WHAT'S THE LATEST?
(Most recent information posted at top of page)
July 7, 2009
Hello Fellow Homeowners
& Renters!
Washington State's
Draconian property tax system was the catalyst for our property tax reform efforts.
Today, America's economy
has created much bigger problems for taxpayers - and those problems have eclipsed
the relatively small scope of property taxes.
For that reason,
I have decided it's time to close the doors on Property Owners for Predictable
Tax Now.
The Predictable
Tax website will stay up for a while. So, if you want information that is currently
on our website, feel free to visit and print out pages that you find helpful or informative.
For those who are computer savvy, you should know how to copy and save any
page on our website.
I did my best
to post lots of information about property taxes on our website.
While we don't
have a "search engine" for the entire site, you can go to any page and
search there for particular info. Most newer computers should let you hold
down the "Command" key and then hit the "F" key to bring up a
"Find". If you can't find what you're looking for on our website,
start with your local assessor and/or use the internet as a research tool.
If you want
to be kept in the print media loop on all things "property tax", Google
has a free service whereby you can request an email alert which sends you daily updates.
You can request any number of updates on any possible subject.
http://www.google.com/alerts
I thank all
of you for your continued support and interest (and emails!) during the past several
years and I wish you wonderful things in the future.
Now go out there,
get involved, and fight for the government you want!
Shelley
*****
January 15, 2009
For those of you who are interested in seeing the
new Eyman Initiative on our ballots (I-1032) and want to get involved with making
this happen, Mr. Eyman says he wants anyone who is supporting the initiative to be
mailed their own petition.
Here is the contact email address for requesting a petition: tim_eyman@comcast.net
Just a heads up: because the Legislature is in session, naturally, there's lots going
on (doesn't necessarily mean lots will be accomplished - but that's a discussion
for another day). At any rate, just wanted to let you know that's the reason you're
receiving more Updates than normal.
Click here to go to
a pdf file of the initiative I reported on in our January 11 update which is very
similar to our Predictable Tax Amendment.
*****
January 11, 2009
NOTE: NEW UPDATES HAVE BEEN POSTED THROUGH JUNE 19, 2008.
The 2009 Legislative Session will begin this Monday, January 12.
And there seems to be movement on our property tax reform issues.
This is not to say that in the end anything will
be accomplished, as we have seen in years past. But at least it's "in the air"
and hopefully on the minds of our elected officials.
There are several ways you can stay apprised of proposed legislation. WashingtonVotes.org
http://washingtonvotes.org allows you to do a keyword search on legislation and takes
you to the state website which provides other important legislative information as
well. Or, you can go directly to the state website for bill info: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/
If you would like to keep tabs on the Legislative Meeting Schedule for the 2009 Regular
Session, go to this link: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/subscriptions/ maintained and distributed by the Washington State Legislature.
Prior to the open of session, several property tax bills have been prefiled. For
details, go to our 2009 Legislation website
page.
In addition to the Eyman Initiative, a second, separate property tax-related initiative
was filed last Monday. This link is a short blog entry which appeared on Spokesman.com,
http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/olympia/2009/jan/05/second-property-tax-initiative-filed/. Sponsored by Linda Courtney Cox of Chelan, it would recalculate
the values of properties as their assessed value in 2005 or the purchase price plus
cost of improvements if the property was purchased after 2005. Inherited properties
would retain the value assessed at the time of inheritance. This initiative sounds
very much like our Property Tax Amendment which was submitted during the 2005 session.
Although attempting to freeze property valuations requires a constitutional amendment,
if this initiative were passed, the Legislature would be forced to deal with it,
something our group was unable to do because filing an initiative can cost upwards
of $250,000 or more.
Eyman's Lower Property Taxes Initiative, I-1032,would limit the overall growth of
tax collections to no more than the rate of inflation each year unless the public
voted to approve bigger increases. It would apply to the state, all 39counties and
all 281 cities, but not to schools and special districts. Taking Feedback into consideration
after the initial filing, the Eyman initiative has made some changes and resubmitted
the initiative:
The Lower Property Taxes Initiative limits the growth rate of state, county, and
city general fund revenues, not including voter-approved revenues, to inflation and
population growth. Excess revenue collected above these limits will be used to reduce
property taxes.
