Nov 3rd- Watch for Deception on the Ballot

Who could argue that voting isn’t a civic responsibility which impacts change in our communities? Just as important as deciding who or what to vote for, is deciding who or what to vote against.

The process of casting an informed vote isn’t as easy as reading ballot measure titles or the short descriptions therein. Voters must do extensive research to understand the issues and how they are portrayed on the ballot- unfortunately the two don’t always compliment each other.

There are two issues in particular on the ballot which highlight an attempt to hoodwink voters: R-71 and I-1033.

R-71 Gays and Seniors vs. Tomfoolery and Paranoia

The State legislature already moved to extend the same legal rights that married couples have to couples in a domestic partnership- yes; this means gay couples and our older adult neighbors. The needs of Seniors have been largely ignored while the bigoted bible thumpers scream about the sanctity of marriage and the need to protect it. In your voter’s guide the group against R-71 asserts “Washington State cannot afford to make same sex partnership equal to marriage.”

Well why not? Will gay domestic partnerships bankrupt Washington? Of course not. However, discriminating against gay couples could cause a bit of a problem, and right now, the legal rights afforded to married couples are denied to gay couples.

This isn’t a matter of lifestyles or religion or whether you agree with the personal relationship choices people make- this is a civil rights matter, pure and simple. It is not the job of the state to protect a religious group’s interpretation of marriage in the bible- that’s why we have separation of church and state. R-71 doesn’t force religious institutions to marry gay couples but instead provides everything but marriage” for domestic partners, thus marriage, as defined and ritualized by faith remains the same. R-71 is not about faith, it is about law.

Opponents of the referendum, including the Faith and Freedom Network also argue that statutory benefits are not rights.

They are rights when protected and outlined by law- they are when awarded to some yet denied to others. He is right in a sense, marriage and the legal benefits that come with it are not a universal right- they are a privilege designed for certain people above others.

It seems those folks have forgotten that we are not in the business of discriminating against people for gender, race, religion or sexual orientation. If they really want to protect marriage from those who really tear it down- they should work to outlaw divorce- after all, more than half of all marriages end in divorce- are they gonna blame “the gays” for that too?

Vote YES on R-71 and put an end to the debate of whether Washington State discriminates against some families above others, and send the right wing extremists back to their respective closets…err, pulpits, errr…you get it.

I-1033 Saving the State from Tim Eyman…again

Tim Eyman must hate Washington State because he’s been working for more than 20 years to screw it all up- and now he’s back for more with a ballot measure that is confusing at best and downright trickery at its worst. The guy who pushed I 200 across the finish line (costing the state millions and giving employers a clear path to ignore prospective minority employees) and made friends with his $30 dollar car tax gimmick wants you to approve a measure that will effectively cripple the State.

Problem is, he and his minions make the ballot measure sound really, really good. They’ve painted a picture of prime cut steak but the only thing on the plate is gristle and grease.

Eyman insists that the passage of 1033 would simply create reasonable restrictions to taxes and allowances for growth (inflation plus population growth) and includes a “safety valve” allowing higher increases with voter approval. They claim 1033 allows growth at a sustainable rate that doesn’t outpace taxpayers’ ability to afford it.

Then there’s this, seemingly yummy morsel:

What happens to excess tax revenues that government collects above 1033’s limit? “The remainder of excess tax revenues gets refunded back to taxpayers via lower property taxes. Struggling working families and fixed income senior citizens desperately need relief from our state’s crushing property tax burden.”

I know what you’re thinking; lower property taxes? How can we go wrong with that?! Well, sorry folks, but it’s just not true. There will be no “excess tax revenue” to give back via property tax reduction- we are in a recession and Washington is facing a severe budget deficit due to declining revenue- not declining expenses.

I 1033 would tie taxes to the current 2009 budget despite the need. This means less money statewide for roads and highways, children’s health and public education (which has already seen a 1.5 billion dollar cut this year). 1033 would prevent the State from recovering from the blows it has already been dealt by the current economic and budget crises.

If Eyman was truly concerned about Washington State’s tax structure or its impact on Seniors and struggling families, he’d set his ego aside and join efforts to repeal our regressive tax structure to make tax paying in this state more equitable and effective.

I-1033 straps the State to financial ruin while gutting higher education, public education, children’s health, Senior services and other critical components which maintain the health of our communities and our overall quality of living in Washington State.

Vote NO on I-1033 and let Eyman know you might not be smarter than a 5^th grader but you’re certainly smarter than him.

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