Comments

1
In my perfect world, car tab fees would be based on a combination of bluebook value, vehicle weight, and average MPG.

And if you have a heavy, gas-guzzler, your tabs would be astronomical...
2
After reading both those pieces here today, I'm pretty much in the same place I was before: it's a terrible idea, and the only thing we can do, and we must do it.
3
I'm with Gus. It's a regressive crappy proposal. But doing nothing is worse, and there are no other funding options. I'll hold my nose and vote yes for this turd.
4
Thirded. Pure horseshit, but better than the other shit.
5
I don't know yet. I loathe Eyman-esque I HATE DEM TAXES politics, but I also hate regressive tax systems and want some kind of assurance the money would go to something useful.
6
I'm fully aware that the stuff I want for this city (smooth roads, faster transit, safer streets for walking & biking) costs money. This is certainly a better way to pay for streets than a sales tax increase, and we're already doing a lot with property taxes. Maybe I'll get sticker shock for a second when I renew my tabs but it'll save me thousands if I can rely more on the bus being on time.
7
Good approach given the circumstances, good start. If we speak loudly we can compel Olympia to listen a little more.

I vote yes!
8
You guys all take buses everywhere, so why should you care.

I mean, even though I see all those cars along every street in Seattle and the typical SFH has a garage even in the city I know for a fact that Transit is the ne plus ultra for getting around town and most of you never step foot in privately owned motorized vehicles.

Because after all, 20 billion was spent on Light Rail from 1993 to 2005 before they laid one foot of track, and then another 10 billion more to create a Ghetto Coaster from the Airport to Downtown that mostly seems to act as park and ride shuttle for Federal Way'ers to get to Sounders games.

But not you.

Right?

9
An MVET would rock.
10
23% of Slog voters still say no? Oh, this is going down in flames!!!

Thank God.
11
@1:
I think you should throw annual mileage in there too. A car with poor MPG might well be worth having for occasional recreational driving, and if that is what you have it for, why should you be soaked?
12
@8 I understand that this may be confusing to you, but cars in the street, unpopulated by Stranger staffers or even undriven, still require tabs.

You need to be accusing them of belonging to a permanent non-car owning class.

Similarly, basically all construction projects involve purchasing the space the project will occupy before building begins.
13
Make it $600 and you've got a deal.
14
I know I'm going to be the one who's politiclaly incorrect here. But I'm not one of those rich Microsoft employees. I'm a modestly paid public employee. I drive a 7 year old Hyundai and there is no convenient public transportation to/from work. Nor do I live in one of those walkable neighborhoods. I live on Beacon Hill in a residential area. So I'm sorry, another $60 just to punish drivers is unfair and a lot of money. Maybe if we had a stellar rail system like Boston that made it easy for me to live without a car I'd be more open to it. I already pay a lot in gas taxes and tab fees. The flat fee is downright regressive too, I wouldn't mind paying an extra $10 when the guy in the Ferrari pays $200. So I'm sorry, I don't mind paying taxes for things that benefit the public, but when it comes to car tabs, the old 'born free, taxed to death' feels about right. How about bike tabs, why don't they pay for the services they use?

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