The final version clarifies several issues:
1) The revenue limit has been adjusted. The initiative originally required the growth
rate of general fund revenues be limited to inflation, unless an increase higher
was approved by the voters. The final text now requires the growth rate of general
fund revenues be limited to inflation and population growth, while maintaining the
same safety valve of voter approval for higher increases. This is the same limit
formula used by tax initiative I-601 approved by the voters in 1993.
2) The Office of Financial Management confirms that no funds from the federal government
get deposited into the state's general fund and therefore, no moneys from the federal
government would be subject to the initiative's revenue limit or refund of property
taxes;the federal moneys expected for the upcoming bailout would be outside the revenue
limit required by the initiative. Therefore, the following language was added to
the final text:General fund revenue" does not include revenue received from
the federal government.
3)The following language was added to clarify how government's reserve accounts are
treated by the initiative: this measure exempts fund transfers in and out of the
constitutionally required rainy day fund for the state. In regard to cities and counties,
this measure makes no change to the ability of any city or county to use existing
and future reserve funds to supplement their general fund revenue when revenue is
below their revenue limit.
4) The following language has been added to clarify what impact the initiative has
on the 1% property tax limitation (Initiative 747 from 2001 which was "reinstated"
at Gregoire's special session in 2007):Property tax increases are currently limited
to one percent per year. This measure makes no change to the calculation of that
limit. Instead, it requires a reduction in property taxes when general fund revenues
exceed the revenue limit.
Here is a "government insiders" opinion on the Eyman initiative (this comment
was obtained prior to the above cited changes to the Initiative text):
"In generality, it has a chance of working. There are many other sources
of local government revenue that are not property tax. The Eyman Initiative targets
the high profile and emotionalized vein of property tax to "get at" the
other "obscene" increases and additions in costs, fees, rates, and waste
(all tax) to the public that are occurring to support expanding government spending
(programs).If there were anywhere close to the accountability and public participation
and determinations involved in the administrations of most of the other (non-property
tax) revenue mechanisms as there are functioning and effective mechanisms in property
tax, this would represent better fiscal policy and outcomes. The budget based current
property tax system with a 1% budget limitation is extremely restrained, limiting,
and effective for achieving responsible property tax growth. The definition and use
of "banked capacity" in (a particular) County's Flood Control District
levy administration represents an abhorrent lack of transparency, deviation of intent
within the legislative concept of "use it or lose it" associated with the
limiting factor, is a stark reminder of what motivates and makes destructive property
tax reform possible, fosters distrust in government, and helps to make Eyman initiatives
successful. Other than the recent (particular) Flood Control Zone District Supervisor's
use of a particularly aggravating twist of statute, all of the larger than 1%budget/property
tax increases in the last decade have been directed by voters, many by super (60%)
majority.
In first blush reading of the initiative, my questions involve the particular definition
of "government spending" which increase would be limited by the consumer
price factor increase, additional revenue (from all sources?) would be used to reduce
the 'general fund (property tax) levy'. The 'general fund' budget contains many accounting
nuances which could possibly be exploited to avoid performance to intent.
I'm all for anything that preserves current 'equity' and quality within the property
tax administration with solid property taxation increase restraint and effective
citizen/voter involvement to address additional needs; and as this initiative does
not seem to attack (nor address any of property tax's minimal list of problems),
it will increase beneficial fiscal dialogue to impress on government policy the heightened
need of practicality and effective spending/service priority during declining economic
growth and decreasing individual disposable incomes."
####
Here follows links of several recent news articles and the text of two recent Peninsula
Daily News articles about property tax:
Wall Street Journal
January 5, 2009
Calls Grow to Cap Property Taxes
Higher Assessed Values Push Up Bills, Sparking Outcry as Market Prices Drop
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123111472983052521.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
###
Why Does Your Devalued Home Have Such a High Tax Rate?
TIME - USA
Lindsey is one of several Georgia state lawmakers currently calling for property
tax reform It's a mission fueled by head-scratching homeowners who can't...
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1870701,00.html
####
Port Townsend reassessments could rise 20% to 25%,Jefferson assessor says
By Jeff Chew
Peninsula Daily News
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20081228/news/312289984
Dececember 28, 2008
PORT TOWNSEND -- Jefferson County's assessor expects to hear some noise when his
office sends out property tax assessment revaluation notices next August for the
city of Port Townsend, just as he did after assessments for Chimacum and Port Ludlow
came out earlier this year.
