Mike Ennis, Seattle, WPC

(October 2, 2011)  If you subscribe to Tim Eyman’s email list, then you received this message for Mike Ennis’ Citizens’ Guide to Initiative 1125.  I-1125 is sponsored by Kemper Freeman and Tim Eyman, as I discuss elsewhere on this web site.  Mike writes:

” We (The Washington State Policy Center) just released our Citizens’ Guide to Initiative 1125.  In November, voters will have a chance to consider Initiative 1125.

I-1125 is known as the “Protect Gas Taxes and Toll Revenues Act – Protect the 18th Amendment to Washington’s Constitution.

I-1125 contains eight provisions that would affect how Washington officials collect and spend revenue from highway tolls.”

Of course, my web site focuses on protecting the 18th amendment.  On that note, I recently wrote a letter to Sound Transit and the Puget Sound Regional Council, explaining why Sound Transit will violate the 18th Amendment, if they build East Link Light Rail over I-90 from Seattle to Bellevue.  Click here to read my letter, including a quote of the 1944 Voter Approved 18th Amendment in its entirety.

Mike Ennis is the Director of the WPC Center for Transportation, and you can watch his videos on light rail and vanpools at my other post:  http://tiny.cc/gn27l

Mike Ennis’ Washington Policy Center Transportation Blog:

Be sure to regularly follow Mike Ennis and his insights on transportation and growth management, including smart growth, on his Washington Policy Center (WPC) Transportation Blog.  As far as I can tell, Mike Ennis is the #1 blogger based in Washington State, opposing light rail and smart growth, while simultaneously advocating for viable alternatives such as regional vanpools.

http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/blog/author/mennis

Recent Tim Eyman Email:

Thorough analysis of I-1125 by the Washington Policy Center

FROM:  Tim Eyman

Monday, September 12, 2011 11:00 AM

To: Our thousands of supporters throughout the state (cc’d to the media, house & senate members, and Governor)From:  Tim Eyman, Jack Fagan, & Mike Fagan, initiative co-sponsors, ph: 425-493-9127, email: tim_eyman@comcast.net,

http://www.VotersWantMoreChoices.com — go to our website to do a secure donation by VISA/Mastercard/PayPal or print out the form below, fill it out, and return it with a check or money order or credit card information.

RE:  Thorough analysis of I-1125 by the Washington Policy Center, The Citizens’ Guide to Initiative 1125After all the over-the-top rants and hyperbole by I-1125’s opponents, it’s helpful to have a professional analysis of our initiative by the Washington Policy Center.  Here’s a link to their Citizens’ Guide to I-1125.  CLICK HERE –

http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/sites/default/files/Citizens-Guide-to-1125-PB.pdf

        They evaluate 8 questions about I-1125, list arguments from both sides, and then provide some thoughtful analysis of each.

        As a starting point, they note on page 2:  “It is important to note that I-1125 does not prohibit the use of tolls.  In its broadest sense, the initiative preserves the ability of officials to use tolls in the same way they always have.”

        And given last week’s update related to I-1125’s requirement that it be elected representatives, and not unelected bureaucrats, setting tolls, we were particularly interested in this on page 10:  “Like the legislature, the WTC (Washington Transportation Commission) is made up of citizen members; it is not necessarily a group of transportation or financial experts … (and) are subject to political pressures and they do not operate in a vacuum as some claim. … The only difference is WTC officials are appointed, not elected, and therefore they lack direct accountability to the public.”

        This is clearly the tip of the iceberg of their 16 page analysis of I-1125.  We welcome their perspective.

Best Regards, Tim Eyman, Jack Fagan, & Mike Fagan,

Fighting for Taxpayers for 15 Years,

ph: 425-493-9127, email: tim_eyman@comcast.net, http://www.VotersWantMoreChoices.com

P.S.  There are thousands of politicians, bureaucrats, lobbyists, and special interest groups working each and every day to raise your taxes.  Shouldn’t there be at least one person, one team, one organization that fights to lower your taxes?  Please help us so we can continue our successful efforts on behalf of taxpayers.

From: http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/sites/default/files/Citizens-Guide-to-1125-PB.pdf Accessed: Sept. 13, 2011