Democratic King County Council member Larry Phillips was “pumped” at the news. Both houses of the state legislature had finally passed a bill authorizing the county council to levy a temporary $20 car-tab fee to help fund Metro Transit, potentially averting major cuts in bus service.
But just hours later, Republican council member Jane Hague let the air out of the tires. She vowed to vote against any fee that doesn’t go before the people, and since Hague seems to be the key vote on the car-tab issue, that’s that—the fee will most likely have to go before voters.
It’s just the latest in a series of political potholes that, to keep running wild with the transit metaphors, could end up throwing Metro and thousands of its riders under the bus.
Starved of sales-tax revenue, Metro currently faces a $200 million biennial shortfall and 600,000 hours of service cuts—roughly 20 percent of its total service hours—even after three years of cost cutting, wage concessions, and capital fund raids. “There are no more tricks to pull,” Phillips explained. And so the county asked Olympia not for a state bailout, but for the power to tax itself.
It got less potential tax money than requested—at $25 million annually over two years, a $20 fee on King County vehicles raises only enough to restore 250,000 Metro service hours—and on top of that, legislators couldn’t even give Metro this bit of money without requiring an unprecedented approval of two-thirds of the county council. This requirement positioned the allegedly moderate Hague as the decisive swing vote, and now Hague has swung, leaving an expensive and iffy ballot referendum as the last remaining chance to avert a Metro disaster.
“The best thing King County can do to recover the local economy,” says Phillips, “is to keep buses on the streets so that people can get to work.”
Here’s hoping voters appreciate what’s at stake more than Hague and all the two-thirders in Olympia. 
Hmm. I guess nobody gives a shit about vital, unsexy, uncontroversial bus service these days. Buses are as vital as sewer systems. Let’s see how people like it if their toilets don’t flush due to lack of money. Assholes.
So, why does Metro cost $100 per service hour? Could they get that down to, say, $80? Portland’s TriMet cost was $75/hour in 2008, so $80 ought to give enough headroom for inflation (which has been low) and cost-of-living.
So, obvioursly she must have a car drive her to and from work. People need transit to survive the economy. She just does not care
Can’t Metro fund itself by just cutting salaries across the board?
Taxing people in a depression economy doesn’t seem too bright.
In other industries outside the government it is much more brutal. People are just fired to save money. If every government employees agrees to somewhat harsh cuts in salaries, benefits… you might be able to save Metro.
I personally would not mind paying fees to save government services. However, it is my belief that it would not solve problems longer term.
Why not rape wealthy corporations like they have raped the common man? Because you can’t. They own the government. Therein lies the problem and the solution.
Jane’s not a moderate. I’m not surprised that she’d vote against a car tab – it’d get her hung in the car-centric east side that she represents.
Dude, King County needs to secede from Washington
The rest of Washington needs to secede from King County. That way we get to send two sane Senators to Washington and the rest of the state fall in behind the batshit right wing lunatics sent up by West Kentucky…er…Idaho.
Call your state reps,your state senater,and your governess:Demand them – your employees – to create a statewide wealth tax (it ain’t an income tax,so it doesn’t violate the RCW).
Larry Phillips, the hero of looters everywhere. Folks who don’t ride the bus are supposed to subsidized those who do?? Bad enough to pay the capital costs but to support the operation costs (which include the cost of union drivers and mechanics)???