The Port Townsend notices, which will be for 2010 taxes, will show average increases
of 20 percent to 25 percent, Jack Westerman III said.
"They're going to say 'Jack, you are out of your mind,'" said Westerman,
who at 30 years in elected office is the state's longest-standing county assessor.
This year, following assessments of the Chimacum School District-- which includes
the unincorporated Port Ludlow resort community -- 173 appeals were filed with the
county Board of Equalization.
The area saw the steepest rise in the county's assessed taxable valuation between
1996 and 2007, approaching a total of $2.2 billion, compared with about $770 million
in 1996, county figures show.
Probably half of that is in new construction, Westerman said.
The countywide taxable value has more than doubled since 1997 to 4.7 billion in 2007,
Westerman said, with about half of that being new construction.
"Port Ludlow is an area that has more turnover with so many retirees,"
Westerman explained.
Then there was the spike in Port Ludlow residential construction during 2005-2006
that glutted the market.
"My biggest problem right now for me is the areas in Port Ludlow," he said.
Property owners there will have to wait until 2011 for their next revaluation period
in the county's four-year cycle.
He admits to feeling sorry for those Ludlow homeowners stuck with market-peak values,
but he said by law he cannot revalue property outside the four-year cycle.
The current Jefferson County revaluation plan follows a four year cycle without statistical
off-year updating.
This means that the county is divided into four areas with all properties in each
area being revalued once every four years.
For a given property, the assessed value used for tax purposes does not change during
the three years between inspections -- although the tax amounts may change because
of levy rate changes -- except that any new construction is to be added to the assessment
rolls annually.
Even when the Hood Canal Bridge sank in 1979, Westerman said, "You didn't see
values or sales decline in Ludlow."
Port Townsend
This year, Westerman's office put together data for the Port Townsend revaluation
cycle. The cycle is from January 2005 to January 2009.
"If you bought at the peak of the market in late '06 your value hasn't done
much but go down 15 percent," he said.
That, however, followed two years that each had 20 percent market-value increases
in Port Townsend, he said.
Westerman points out that although Port Townsend-area homes sales have dramatically
slowed since 2006, prices have not necessarily declined at the same pace.
In fact, he said, many are selling for more than their 2005 assessed value.
For example, Westerman said, an uptown Port Townsend home with a county assessed
value of $290,000 in 2005 recently sold for $615,000.
Westerman produced documentation that shows his office's assessed values from July
11, 2008, to mid-September were under sale prices by as much as 35 percent at the
low end, and by 99.2 percent at most for the Port Townsend School District revaluation
area, which includes Cape George, Kala Point,Discovery Bay and the West End.
"There are fewer transactions to make decisions on, which makes it a little
more difficult for anyone involved . . . It's a tough time to figure out your fair
market value," Westerman said.
In the four-year cycle, the Brinnon-Quilcene school districts, the smallest of the
four revaluation districts, will follow Port Townsend. The other two areas are the
Chimacum School District, which includes the North and South Port Ludlow Bay areas,
and the Port Townsend School District excluding the city of Port Townsend and including
both West Jefferson County and that portion of Gardiner that is not within the Sequim
School District.
There are 29,000 taxable properties in Jefferson County, and the state requirement
is that any given property be reinspected and revalued at least once every four years,
or once every six years if a county statistically updates values during the off years.
Wants change
Westerman supports going from four to six districts on an annual revaluation cycle,
such as in Clallam and other larger counties statewide, which he said would be more
in line with the Washington Department of Revenue's system.
Jefferson's one of 18 counties on four-year revaluation cycles, with 18 counties
on an annual and the remainder on two- or three-year cycles.
Westerman calls it "a good news, bad news story. Everyone's feeling some pain,"
although East Jefferson County is in better shape than other areas of California
and Florida, where housing booms have gone bust and mortgage foreclosures are soaring.
Westerman said more taxpayers are protesting their assessed valuations, but "it's
what you would expect."
The 173 appeals filed in 2008 were fewer than those filed in 2007 -- 225 -- but far
more than the 61 filed in 2006.
