming some poor person? I didn't think so. Please explain WHO is suffering? Where? When? There is something deeper going on here. Did you have a personal stake in this? Or too much exposure to Socialism? Hey, I won't insult you and tell you to move back to Germany. But I will warn you, things around here are changing. Common Sense will prevail, not your socialist utopia.

BTW, anybody ever call you chicken little when you were a child?

-- Marsha (acorn_nut@hotmail.com), November 20, 1999