Thank you Tim for saying what so many of us feel. This government should be ashamed. But how can people with so little integrity be ashamed of anything?
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Eyman today:
Democrats are jamming through this tax increase fast, fast, fast. They set up a last minute hearing on it this morning. Having a Friday, 8 am hearing guarantees minimal citizen turnout, leaving all the pre-arranged special interest advocates lined up to sing its praises. I only read about it yesterday on a little seen newspaper blog and drove down to Olympia this morning. Here's my testimony against House Bill 2377, the Democrats' tax hike:
You're fooling no one.
It's become the oldest trick in the book - fund non-essential programs with existing taxes, then hold essential programs hostage, demanding a voter-approved ransom to get them back. You regularly put emergency medical services on the ballot and tell voters "approve this tax increase or you're all gonna die."
It is pure manipulation - it is transparent, obvious, and
despicable.
You are fooling no one.
You say these are 'temporary' taxes.
No taxes are ever temporary - you always find a way to keep 'em going.
You say these are 'dedicated' taxes.
There's no such thing - taxes can't be dedicated - once you get the money, you can spend them on anything you want.
In 2002, the voters approved a tobacco tax increase dedicated for one thing, but then the Legislature took the money and spent it on something else.
In 2005, the voters dedicated a revenue stream for performance audits, and right now the Legislature is taking half its money and spending it someplace else.
Saying these taxes will be temporary doesn't pass the straight face test - saying they are dedicated is simply untrue.Even the newspapers are fed up. Last week the News Tribune wrote: "This . reeks. Voters will see right through (this) ploy to make the state's neediest the poster children for new taxes. Failure of the ballot measure . will be lawmakers' fault, not the electorate's."
Representative DeBolt hit the nail on the head: "This whole thing is gamesmanship - you cut the most vulnerable, you cut the most atrocious things you can, you send it to the voters, you show them pictures of people in basic states of panic, you tell them they have to give you more money . and then you take that money and give it to the Arts Commission."
You are fooling no one.
Democrats claim they're on the side of the poor and middle class - and now you turn around and jack up sales taxes that disproportionately hurts them. Democrats say they don't like to raise taxes on the poor and middle class - but then you jack up cigarette taxes, utility taxes, and liquor taxes that disproportionately hammers them.
The best thing you can do for the poor and middle class is to stop taxing and fee'ing them to death.
Dante's Inferno describes the seven circles of hell. There needs to be an 8th circle added and reserved for politicians who are willing to throw the elderly and the disabled under the bus, defund their programs, and then exploit them, using them as props and pawns in their never-ending pursuit of higher taxes. Have you no shame?
You are fooling no one.
-- END of Testimony --
After I [Eyman] spoke, the committee chairman and lead sponsor of the tax hike, Eric Pettigrew (D-Seattle), completely blew his stack, saying "We do not put people on the railroad tracks in order to stop the train," and then said if voters don't approve his tax increase "people will die."
-- END of Tim's remarks --
Here is Tim's website if you want to learn more or support his efforts on behalf of all of us.