Of those filed this year, 41were sustained, five were overruled, 18 were withdrawn,
22 were corrected and 87 are pending.
Of the 225 filed in 2007, 108 were sustained, 26 overruled, 41 withdrawn and 50 corrected.
In 2006, the 61 appeals saw 27 sustained, 19 overruled, six withdrawn and nine corrected.
Assessment notices are sent out in August, and property owners have 30 days to appeal
after they receive their revaluation notices.
A hearing time and date is set, with hearings scheduled through the fall months.
Appeals forms are available at the county administrator's office on the ground floor
of Jefferson County Courthouse,1820 Jefferson St.
Appeals are made to the three-member Board of Equalization, appointed by Jefferson
County commissioners.
Port Townsend reassessments could rise 20% to 25%,Jefferson assessor says
####
Property evaluations, real values at odds in Clallam County
By Jim Casey
Peninsula Daily News
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20081228/news/312289989
December 28, 2008
PORT ANGELES - What goes up must stay up, at least for another year.
The re-evaluations that Clallam County Assessor Pam Rushton's office sent out in
October for the West End of Clallam County don't reflect the burst real estate bubble.
Property values in the West End increased about $200 million, Rushton said, and 340
owners have appealed their re-evaluations to the county board of equalization.
Assessments have gone up, while housing prices have gone down, because the assessor
- by law ó had to set her estimates as of last Jan. 1 on real estate prices
that lagged behind the actual market by 12 to 18 months.
They take that long to make it from actual home sales into Rushton's computer programs.
In other words, for property tax purposes, it's still 2007 in Clallam County.
You're watching your investments go out the window, but you watch your house going
up because it hasn't caught up to that previous market," she said last week.
Clallam's assessments probably will begin to reflect collapsing real estate prices
on next October's re-evaluations.
Adding to the time-out-of-focus feeling is that the most recent re-evaluations focused
on Clallam County's West End, where property hadn't been physically reinspected for
six years.
One-sixth of the county's real estate is examined annually, which this year meant
Rushton's staff inspected about 10,000 properties.
What many property owners don't know is that property evaluations -ó except
for brand-new construction ó have little to do with how much tax they pay.
Rushton also said she'd met some people who think her office receives all the property
taxes levied by the county.
The reality is that the assessor's office gets a small slice of a pie that's mostly
taken up by law and justice programs and by public works.
The county's share of the whole tax statement also is fairly small, sharing the bill
with the state of Washington, hospital districts, schools, fire districts and a long
list of other government agencies.
The county's just one small portion of where your taxes go, Rushton said.
The county's portion is $27 a month for a home valued at $250,000 to $300.000
As for the West End, property often depreciates faster there due to severe weather.
Your roof probably won't last as long out there as it would in Sequim," Rushton
said.
Tell assessor about it
A property owner must report destruction to the assessor.
They need to let us know," Rushton said, especially if their neighborhood isn't
due for re-inspection.
We don't see that they've torn something down or they've lost their roof or their
house has been knocked off its foundation.
Damage reports should be substantiated by documents from firefighters, law enforcement
officers or insurance adjusters, the assessor said.
Rushton is requesting that real estate offices across the county share information
on recent sales so she can factor the lower prices into her re-evaluations.
The Realtors may be more willing to tell her of losses in value than they were to
inform her of rising prices.
Homes were selling for more than they were actually worth," she said, recalling
one home that was worth $265,000 selling for $389,000.
We are seeing some of those come back in foreclosures now."
Still behind the times
Making the re-evaluations harder to understand was that Clallam County lagged ó
and some real estate agents say still lags behind the rest of the country in falling
home prices.
Still, the change seems catastrophic.
No one expected the stock markets to drop," she said.
I've never seen it change this fast before."
Rushton acknowledged that the system of re-evaluating properties to establish property
tax rates is confusing.
We have that every year," she said. People don't understand the system.
I wish I could sit down with 70,000 people [Clallam County's population] and explain
it to them.
I'd like to see us do something like a town hall, to get people to come in and ask
us questions."
Until then, Rushton praised her staff with huge kudos" for inspecting 8,600
properties in the West End.
East End properties from Diamond Point roughly to West Sequim Bay Road will receive
on-site inspections next year, Rushton said.
