Comments

1
If the legislature can't tax, how are they going to pay for the tunnel cost overruns?
2
@1: the tunnel is magic. There will be no overruns.

And besides, the Council gave itself authority to tax the entire city through a citywide taxation district. Don't you worry!

As far as the initiatives are concerned, ah well.
3
if the legislature functioned at all, it would end the initiative process. otherwise, eyman's going to turn this state into somalia. but with smooth roads for farmers in eastern washington.
4
I love Baconcat.

Have fun paying the extra $10,000 in taxes for the tunnel, whether you rent or not.

Don't worry, your Lords and Masters have nice downtown condos and suites that are paid for by their tax-exempt non-profits, so they won't pay a dime, while they get you to pay for their stuff.

Oh, and you're having your park land given away to their Pirate King so he can have a free museum.
5
A note on methodology: SUSA doesn't correct for cell-phone only households. Given the makeup of the Seattle area, I suspect those may be a significant error factor.
6
Welp, I guess we had an OK run. :\
7
This state is full to the brim with shitheads and yahoos.
8
SurveyUSA doesn't correct for cell-phone only households, so their numbers may be a bit more squidgy given the high preponderance of such in the Seattle area.
9
So... are we ready to cut loose the idiot self-destructive eastern half of the state yet?
10
So we cripple the state government's ability to generate revenue. All those anti-tax hicks in rural Washington will get to see first hand what happens when the state can no longer prop up the existence of their podunk little towns, which have no real reason to exist at this point in time other than to function as little economic black holes on the Washington landscape.
11
Too bad we can't set up an opt-out system like with phone books: anybody who didn't want to pay taxes could just check the "NO" box. Then, whatever local authority that would normally have jurisdiction over that household could just spray-paint a big "N" in a prominent location outside their property, so that police/fire/whatever government agencies would know not to provide services.

That way, when they're robbed or their house burns down or the pothole next to their driveway turns into a massive sinkhole, the tax-refuser could bask in the glory of their own independence and self-sufficiency, knowing their tax dollars were not being "wasted" on such Socialistical nonsense.
12
If Western Washington is so toxic to the way of life of people in Eastern Washington, why can't we just cut the state in half right down the Cascade Curtain? If they really hate being governed by tax-loving fag-kissing Western Washingtonians, wouldn't this be their time to shine?

They can go for an initiative in 2011. I'd sign it.
13
@9 for the Freedom win.
15
Why not go all the way and secede from the US entirely? Free Cascadia.
16
The thing is, it's not just Eastern washington that is conservative. Nearly every city North of Seattle on the I-5 corridor is predominatly conservative, as well. With the exception of Bellingham, of course. I don't know how things turn out South of the city or out on the peninsula, but I have a feeling it's pretty similar.

That said, I do think it's pretty silly that we are saddled with the needs and wants of the east side, and vice-versa. It would probably be best for everyone involved if we just broke up.
17
Uh, folks, the only way these initiatives are going to pass (or fail) is by the votes in the Seattle metro area. Eastern Washington can't pass an initiative without help from this side of the state.
18
@3 "if the legislature functioned at all, it would end the initiative process...." Agreed. But that would require an amendment to the state Constitution. Not bloody likely. California we become.
19
The money always wins.
20
Ah who cares. Didn't the legislature vote to suspend 960? What makes you think Eyman's newest one is going to stick?
21
The main problem with spinning off Eastern Washington into its own state/third-world dystopian hellscape is that they would suddenly get two spankin' new US Senatards to keep fucking that chicken in DC. You think things are bad now...
22
@20: that's still five years off. That's a long time to be hamstrung.

More on Metro Seattle: I-1107 got a 20 point shift to Yes in Seattle alone. The Eyman initiative has "broad support in every area in the state". So, it is silly to blame the East side for those. Ignorance doesn't care about geography.
23
We could go to my Third Option.

Form a State. Call it Sealth State, with one county, Sealth County, and multiple cities, including Tukwilla, Sea-Tac (renamed Up Yours Olympia), Lake City (renamed Freedom City), and Shoreline (renamed Richland).

Then we'd have two Senators, two Congressmen (trust me, we're big enough for 3), and none of the suburban debt and inefficiency. Then split the rest of the state into two parts.

By constitutional fiat, anyone named Tim Eyman would be tarred and feathered and run out of the state on a rail.
24
I would like to see The Stranger start earlier in their political analysis of the initiatives and races.
25
Break up the state and those shitheads in the east get two U.S. Senators, both of whom you can be sure will be teabaggers. No, thank you.
26
@16: I'm up here in Inslee country, which includes Mukilteo, Poulsbo, and part of Monroe. There's blue at least as far as Everett.
27
@ 24) Like in June? We've been writing about lots of them when they were filed, again when they looked likely to get on the ballot, when they qualified for the ballot, and before ballots are mailed. We've been training monkeys to begin stalking Tim Eyman when he's drafting initiatives, but they keep buggering off to make smoothies.
28
@26 ok, you could form a State too. That would give us two more votes in the Senate.
29
I want an initiative to have any monkeys released from prison to be given maps to Eyman's house.

And any rapists, murderers, and arsonists.
30
@29 HAHAHA! Rape is funny! Does Eyman have any young daughters? Hopefully they can get raped too!
31
Would an initiative to separate Western from Eastern Washington be even legal or binding?

If so, lets do it.

The border can be east/west of, using these markers north to south: Ross Lake. Mt Baker 50/50. Stevens Pass 50/50. I-90 at mid-point of Snoqualmie Pass. SR-123. SR-131. That gives both sides a fair split of the mountains. Let's see how they do without us.
33
@31 I'd sign that.

It would be fun listening to them whine about how they can't afford to pave their roads ...
34
@32: You continue to be an idiot.
35
I wonder what Tim Eyman does when he's not busy being a pompous ass. I suspect that he either a) blows goats, or b) stands in front of a mens room mirror admiring his mangina.
36
@ 32,

The Republican party is a far greater direct and immediate threat to me and my family than any "muslims."
37
Wow, some of you have a seriously loose grasp on the demographics of our state. Just like always, these initiatives will sink or swim based on the WEST side vote, you know, where all the people live. If you are wondering why things aren't going your way, look around you... its YOUR neighbors who are voting that way. The east is going to be solid R (find me the rural area that isnt) as usual, but they don't send Reichert to congress over and over again and not a single eastern WA farmer is going to vote Rick Larson out of office this time around. Also, Tim Eyeman... all yours West Siiiiiiiiide.
38
@35 both, actually. But he prefers to use cheese spray for the goats.
39
I have unregistered comments turned off. Is there any way I can turn off Will in Seattle's comments?

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