Sunday, October 18, 2009
Initiative 1033: Tim Eyman Measure Will Trim Government, but at What Cost?
Kitsap Sun: Stabilizing government spending and bringing some property tax relief are the goals of Initiative 1033, coming before voters Nov. 3. But critics of Tim Eyman’s latest ballot proposal say it would unfairly cripple public services in Kitsap County and across the state. I-1033, Eyman’s latest initiative to restrain government spending, would limit growth in revenue collected by state and local jurisdictions by setting budgets at a rate that can increase no more than inflation and population growth do year to year. It would give voters a say in any increases above that limit, and reduce property tax levies with the taxes collected above the set threshold.
Eyman and local supporters of the initiative say limits established by I-1033 will create a sustainable rate of government growth and get Washington state, its 39 counties and 281 cities off the “fiscal roller coaster.” According to Eyman, I-1033 re-establishes the reasonable allowance for growth — set in 1993 under Initiative 601 — while permitting a safety valve for voter-approved tax increases above the established limit. But local opponents of the measure, which include business groups, government leaders and state legislators, say the potentially detrimental effects on public services — and even how government operates — will hinder quality of life in Kitsap County.
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