####
Thought for the Day:
"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of
freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for
without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government
does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that
they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and
when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else
is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, will prove the end of any
nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." The late Dr. Adrian Rogers,
1931 to 2005
As always, government works best when the people invest themselves. If any of the
proposed legislation is of interest to you, I urge you to get involved: contact your
representatives - repeatedly, often, and in various forms (letters, phone calls,
emails) - and tell them you want meaningful and predictable property tax reform.
*****
January 5, 2008
Just in case it was so low on the page (filled with other update info) that you may
have missed it, I am forwarding directly to you the Eyman Initiative announcement:
To: Our thousands of supporters throughout the state (cc'd to all media outlets
-- reporters, columnists, editorial writers, and others in newspapers, radio, and
TV -- House & Senate members, and the Governor)
From: Tim Eyman, Jack Fagan, & Mike Fagan, Lower Property Taxes Initiative co-sponsors,
ph: 425-493-9127, email:tim_eyman@comcast.net
RE: Lower Property Taxes Initiative in 2009
We have a proposal for 2009 that aggressively tackles our state's property tax crisis.
It's called the Lower Property Taxes Initiative. Our tax burden keeps growing faster
and faster and government keeps getting bigger and bigger -- the people are losing
control. The Lower Property Taxes Initiative is our last, best chance to gain control
of our government. Here's an excerpt from its intent section:
This act is intended to protect taxpayers by reducing our state's obscene and unsustainable
property tax burden by controlling the growth of government to an affordable level.
It is long overdue. This measure would limit the growth of state, county, and city
general fund revenue, not including new voter-approved revenue, to the annual rate
of inflation. Revenue above this limit would be used to reduce property taxes. This
measure permits the growth of Washington's tax burden to increase at an affordable,
sustainable rate, allows citizens to vote for higher taxes where they see a need,
and uses excess revenues above this limit to reduce property taxes.
During these tough economic times, struggling working families and fixed-income senior
citizens desperately need and deserve meaningful property tax relief. Property taxes
have skyrocketed for decades and politicians have done nothing to address this very
real problem. This measure also provides a much-needed economic stimulus to our state's
struggling economy by keeping our tax burden at an affordable, sustainable level
and by reducing our state's crushing property tax burden. So, this measure ensures
meaningful tax relief, a big boost to our state's economy, and long-overdue reform
of government. It is a smart, balanced, reasonable solution to our state's property
tax problem.
This will be the first real reduction in property tax bills in our state's history.
How much will our initiative lower your property tax bill? Some years, it'll knock
40% off your property tax bill. Other years, it'll cut it by 1/3. Other years, it'll
lower it by 25%. Other years, it'll reduce it 10%. The amount of reduction will be
different every year. The greater the excess revenue collected by the government,
the larger the property tax reduction that year.
As you know, state government, all 39 county governments, and all 281 city governments
each have a main account called the General Fund. Each government's general fund
receives revenue from a combination of various taxes and fees. The Lower Property
Taxes Initiative requires that each government receive the same total amount of money
they collected the previous year - plus the rate of inflation. If during a year any
government receives money in excess of this revenue cap, THAT EXTRA REVENUE WILL
NOT GO TOWARD MAKING THAT GOVERNMENT BIGGER, IT'LL GO TOWARD MAKING OUR PROPERTY
TAX BILLS SMALLER.
The Lower Property Taxes Initiative doesn't reduce the size of government; it ensures
that government grows at an affordable, sustainable, voter-controlled rate and dedicates
excess revenue toward lowering our state's crushing property tax burden.
We're filing it on Monday, January 5th as a statewide initiative to the people. With
processing and filing time, we anticipate the petitions to be printed and ready to
send to everyone by mid-February. We have until early July to raise the funds necessary
to gather a total of 300,000 voter signatures, a tremendous challenge. But we've
had 10 years of invaluable experience learning what works and what doesn't. We have
a winning track record of success. With your help, we can do this. -END-
For more info on this initiative, go to Voters Want More Choices.
*****
January 3, 2008
First...HAPPY NEW YEAR and a thanks to all of you who sent on good wishes (and interesting
articles and videos and links --- although gotta come clean and say it would be impossible
for me to see all of 'em!!!).
We have a new year and new hope for property tax reform.
