I-1033: It locks in the suffering

By Rap Lewis

People are already suffering under the deep cuts in this year’s depressed state, county and city budgets.

If Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1-1033 is approved at the polls this November, this year’s budgets will be locked in as the baseline for future government spending. And the suffering will be locked in as well.

Eyman’s initiative would limit revenue growth to an arbitrary formula based on the inflation rate and population growth. The NO on 1033 Committee estimates that by the year 2015, that formula would reduce the state’s general fund by $9.5 billion; county budgets, by $694 million; and city budgets, by $2.1 billion

Under Eyman’s formula, it would be impossible to restore this year’s cuts in education. health care, infrastructure and social services.

If revenue grows more than Eyman’s iron ceiling, the excess would be used, not to restore public services, but to reduce property taxes. However, there’s nothing in Eyman’s sloppily drafted initiative to ensure that property tax relief would be targeted to those who need it most.

One state – Colorado – has imposed an Eyman-style limit on revenue. The rigid formula set for Colorado dropped the state to 49th in per pupil expenditures. The percentage of children who lacked health insurance doubled. They couldn’t even immunize Colorado school kids. There wasn’t enough money.

In 2005, Colorado voters – led by a bipartisan coalition of business leaders, teachers, seniors, health care providers and firefighters – voted to suspend the law for five years to stop the deterioration of their state.

Tim Eyman’s I-1033 would turn Washington into another Colorado.

I-1033 sets a new standard for civic irresponsibility – even for Tim Eyman.