Washington State Senate and House have just given us the middle finger! Larry Springer and Roger Goodman both voted yesterday to disregard the will of the citizens by suspending I-960. I-960 required the Legislature to approve all tax increases by a 2/3 majority or by a simple majority and voter approval. Only two years after its passage the legislature has decided that it knows better than the people. So they voted to make it easier to raise taxes on you.
Not only is this a blatent disregard for the will of the people but it shows a contempt for the principles our country and state were founded on. Article one section one of the state Constitution states "All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed..."
Why is it that our representatives feel they have the right or the privilege to disregard the will of the people when it suits their needs and desires? This is unacceptable behavior from our representatives. In fact I don't even think representatives is the appropriate term any more as they are clearly not representing the interests of the people.
I say that we send these legislators (notice I didn't say representatives) a couple of things to read. First the state Constitution, highliting article one section one, second a hand written letter stating our intention to remove those from office that do not represent us or our interests, and third a photo copy of our ballot with their opponents name filled in.
Let's get rid of the legislators and let's get Representatives back into the House!
I just read the new article myself - and it has me spitting mad. When I get a letter sent to them both, I'll probably share the content here if that isn't inappropriate?
ReplyDeleteBart,
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! It would do our legislators some good to have a healthy respect for the people and a huge shot of common sense.
Thomas
Here's the copy and paste from the web-form mailer...
ReplyDeleteMr Springer and Mr Goodman,
I recently read an article indicating that you have voted to suspend I-960 which was voted on and approved by the will of the people of this state. I must confess that this vote surprised me greatly, and dismayed me even more.
Mr Springer - Your web site at http://housedemocrats.wa.gov/members/springer/ claims that you don't believe in spending more tax dollars to solve problems, and that you demand respect for the rights of individuals.
Mr Goodman - Your web site at http://www.rogergoodman.org/OnTheIssues08.php#issue_1 claims that you think that the legislation can do a lot to help the people who are without jobs, and the families feeling the pinch of the economic crisis.
I fail to understand how your actions in suspending I-960 are consistent with your stated beliefs, and how you can claim to be representatives of the will of the people in your district who approved I-960 when you vote to suspend this bill. Where is the respect for the will of the people when you suspend our will to help your agenda? Where is the assistance for families struggling to make ends meet when the government can now raise taxes without a majority vote? It is my opinion that you should both be very ashamed with yourselves. I hardly feel comfortable calling you Representatives since you obviously are serving some agenda other than that of the people in your district. It is my intention to see that any public servant who does not act in accordance with the will of the people is removed from office so that our government is by the will of the people and for the people as the Constitution intends.
I agree. This seems to be a systemic problem with elected officials. They get the position that they want and they use the position for their own benefit rather than the benefit of the people they represent. This is such a slap in the face to all of us.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the opinion of the City Council members are about this. Based on their record of rasing taxes in Duvall I bet they think its a great idea.
Mike
That anyone is surprised by this coming from Larry Springer and Roger Goodman is also surprising. Their motion is always to go deeper into the pockets of citizens to fund what they believe is 'necessary' while at the same time saying that they are sincerely regretful that tax increases had to occur. As elections approach, I hope that people are committed to real change. We've seen the wrong-headed antics of Mr. Springer and Mr. Goodman played over and over and over again. Look to our south at California and see how well things are going for them on a similar 'program of prosperity.'
ReplyDeleteJohn - I'm rather new to gettring involved in politics, and so this was a little surprising to me. The deeper I dig into the discrepancies between what was promised and what was delivered the more dismayed I become.
ReplyDeleteHere's the response I got from Larry Springer's assistant:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your email regarding the temporary suspension of I-960. I understand your concern, and I truly appreciate you contacting me. Although I try to respond to every email individually, at this late date in the session it is not possible for my Legislative Assistant, Kelly Rider, and myself to send each person a timely, individual response on this issue. As a result, you are receiving this general email about the I-960 issue. I know that it will not respond to all of your concerns, as you may have written about a couple different topics, so please do not hesitate to write back with further questions.
I-960 is obviously a very controversial issue with passion running high on both sides of the question. Last week, after a very thorough debate, I voted to suspend 960 until July, 2011 while retaining its requirements for transparency. These requirements will continue to ensure the public sees all budget implications for any bill we propose in the legislature. I think it is very important that the public has every opportunity to know exactly what we are working on in Olympia.
I deeply respect the initiative process and support our citizens’ right to participate in it. However, just like laws passed by the Legislature, initiatives are often amended after the first couple of years – for a variety of reasons – in order to address the realities of the present time. This follows the process established by our state Constitution. Our Constitution recognized, when the right to citizen initiative was written into it, that there could be extraordinary times necessitating the need for the legislature to suspend an initiative, so that ability was also written into the Constitution. As we are facing the largest budget deficit in state history, I believe this qualifies as one of those extraordinary times.
I will not belabor the details of the magnitude of our problem except to say that we are solving a $12 billion deficit which is over 1/3 of our entire budget. We have already addressed $9 billion of this deficit without raising a single tax, and we are now looking at $3 billion more. I believe that suspending I-960 is necessary in order to allow the legislature to debate and act on the floor of the House on budget solutions as simple as closing tax loopholes which are costing the state millions of dollars every year. In nearly every case, those loopholes do not benefit the average Washingtonian but rather out of state corporations and residents.
