However, if voters pass all the sales tax hikes, we promise we won't be back in two years asking for another 0.2% "temporary emergency" increase. We've learned our lesson from the other 25 times we let the tax rate creep up by tiny increments to solve a budget crisis.

This is the last time. The last last time. There won't be any more after this one, very special, last, final, emergency, temporary sales tax increase. It's only for these special budget problems which are different than the other budget problems that led to previous sales tax increases. The budget problems that made us tweak the tax rate a smidge higher all those other times were a joke compared to the budget problems now. We were jerks before but we're being straight up true with you this time. Honest.

In two years, when you hear the same song and dance, feel free to say no. Just say yes this one last time. If we ever pull this shit again, then you can say, hell no, never again! Next time is when you can put your foot down. Be cool this time. Next time, things will be different.

C'mon, listen baby... baby, it's me, I mean it this time. Aw, baby. Where you going?

I agree with @1. I don't think state services are wrong, and I support education and public safety and think not getting my house broken into every night is just swell.

But goddamn, where's the limit?

Ffarf and Will in Seattle,

If you missed it tonight, there's another show tomorrow:

http://www.seattlelaserdome.com/

Saturday evening:

8:00 p.m. - Laser Michael Jackson

Oh, and on that budget thing.

Strange that a city so desperate just to survive would make its main and sole focus wasting $5 billion on a tunnel.

A fraction of that money would solve all their problems.

Wait...ok, now give me the phony answers.

Good thing the mayor is raising commercial parking taxes.

@3/@7 writes that "per capita state taxes in Washington have been pretty flat for over 15 years..." and that "Washington's rank among the 50 states in state and local taxes...[in 2008] was ranked 30th..."

...but forgets that residents of Seattle, of King County, and of assorted Puget Sound transportation benefit districts already pay much higher sales taxes than the rest of the state. Our ranking would be significantly higher than 30th if it were based upon the sales tax rates we actually pay around here rather than upon a state average.

Meanwhile, regressiveness persists: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/tax-t…

well, no matter what happens i'm getting laid off.

hey, let's spend 13 million on bike lanes!

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We could start a volunteer organization to collect unsold cupcakes from the numerous cupcake venues and distribute them to the homeless to eat.

@1 I officially heart you.

Paying taxes is the price we pay to live in a civilized society.

Some of you are new and might think I want to see a tax cut. To get you up to speed, what we need is to increase the tax burden and fully fund programs for health care, education, housing the homeless. And Seattle needs to hire a shit ton more cops.

But we can't keep ignoring -- and worsening -- our regressive tax structure. The time is now to replace regressive taxes -- sales, property, and that goofy B&O -- with a progressive income tax. And since it's an emergency, right after the votes are counted and the bad news hits, declare an emergency session and pass a progressive income tax for the state, the counties and the cities, while repealing these disastrous regressive taxes. The idea that radical change only comes from initiatives is a myth -- the legislature can act, if they choose.

Now is the time to do it. Things are that bad.

@17, Elanchos wrote, "And Seattle needs to hire a shit ton more cops."

Really? I think the fact that they're still out dealing with the lowest of law enforcement priorities (busting adults for possession of flowers of the Cannabis plant) indicates that they're fully staffed. They have a tough job to do, they can't do everything, they have to prioritize, and they repeatedly show us that they have plenty of staff to handle their lowest priority.

The Seattle Police Department have made it clear to us that they are not currently understaffed.

Anybody who has had a break in or car theft knows the SPD does zero legwork on non-violent crime. And if you go to the Justice Department's statistics website and divide number of sworn officers by population, you'll see Seattle dead last: fewest officers per capita of any US city. The numbers speak for themselves.

As far as pot activism: I actually don't want to put up with nonexistent traffic enforcement and no effort to solve property crimes just because the stoners want to make a point.