Opponents of Initiative 1107 — the beverage industry sponsored measure that would slash hundreds of millions from education and health care by repealing state taxes on soda, candy, gum and bottled water — are sponsoring a decline to sign campaign hoping to keep this well financed initiative off the ballot. You can learn more by going to Rebuilding Our Economic Future.
But what if you already signed I-1107, not realizing the measure’s impact, or snowed by the bullshit claims by many of the paid signature gatherers that it repeals a bill extending the sales tax to food? (It doesn’t.) Well it turns out that you can request the Secretary of State to remove your name from a petition if you change your mind before the deadline, and to make it easier, Rebuilding Our Economic Future is facilitating the withdrawal process online here.
Understand that the millions of dollars the beverage industry is pumping into this campaign has nothing to do with the interests of Washington state; it’s all about stopping it here before other states seek to raise taxes on calorie-laden soft drinks in the interest of public health. The beverage industry wants to make an example out of Washington state. Don’t let them.
I was approached to sign this. I declined, the signature gatherer asked why. I explained that my son is alive today (and we’re not bankrupt and out on the street) because of the programs these taxes fund.
He didn’t believe me that it funded medical care.
He then asked me to sign 1098.
Found that to be a bit odd.
Now, this I like.
When did they start this? I hope it wasn’t today since the deadline is next week.
I encountered two signature gatherers under contract to Direct Democracy in Arizona on Queen Anne this week. Both were down-on-their-luck people brought up from and recruited in California. I explained my opposition to the initiative and told them how it could cripple services in Washington and make us like California. Both understood my point but saw this as a survival mode for them individually. Have no idea where they are staying and how they feed themselves while they are here.
However, I have a possible solution for this paid signature dilemma that increasingly invades our state and cripples our ability to deal with fiscal situations. Since this is a BUSINESS, our city and state should be requiring paid signature gatherers (NOT VOLUNTEERS) to obtain a business license and file B&O forms. If my business hired independent contractors for sales or signature gathering, those persons are legally required to have a business license ($90 in Seattle). Enforcement may be difficult but I still think this issue should be part of our city code. I did discuss this with Councilman Godden’s office.
This is not a restriction on free speech but is simply a business regulation since no one is prohibited from gathering signatures; they just have to get a license like anyone else doing business for pay. Also, Oregon has passed legislation that signature gatherers may not be compensated per signature.
I like OR’s laws that gatherers should not be compensated per signature. That is a much needed first step.
There should be higher penalties for fraud; and companies who hire signature gatherers who commit fraud should be liable.
I’d consider supporting I-1107 if I-1077 was already a done deal.
Funny how the wingnuts used to complain loudly everytime Acorn SELF-REPORTED when a few of it’s workers, paid on an hourly basis, used false voter registrations. In the Acorn case, there were no adverse consequence to the elections process because Acorn’s own quality control systems found the false registrations, and reported them in exactly the manner required by law, and there were no fraudulent votes based on those registrations.
But Eyman’s initiatives employ out-of-state workers, paid on a per-signature basis, and he’s fighting tooth and nail against having those signatures made publically available where voters could check to see if their names had been falsly recorded. Heck, he’s even fought against signature gatherer’s carrying ID’s so improper conduct can be reported. Then he has the gall to insist against any regulation of the paid signature-gatherer industry in this state by alleging that there is no proven history of abuse – while he at the same time fights against any reforms which would reveal such abuse.
I’m sure there are enough people in Washington State who are desperate enough to accept a job as a signature gatherer, especially after the Republicans in the Senate killed an extension of the unemployment benefits. But I’m guessing that the reason why they are going to California to recruit signature gatherers is because they don’t want Washington residents reporting on the extent to which they teach deceptive signature gathering techniques.
I think it would be a good idea for someone to try to get hired for this type of job next time around, go through the training and do it for a couple of days, and then report back on the process. It could be very enlightening, and make a great project for a college student.
Doing anything next spring, Goldy?
