demonstration at Eyman's home

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I heard Kirby Wilbur mention on KVI this a.m. that there was (or is) a demonstration at Tim's home by the tax and spend (other peoples money) crowd. I only caught a part of the storey,but there was some mention that some of the gang were/are employed in gov't funded non-profits and questioned the legality of their involvement.

Anyone know more about this?

I think it is EXTREMELY important that the people who are involved be videotaped. Not just to identify those involved,but to document any criminal conduct.If I lived anywhere near Tim I would volunteer to do the taping myself.

"No ones life liberty or property is safe when the Legilature is in session."

Ricardo

-- Ricardo (ricardoxxx@juno.com), March 08, 2000

Answers

If this demonstration by local govt. paid demonstrators in front of Eymans is true than we the people have lost all control of the government that is supposed to serve us. And if the press does not realize the seriousness of this action than they are out of control as well. It is now "We the People" against them the Robber Barons.

-- Tim Lederle (Tlede5555@aol.com), March 08, 2000.

Not put on by the government. Completely legal (INCLUDING a permit). Police attended at the invitation of the group.

It was people excercising their constitutional right of free speech. If Eyman wants to be a policy maker he should get used to any and all feedback he gets. There are protests all the time in Olympia and at other levels of government. He can't pick and choose which parts of being a lawmaker he wants to be.

But I like how Eyman thinks that free speech is "playing dirty."

Eyman's home site of planned protest By WARREN CORNWALL Herald Writer

For months, Teresa Baird of Granite Falls has been challenging Initiative 695 sponsor Tim Eyman of Mukilteo to ferry her around if the initiative hurts transit for disabled people.

Today, the wheelchair-bound Snohomish County resident wants to deliver the message personally.

Baird, a longtime transit advocate, plans to hold a protest outside Eyman's home.

"The transit dependent were hardest hit, and we challenge Tim Eyman to pick us up and take us where we need to go," said Baird, who has multiple sclerosis.

Baird said the protest, which has been advertised with pamphlets including directions to Eyman's house, is aimed at drawing attention to the plight of transit agencies and at pressing the Legislature to replace transit funding lost to the initiative.

Eyman, however, took the protesters to task.

"Our side plays by the rules. Our opponents play dirty. That's why voters side with us," he said.

Baird said she chose Eyman's house as the backdrop of the protest to draw attention to the need for transit funding.

Asked if she would be bothered by similar protests if they came so close to home, she said, "I would think that if I was into something like Mr. Eyman is, I would have to expect it, and I would have to live with it."

Baird, who adds the nickname "Flying Eagle" to her name, helped create the Transportation Assistance Program, a Snohomish County service that provides rides for disabled people living in rural parts of the county. She also serves on the state's Independent Living Advisory Council, which advises state agencies on issues relating to people with disabilities.

Baird stressed she is not representing any organizations in the demonstration.

The initiative canceled roughly $750 million in tax revenues this year by replacing the state car tax with a $30 license fee. Roughly 29 percent of car tax revenues went to local transit agencies, according to the state Office of Financial Management.

In response, Community Transit has cut some routes and ended weekend bus service, including its door-to-door service for disabled riders. Baird said I-695 also threatens half the funding for the rural transit program.

Baird said she has gotten a permit for the demonstration from the city and that she plans for it to be peaceful. She will kick it off with a ceremonial smoking of a peace pipe, she said.

"The event is expected to be well attended," her news release said.

The conflict isn't just about a past initiative. Baird is also targeting Initiative 711, an Eyman-sponsored proposal that would shift state and regional transportation spending largely to road construction and away from mass-transit programs.

-- Patrick (patrick1142@yahoo.co), March 09, 2000.


I must agree, it is sad that people in need must be hurt when the voters try to regain control of govt spending.

Now, with that said, why waste your time an Eyman's residence? I think you are making a scene a few miles north of the root of the problem. Until such time as YOUR govt installs some common sense in their spending of MY tax dollars, I and others will vote for any decrease in taxation that is proposed.

If you doubt there is waste in spending, just make the short trip to Okanogan County. As of 3/6/00 we have a public transportation system on a trial basis, with your tax dollars. The system was voted down with a 67.5% no vote in 1997, but thru the wisdom of Olympia the transit system was given $300,000.00 to show us that we need buses. That same $300,000.00 could have been spent to help people that need the transportation, but the govt would rather try to get another system going than take care of the ones they have and people need.

Only in the mind of a bureaucrat could a transit system work in a county with a population density of less than 6 people per square mile.

Good luck with your protest, but would still suggest that you read the map wrong when trying find a location to make your point.

-- rons (ron1@televar.com), March 09, 2000.


I agree with rons.

Society has a responsibility to provide REASONABLE accomodation for individuals who are transit dependent. They have NO RESPONSIBILITY to provide for people who just want "transportation choices." If someone wants transportation choices, they should be willing to pay full price. Every healthy person who just wants transportation choices using a (heavily subsidized) transit system is stealing tax dollars that would otherwise be available for providing services to individuals in need of basic transportation services that they cannot provide for themselves. These politicians have obviously decided that the transit dependent people are less important than the non transit dependent people who just want a cheap ride. And they accused the pro-695 people of being selfish. At least they were selfish with their own money, not demanding a disproportionate share of public money intended for the transit dependent.

-- (craigcar@crosswinds.net), March 09, 2000.


I found it interesting that the people who were supposedly hurt by the mass transit cutbacks all managed to make it to Tim Eyman's house to stage a demonstration. Public transit is alive and well in spite of I-695.

-- Darrell Wilson (tenboy22@localaccess.com), March 11, 2000.


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