Did the Stranger make these Council members get up at 6:00 AM to post this opinion piece? For shame!

Garbage. This is more a la carte government bullshit. When you remove all the popular things from the agenda to be paid for a la carte, first parks and now transit, you remove any electoral pressure from future law makers to compromise. The only issues left to debate will be the contentious ones like abortion. But extreme wedge issues are not what government is about, its about building broad consensus over common interests and goals that no one in their right mind should oppose. Like transit funding.

This is some clever inversion shit. If we don't vote for the transit district then its the people who are the ones who are anti-transit, not the politicians who are empowered and responsible to make these decisions but are actually incapable.

Perhaps we should eliminate the council entirely and just have public referendums every 6 months.

@3

The politicians are not empowered to to make these decisions. Ever heard of Tim Eyman? That's how we got to this place.

@3 please fill us in, how should we be paying? Your principles are right, but reality isn't playing along.

.. this progressive does. period.

#3: when has 'heighten the contradictions' actually worked? "Make things worse, until politicians are forced to magically make the system better" has a track record of success that rivals "land war in Asia".

@5. You're accepting a false choice here. The reality is that there are any number of proposals that could be made in the council or sub committee and voted on, which in response to @4 I would say is literally their job to do. To their credit, they have said they have discussed it and this is their best option. But this single option pretends that there are zero alternatives and that isn't true. I understand taking a proactive and positive legislative approach to bypass the log jam of state politics, but by removing the pressure of forcing politicians to be accountable at all we fall into the trap of cutting all services down to all use fees. Cutting transit in times of a burgeoning economy and population is beyond cheap, it's is counter productive to the economy and to business, which is how the issue should be addressed, not as a referendum on our civic identity (we need to pay for the things WE want!)

The small government side will not stop until the ferry system is privatized and education is chartered. This is another step on that road.

I live in Kent, so it's not my mishegaas but is it local destination traffic that makes Seattle bad (as in, a guy jumps in his car to get from Ballard to Shoreline) or regional traffic (tons of guys get in cars to get from Ballard to high tech buildings in Factoria).

If the latter than this plan, like the previous, will not help. It will simply be a way to tax the poorest of the poor to pay for $300,000 a year bureaucrats.

What would help is a united effort to restore fair, and sane, property tax rates and valuations in Washington State -- as mandated in the original state Constitution -- and which includes all assets in the definition of taxable property.

Then and only then can we fund the types of regional, frequent and higher speed rail systems that will address the traffic problems.

@8 Again, I agree in theory, but you failed to answer my question. Where should the money come from? Be specific. The city council/county council can't just raise taxes as much as they want.

@4 Can you stop propagating the lie that Tim Eyeman had anything to do with the mess we are in? He was a anti tax figurehead that ran some initiatives, MOST OF WHICH WERE OVERTURNED.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Eyman

The democratically controlled legislature, with our buddy Ed Murray, went back around and made legislation that mirrored the failed initiatives.

Seattle is becoming an overpriced shithole of cubicle farms and tech workers. It's sadly ruining this once awesome city. The city needs fucking regulation and to greatly expand the shitty public transportation system, not shrink it. You have thousands of tech workers invading the city, many use Metro. How do you think it's going to work with thousands more riders but less Metro routes and runs? Not to mention the hard working people that are barely affording rent and still work hard to sell all the techies groceries, clothes, fast food and so on. This city will become unlivable sooner rather than later for most people.

"There will be opportunities in the future to add progressive funding sources to our revenue system (if we fight for them!). For now ... [vote for this regressive tax]."

How many times have we heard this? Why should we believe this will ever change?

@9 People driving from Kent to Factoria don't drive through Seattle.

I think car drivers should support transit alternatives because it is the surest way to help reduce the density on the roads and to reduce the odds that heavy density gives way to a blocking jam.

However, a more progressive notion is the idea that the government should help provide mobility for its citizens. We've built roads but they require purchase of an expensive automobile or enough health to use a bicycle to get the best use of them. Buses provide an alternative way for people to use our road investments.

@13 is correct.

That said, No Bus, No Peace!

@12, Actually, unlike the County Council with the previous measure, the City Council has several other funding alternatives they could pursure -- like the two Sawant and Licata proposed earlier. Some of them -- again, like the two proposed earlier -- don't even require a vote of the people at all.

Sales tax is a terrible burden on low-income folks right now. What the hell was the point of raising the minimum wage to give low-income folks moer money, if we just make them spend it in taxes? That low-income fare will only be available to those who jump through the hoops to qualify for it, and the car tab "fix" will only rebate 1/3 of the charge!

This is not sustainable funding. The car tab to be taxed to those that don't pay it bt rely on it will grow. The city will be back to sustain transit that benefits business again to find a new an exciting way to get more funding from anybody but the business community.

This is about the end of the line for car tabs. You're next. The majority of councilmembers will ensure it.

Where is the business funding piece of this?

Lot's of bitching here, would be nice if it was turned into action such as contacting council members, showing up for hearings and joining groups such at the Transit Riders Union.
The pols will only do something to fix the fucked up way we tax ourselves if we push for it. Income tax to replace all other taxes ore die! Oh and don't forget about those teat sucking corporations that lube up the pols with money and do it to us dry. FIGHT OR SUFFER!

And sadly vote yes on prop 1, too many of us depend on the bus to let it fail.

@14 You're name is inaccurate--Washington voters adopted an income tax in 1932 by 70%. When the next economic collapse hits, it will be possible again.

Oops--"Your"