I think initiatives are not a good thing for Washington State. People sign them all the damn time without knowing what the financial outcome will be. For example, the initiative to limit classroom size and increase teacher pay to keep pace with inflation SEEMS like a grand idea, but neither of these things had any way to pay for them. The same can be said for each and every one of Eyeman’s initiatives. People vote for them because it affects or they think it affects their personal pocketbook, but they don’t see all the ways it actually does. The tax repeal is an example of this too. Personally I thought it was a half assed cowardly move by the Washington State legislature who is more concerned about retaining their seats then doing what’s best for the state. If they really were doing their job they would have implemented a more fair tax package than picking and choosing taxes to apply to some things and not others. Why not all beer? Why just the horrid stuff? Gee who does that affect more? The effete class or the lower class?
Signed, sealed, and mailed.
These signature gatherers congregate around busy bus stops downtown. It’s comical watching them trying to get people to sign.
I will be signing I-1107 as soon as I get the opportunity. Sorry, but taxing soda is bullshit unless we’re also going to tax fruit juice: a little vitamin C doesn’t change the fact that they’re both just sugar water.
Also, by claiming that this measure doesn’t repeal a “bill extending the sales tax to food”, you’re being as dishonest as they are. Sales taxes were, in fact, extended to some foods — foods which are a popular target of misguided health crusaders, but foods nonetheless. This bill would repeal that.
Yes, I would have signed it twice if I could!
“education and healthcare”….thats all we ever fucking hear. if the [arentd got a job, they could buy insurance and send their kids to private school. but we’re talking about immigrants, legal or otherwise, and the poor urban minorities created buy the white moron liberals.
@7
acorn self reported??????? you mean the orginization with so much integrity they teach people how to cheat the irs???
lollollololol
I read somewhere there are 72 initiatives vying to get on the November ballot.
@8 “I think initiatives are not a good thing for Washington State.”
With all due respect, Lauramae, I must disagree. At times in our history, the Popular Initiative has been a very good thing for the people of Washington State. Just because the initiative process has been hijacked by troglodytes isn’t a good enough reason to abolish it. The time may come — will come, is coming — that progressives need it. Just vote against the rightwing bullshit. That’s all you have to do. Most of their stuff doesn’t pass, and what does pass gets struck down by the courts — Timmy Idiot still doesn’t know how to write an initiative that passes constitutional muster, so there’s really nothing to worry about here. Remember, the initiative and referendum, as it exists Here Out West, was invented by progressives and used to enact progressive legislation that couldn’t be obtained from the robber-baron controlled legislatures that existed 100 years ago. It’s not the initiative process that’s bad for Washington State, but rightwingers who are bad for Washington State. This is an important distinction.
Too late; I signed already. And I don’t even support private liquor stores. What I support even less is all the waste in state government that the current leaders allow. So had to sign to teach them a lesson, that we insist they run efficiently instead of raising business taxes a whopping 20%.
I can not understand how anyone could be stupid enough to sign a petition without checking to see which one they are signing. I hope we can sue so that everyone who signed 1107 and did not 1068 can be contacted to ask if they meant to sign 1068. Then we could have there signature switched to that petition. The top of this article already has the evidence for a lawsuit. If we can find a liberal judge we are good.
Decline to Sign No Way Waste of Time & Money
But these Liberal groups keep coming up with
money for the Consultants. and paid signiture
gathers too.
@17
I can not understand how anyone could be stupid enough to sign a petition without checking to see which one they are signing.
laurence tribe, haaaarvard professor signed a petition to keep little black kids and there preschool out of his neighborhood. when the media starting asking questions, he said he DIDNT KNOW what he was signing. another either stupid or hypocritical liberal.
Well, that didn’t take long: I found some signature gatherers at Hoopfest today and signed I-1107.
Also signed I-1105… I realized later that I-1100 was the one I liked better, but they both seem like a step forward, so oh well. And of course I-1068, which I assume I don’t have to justify here.