So, how bad is Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1033? So bad, apparently, that the Washington Realtors’ Tax & Fiscal Policy Committee has reportedly voted unanimously to oppose I-1033. Apparently something to do with it being poorly crafted, ill-timed and a job killer.
The final endorsement decision won’t be made by the Realtor’s Legislative Steering Committee until September, but the fact that there is so much opposition within the Realtors for chrissakes, to an initiative that promises steep property tax cuts, tells you something about how obviously stupid and dangerous I-1033 really is.
You might expect Eyman to blog here first, but I guess even he won’t promote this piece of garbage anymore.
We should just call him Tim “obviously stupid and dangerous” Eyman.
Well, if you think about it, it makes some sense for the Realtors to oppose this initiative. Over the long term property tax limits result in persistent budget woes and service cuts, making the communities less livable and discouraging the influx of new residents.
I-1033 is a clone of a constitutional amendment passed in Colorado called TABOR or the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. It resulted in yearly cuts in public services. K-12 education spending went from 35th to 49th. TABOR was recently suspended by voters in Colorado to try to restore public services.
I-1033 would impose a permanent freeze on public services in Washington State at the city, county and state level. If passed this year’s reduced state budget with it’s $9 billion cut would become the baseline for next year’s spending. No services could be restored without a vote of the people.
Adjusting for inlation by Eyman’s consumer price index, just means you are able next year to pay for this year’s services at their inflation adjusted level next year. Adjusting for population doesn’t increase anyone’s services, it just means you can pay for the new state residents needing services.
Of course Eyman ignores the reality that many state service costs are not controlled by the government – like Medicaid costs which are rising much faster than consumer inflation.
Also I-1033 doesn’t take into account changing demographics like more senior citizens needing public help as the Baby Boomer population passes 65.
But hey you didn’t expect Tim to really understand anything he wrote. His early versions of the initiative didn’t even include any population adjustment.
Are you ready to help Kemper Freeman pay his real estate taxes on Bellevue Square? How about Boeing’s or Weyerhauser’s real estate taxes?
I-1033 is a reverse Robin Hood wealth transfer scheme. Last year 57% of Washington State revenue was sales taxes paid by everyone. Under Tim Eyman’s wealth transfer scheme sales tax revenue next year that exceeds the baseline freeze in spending that I-1033 imposes will go to reduce property taxes.
But wait Tim isn’t telling people the real estate tax transfer goes to also pay commercial real estate taxes, which are 40% of all real estate taxes. The more real estate you have the more of a tax break you will get.
Don’t own your home? Well you won’t get a tax break either. Seems that according to the US Census Bureau only 65% of Washington households are owner occupied. Too bad if you’re part of the other 35%.
Most homeowners won’t get much of a break and will see a lot of public services disappear. Notice the parks being proposed to close – there won’t be any new revenue next year to keep them open because the only “growth” in government spending allowed under I-1033 is Eyman’s slight adjustment for inflation and population.
Kemper Freeman will sure appreciate your help paying his property taxes if you vote for I-1033. Maybe he’ll be able to recoup some of the $25,000 he gave Eyman to get I-1033 on the ballot. Who needs parks anyway, there’s always Bellevue Square to take a walk in.
Given your stated anti-democracy views regarding referenda (see his blog post on forcing Seattle to ban bags), I have to look at ANY recommendation on a referenda as suspect.
If you hate I-1033 so much, but can’t even describe what it is, I have to assume it’s probably a pretty decent proposition.
Since you think referenda votes should be subject to rejection or acceptance at your whim.
Hmmm….the Realtors are against it. There must be something involving PROPERTY TAXES, PROPERTY VALUES, AND REAL ESTATE COMMISSIONS at STAKE. NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG.
Pass or Fail, Approved or Rejected, Good or Bad – Timmy gets his ca$h.
Budgetary Plebiscites:
You know, a town with money is like a mule with a spinning wheel. He doesn’t know how he got it and damned if he knows how to use it. But Timmy gets his ca$h.
@4 Oh, he understood, all right. Eyman is a “starve-the-beast” conservative — he’d rather be a slave to corporations controlled by the rich than depend for necessary services on a government elected by the people. Personally, I believe that viewpoint more than qualifies him as “stupid.” As for dangerous, he’s too stupid to be dangerous. If he knew how to write an initiative that could survive a court test, then he’d be dangerous.
@6 “If you hate I-1033 so much, but can’t even describe what it is, I have to assume it’s probably a pretty decent proposition.”
I take you vote for anything a liberal like Goldy is against. I’m beginning to see where the GOP gets all its gullible fools. Instead of assuming anything, why don’t you study I-1033 and decide for yourself whether it makes sense? Is that too much of a task for yourself?
type @10 I take it you vote …
Maybe after it passes and public services are slashed, the Supreme Court will find it to be unconstitutional.
Oh, wait. Then Governor Gregoire and Frank Chopp would just march the legislature into special session to re-enact it. Nevermind.
gov’t and realtors are so far into each others’ knickers, it is any suprise that both oppose Eyman?
i have to figger anything a nazi anti-democratic wingnut is against deserves a 2nd look
stupid people, they won’t vote the way he wants, so they must be sent back to the reeducation camps
@chicagoexpat
The Nazi Party killed millions of Jews, homosexuals and disabled people. Hundreds of thousands of Americans died and millions were injured fighting against the Nazis. You insult the memory of those dead and those men and women who served in World War II.
Using Nazi to describe someone is utterly repugnant.
Fuck the parks. Take it off my property tax bill, I dont go there. In fact, I have a sprinkler system in my house, take the fire dept off my bill. I dont have kids so take the schools off my bill. Police don’t do anything if you get robbed anyhow and if it were something violent occuring I’d best be using some buckshot so take the cops off my bill. Never have any of my neighbors pitched in for fuel on my boat or repairs to my snomobiles so why should I pay for their kids or their parks. I just want to pay for me from now on. Wanna go to the park? You pay, not me! I buy my own health insurance. Holy shit, theres a concept! Democrats suck.
@mark
mark @ 16,
It sounds like you need to git yerself a compound to live on.
…preferably somewhere in Outer Mongolia.
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@15
The only possible response that I can possibly make is “YOU NAZI!”
I guess Nazis are the only one who gets to define its use