This legislature has several tax and fee proposals before us, and suspending I-960 is necessary in order to consider them. Some of them I will support but many, most actually, I will not support. I will not support tax increases that cost business jobs and place even more Washington families on the unemployment line. I will look to prioritize and maintain funding as much as we can for K-12 education, public health and safety, and essential human services for the most needy, children, elderly and disabled.
I know we disagree about the vote I have taken to temporarily suspend Initiative 960. Just know that as a small business owner and a tax payer myself, as well as your elected representative, I take this vote very seriously, giving serious consideration to every one of your messages. Ultimately, I believe we cannot forsake our state's future; we need to uphold our commitment to schools, roads, public safety and public health.
Thanks again your message, and please do not hesitate to contact me again.
I got a much much longer mail from Senator Eric Oemig that was more detailed and personally written as opposed to the canned mail from Larry Springer.
Bart,
ReplyDeleteThank ou for sharing this with us. I am interested in the reasons Sen. Oemig gave. Can you give us the cliff notes version?
Sen. Oemig's points seem to be made best in the following quotes:
ReplyDelete"Let me try to cover this issue in its entirety. After two years, it is perfectly legal to amend, suspend, or overturn an initiative with a simple majority vote of the legislature. It has been done a number of times before by both Democrats and Republicans. When Republican Dino Rossi was the chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee (the Senate's chief budget writer) the legislature shelved I-728 (reducing class sizes) and I-732 (teacher pay raises). Both of those initiatives passed by healthy margins. I'm fine with changing initiatives within the rules when the times and circumstances change and when it makes sense."
“I knew full well that some people would be furious with me for voting to temporarily suspend I-960. It would have been easier for me personally to vote against this legislation, but I don't think it would have been the right thing to do. Let me explain the reasons why I did what I did, and please hear me out. Here's why I don't believe I'm going against the "will of the people" by voting to temporarily suspend (not overturn) I-960. First of all, even though in 2007 I-960 passed state-wide (51%-49%), my constituents in the 45th legislative district turned it down. And in 2009 voters in the 45th, and state-wide, rejected Tim Eyman's I-1033, which would have limited revenue growth for city, county and state budgets. 56% of voters state-wide voted against it, slightly more in the 45th. Recently the vast majority of school levies across the state were approved by the voters. Times are very different from when I-960 passed and I think voters are making it clear that they don't want to devastate public education or vital public services. The will of the people is determined by listening to the majority's voice. In the Legislature, a bill that earns the support of a majority of the people's elected representatives is said to reflect the people's will. I-960, however, turns this upside-down. It says that we should listen instead to the voice of the legislators in the minority to uphold the will of the people as we solve our state's budget problem. I do not support undermining the democratic process and yielding all power to manage state revenue to a minority legislative voting bloc. In the case of closing loopholes, raising penalties against polluters, charging new users fees, raising tobacco taxes to discourage youngsters from starting to smoke, or generally updating fiscal policy, the legislature is established by the constitution to manage this. Where provisions of I-960 would NOT survive a constitutional challenge, I support the constitution. Finally, I support the initiative/referendum process and the power it gives people to add a check and balance on government."
There were also apparently some tax loopholes in I-960 that they intended to close to prevent out-of-state companies taking advantage of local businesses and being subsidized by the state.
ReplyDeleteHe made it clear that there will be more budget cuts and changes to services offered to operate within those budgets.
Speaking to budget needs for education:
"No one believes our kids are too educated, our families are too healthy, our communities are too safe, or our air and water are too clean. In fact, King County Superior Court just ruled that the state is not fulfilling its constitutional "paramount duty" to amply provide for basic education. Washington is 46th in the nation in per pupil spending and school districts have long been relying on local levies to fund basic educational needs. We will have to make more state investments in education, but the timeline on how that will happen is still undecided."
"Let me conclude by saying that I didn't run for election to be part of the political status quo or to be popular. I'm here to make government work more efficiently and to keep the long-term view in mind. My wife Mary and I have two young children, Cray and Cate, and I'm here in Olympia to help make sure they have a bright future. I want that for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and neighbors, too. I don't want to change your mind on this issue. I just want to let you know my point of view thus far and that I'm listening to as many people as possible in order to solve problems. Thanks for writing, and thanks for reading my response. What is great about this country is that we can disagree with each other in a civil way that promotes mutual understanding. That's essential for a healthy democracy."
To be honest, I was very impressed with Sen. Oemig's response - all 5 pages of it :D. He acknowledged my right to feel upset, and his obligation to help me understand why he made the decisions that he did. He also referred me to some specific examples of precedent for overturning initiatives, and he encouraged me to write him any time about my concerns. Even if I disagree with him on some things, he took the time to listen, to understand my point of view, and to help me learn something new - none of which can be said for the other two 'fine examples of legislators'.
ReplyDeleteContrasted with the canned-mail letter from Larry Springer, I have to say that I would vote for Senator Oemig in the future, (sarcasm on) and would be glad to kick Larry Springer someplace that would leave him singing in the Vienna boys choir (end sarcasm).
I like Larry Springer's response better because it shows that he was getting such an overwhelming amount of negative mail and had to create a canned response.
ReplyDelete