When you open your ballot this fall, you'll be asked to vote on Tim Eyman's latest bad idea: Statewide Initiative 1033. You may find yourself tempted to check the yes box - the way it's written it looks enticing. But I-1033 is a very bad idea, such a bad idea that we at the Children's Alliance have joined a broad coalition to fight and defeat it.
If passed, initiative 1033 will hurt kids in Washington State for years to come.
This year Washington faced a devastating budget deficit in the middle of a terrible recession. Right now across the state, teachers are getting laid off, soaring numbers of adults are losing health insurance, and little kids are waiting for early learning programs while their preschool years pass them by. If I-1033 passes this slashed budget will be locked in as the baseline, and force future cuts.
I-1033 limits the growth in revenue each year for state, county, and city general funds. It sets an arbitrary formula based on the cost of inflation plus population growth. It will leave no room to cover unanticipated costs like natural disasters. You can read great coverage of the damaging potential of I-1033 on Schmudget, the blog of the Washington Budget and Policy Center.
The most vulnerable people will suffer the most if I-1033 passes, but everyone will feel the pain. Just read the box to the right to learn a little of what happened when a similar initiative passed in Colorado.
We're all counting on our state climbing out of this recession. If I-1033 passes, we'll have a much, much, steeper climb. The worst of times in Washington would become the best that we can hope for, and kids will suffer.
Together we can and we will defeat I-1033. Here's what you can do.
1.
Send this message to 10 people you know. Recent polls show that most people don't know much about Initiative 1033, but that when they hear that it's sponsored by Tim Eyman, and learn how it will affect education, health care and the state budget, they decide to vote no.
2.
Sign the pledge to vote no at the No on Initiative 1033 website.
3.
Vote no on I-1033 in the November election.
You can make the difference in this campaign. Please share this message today. Thank you for speaking up for kids.
Sincerely,
Jon Gould, Deputy Director
800.854.KIDS x19
Dear Jamie,
Initiative 1033 is a proven failure. A similar initiative passed in Colorado in 1992. Here's what happened:
* Funding for K-12 education plummeted, dropping Colorado to 49th in the nation in education funding.
* The proportion of low-income children who lack health insurance in Colorado doubled, as it declined nationwide.
* At one point Colorado had to suspend the requirement
that children had to be fully immunized before enrolling in school, because there were not enough state funds to buy vaccine.
The situation was so bad that in 2005 voters put the law on hold so their state could recover. Dozens of other states have defeated similar initiatives at the ballot - because it's a bad idea. Learn more.
Here are a couple of things to consider in voting NO on I-1033.
ReplyDeleteINITIATIVE 1033 FREEZES STATE AND LOCAL SPENDING AT THE CURRENT LEVEL. It says that none of the cuts made in public services as a result of the current recession can be restored without a public vote. Public votes take time, cost money and allow politics and special interest money to influence the outcome.
INITIATIVE 1033 IS A RADICAL SHIFT AWAY FROM REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. It would take away the current power of our elected public representatives to make budget decisions and turns the process over to budgeting by referendum. It does this not just at the state level but also for all 39 counties and all 281 cities in our state. It is a blatant attempt to undercut efficient and deliberative government by Tim Eyman whose goal is to shrink the powers of representative government.
INITIATIVE 1033 IS A COMPLEX WEALTH TRANSFER SCHEME. It would transfer sales tax dollars collected from everyone and use them to only pay property taxes for property owners. The problem is that not everyone owns property. This scheme increases the unfairness of our tax system. Renters will pay the same taxes as before under I-1033 but will both get no tax rebate and see no increased public services for their tax dollars.
I-1033 is special interest legislation designed to hamstring government from operating efficiently. It is a complex wealth transfer scheme that benefits rich property owners. And it is not needed.
There is no fiscal crisis demanding radical change of this nature. Initiative 1033 is a scheme dreamed up by anti-government, anti-tax fanatic Tim Eyman based on a similar law that Colorado passed and subsequently suspended when they saw how bad it was.
I-1033 deserves a resounding NO vote this November. We don't need to make our current recession permanent.