Isn’t it funny how when Washington voters, by whatever slim margin, pass one of Tim Eyman’s tax cutting initiatives, the editors at the Seattle Times applaud their wisdom and argue that it would be an unconscionable violation of the will of the people to amend or overturn said measure, even years later?
See, anti-tax/anti-government initiatives, that’s direct democracy at its finest. But when voters approve a tax increase, well, not so much…
Even the most avid referendum supporter will admit the limitation of the process is it asks a simple up-or-down question. In the case of the two measures, the questions could be boiled down to: “Would you like to raise taxes on someone other than yourself?”
No wonder Oregon voters said yes by a margin of roughly 54 percent for both proposals.
Shorter Seattle Times: stupid voters.
More proof the fishwrapper is nothing more than a wingnut propaganda sheet.
I wonder how they would feel about a voter referendum on the tax break Frank Blethen begged from the Leg last year?
Standard “my crap is stuff, your stuff is crap” attitude. The voters can NOT be ignored if they vote for some tax limitation…but voters MUST be ignored and are just “confused” if they ask for medical marijuana, legalizing marijuana, assisted suicide, gay rights, mono-rail, light-rail, new parks, new libraries, new schools, etc.
Well, when Scott Brown was elected Senator with 52% of the vote, the media proclaimed it was a “revolution”. At 54%, just a bunch of stupid voters..
The Will of the People is sacrosanct, unless of course, it isn’t.
@5 sacronsant my ass… the will of the people is, as a rule, is stupid.
if there was a tax levy that promised to deliver fluffy kittens for the low low price of instant death, the voters would love it.
anybody who voted against it would be labeled as a “kitten hating bastard” and probably tar and feathered long prior to the levy being put into effect.
@6: Your faith in human nature is touching.
The opinion that democracy stinks has a long pedigree…Machiavelli, Hobbes, Burke, and more recently the closeted paternalistic ravings of that lunatic Leo Strauss.
But it’s your bed. Fuck in it.
@7 I have no faith in human nature. That’s why we rabbits are making contingency plans to occupy a niche in case it’s vacated by another species …
Alternative questions:
“Your elected repsentatives think that this is a reasonable way to fund government services like education. Do you agree?”
“Would you like to raise taxes on the people who aren’t living one paycheck away from destitution?”