In The Northwest: Eyman's revenge is to undercut services even more

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In The Northwest: Eyman's revenge is to undercut services even more

Wednesday, June 6, 2001

By JOEL CONNELLY
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER COLUMNIST

Rarely has any initiative sponsor ever given such a blunt motivation for making public policy as Tim Eyman of Mukilteo.

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"Don't get mad, get even!" he writes in a fund-raising letter for Initiative 747.

I-747 would require state and local governments to limit property tax increases to 1 percent per year, unless a higher increase is approved by voters. Currently they can enact increases of up to 6 percent.

Eyman must collect 197,734 valid voter signatures by July 6 to put his measure on the ballot. Deploying paid signature gatherers and volunteers, the non-stop initiative sponsor is in the vortex of his answer to TV's "Sweeps Month."

One factor is different this year, however. Public employee unions are mounting an early counterattack against I-747 instead of waiting until fall and allowing consultants and Gov. Gary Locke to bungle the campaign.

Unions are urging voters not to sign I-747 petitions. They are using figures from the state Department of Revenue to warn that I-747 would cut county services ranging from fire protection to emergency medical care.

Judged by preliminary skirmishing, the struggle over I-747 will be a fight to the finish, with far-reaching ramifications for how much basic government we get at a time of head-over-heels growth in the Puget Sound basin.

The "get even" part refers to a Thurston County judge's ruling that Eyman's last successful measure, Initiative 722, was unconstitutional. I-722 nullified certain 1999 tax and fee increases and limited property tax increases to 2 percent.

"Because they were greedy, because they were arrogant, because they sued the voters and blocked I-722's 2 percent per year limit, politicians' actions resulted in an initiative with a 1 percent per year limit," Eyman wrote to potential donors.

Since popping on the scene with I-695, the $30 car tab initiative, Eyman has led a largely charmed political life.

He has been lionized by the media, particularly The Associated Press, in watch-salesman-takes-on-the-politicians profiles. Eyman is a skilled salesman. He talks in non-stop sound bites. When struck by a demonstrator's pie in Olympia last year, he made a beeline for the press building to show off the damage.

Eyman has also profited from having Locke as a foe. The governor's vague, weak, not-very-believable promise of legislative action on car license fees was like a full tank of gas to I-695 backers at a time when they were slipping in the polls.

Still, opponents sense that Eyman and I-747 can be taken.

Eyman lost one at the polls last fall. Voters defeated his Initiative 745, which would have channeled 90 percent of transportation funds to road building. The asphalt lobby loved it, but citizens balked at eviscerating public transit.

Moreover, while limiting taxes is a popular cause, people want and expect the services of their local government.

Based on Department of Revenue estimates, cities, counties, ports and other taxing districts would lose $1.4 billion over the next six years if the 1 percent limit on property tax increases is approved.

County roads would suffer a $149 million hit, fire districts would lose $187 million, libraries would be out $90 million and emergency medical services would lose $51 million. State coffers would lose $400 million.

"If voters of a community want to approve a higher (property tax) limit, they can do so," Eyman counters.

But critics say dozens of revenue measures would need to be submitted each year, creating chaos in basic services.

Eyman has formed a for-profit company called Permanent Offense Inc., which promises to offer at least one initiative to the voters each year.

In the first three months of 2001, according to Public Disclosure Commission reports, Permanent Offense Inc. was paid more than $15,500 in "management/consulting services" and $8,000 for accounting and database management.

Eyman is vague in describing management services, but he's specific on one point: He is not taking any money from Permanent Offense, nor is any family member. "I make enough money selling watches," he said.

The I-747 campaign's major outlay to date is $40,000 to Washington Initiatives Now, a pay-for-signatures firm formed by Sherry Bockwinkel, leader of the 1991 and 1992 term limits initiatives. The firm is also being paid $1 per signature.

Federal and state courts have ruled against term limits. And Eyman is 0-for-2 with court rulings against initiatives 695 and 722. (The state Supreme Court will hear arguments on I-722 next week.)

But the governor and Legislature quickly kowtowed on I-695, enacting $30 license tabs into law. One result was a recent whopping fare increase for Washington State Ferries.

Underestimating Tim Eyman is dangerous. A never-published election day poll conducted for The Seattle Times found I-695 going down to defeat, 55-45 percent. It ended up passing, 55-45 percent.

As special agent Maxwell Smart used to say on TV: "Missed it by that much." But a lot of local government services may be missing if I-747 catches fire.

P-I columnist Joel Connelly can be reached at 206-448-8160 or joelconnelly@seattlepi.com

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