Below are some links to recent articles about our property tax woes that you might
find interesting or helpful:
Property-tax collections climb as
home prices fall
USA Today - USA
At the same time,property tax collections across the USA rose 3.1%, according to
the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. State and local governments are on...
County property tax increase was unnecessary, a bad idea
Bellingham Herald - Bellingham,WA,USA
The Whatcom County Council majority recently passed an unnecessary property tax increase
that will add to residents' economic burdens....
More owners appeal property value; get tax break
The Associated Press
Faced with property tax bills that still reflect heady prices of the boom years,
more homeowners are learning about the appeals process....
As Property Values Plunge,Tax Bills
Might Not Follow
Washington Post - United States
That might mean property owners' tax bills stay the same, but it also means a tax
rate increase nonetheless. And depending on the rate and how individual...
In the past I have sent on to you info about the Evergreen Freedom Foundation www.effwa.org which is doing a good job of looking out for the people.
Here are some recent accomplishments & updates:
EFF is now hosting their own radio talk show,Radio Free Washington.
You can tune into Radio Free Washington every Saturday at 8:30 a.m. on the following
networks:
KTRW-AM 630(Spokane)
KSPO-FM 106.5 (Spokane)
KTAC-FM 93.9(Moses Lake)
KGON-FM 101.3(Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, NE Oregon)
KTBI-AM 810 (Wenatchee/Moses Lake)
KYAK-AM 930(Yakima)
During the past year the Evergreen Freedom Foundation has:
Successfully marketed their award-winning, theater-quality Flunked which highlights K-12 problems and solutions.
Increased the transparency of government and helped lead to the passage, by a Democrat controlled
Legislature, of an online, statewide, searchable budget database.
Target-rich environment for amateur bean counters - A great new resource has been
made available by the Legislature to anyone seeking details about state budgets and
appropriations. Thanks to action by the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability
Program Committee, with help from the Washington Policy Center, fiscal.wa.gov was launched last week. As John Barnes of the WPC explained
in his blog, the new Web site allows users to comb through state spending all the
way down to the program level, compare budgets from one biennium to the next, compare
the various budget proposals to actual enacted budgets, and more. Barnes added: Links
to important information on program performance indicators are also available, so
taxpayers can see how effective state programs are. The Web site is a work in progress.
Much of that progress will be determined by what users want and ask for. The new
site is a floor, not a ceiling. For many years, Washington state has been a pioneer
in transparent government. This new source enhances that reputation and track record.
Developed Facebook and MySpace pages.
Produced six television programs.
Launched a 30-minute radio show titled Radio Free Washington.
Began recording regular podcasts on specific policy issues. -END-
And now, for the big "reveal" I promised....
Tim Eyman has come out with his initiative for 2009...and it deals with PROPERTY
TAXES!
I will reprint the text of his email to his supporters below, and then give you links
to several newspaper articles about it. I am sure you will be hearing much more:
Mr. Eyman plans to hold a press conference on Monday, January 5.
Bottom Line: I don't care how our broken property tax system gets fixed or who fixes
it, as long as it gets fixed! And I'm for something being done sooner rather than
later.
Several statewide property tax groups are getting behind this initiative.
Because of the huge voter turn out in the last election, the number of signatures
required to get an initiative on the ballot for the people's voice to be heard has
greatly increased.
Here is your best chance to date to make a difference....
Here are links to several articles that have appeared in the last few days regarding
this proposed initiative:
Eyman floats new property-tax reduction measure
The Olympian - Olympia,WA,USA
It's a new year, and Tim Eyman has a new initiative in the works ó this time
going after property taxes. Eyman put out an announcement today that he'll be...
Eyman's Next Initiative Takes On "Property
Tax Crisis"
- Seattle,USA
...that cap to magically lower property taxes. Eyman is claiming his initiative will
provide tax relief for poor people, slow the growth of government,...
Eyman to File Property Tax Initiative
Seattle Weekly - Seattle,WA,USA
"We have a proposal for 2009 that aggressively tackles our state's property
tax crisis. It's called the Lower Property Taxes Initiative....
If you want more info, I suggest you contact the Eyman group.
Whether or not you agree with this proposal, I wholeheartedly believe the people
should be able to put this up for a vote!
*****
December 18, 2008
Outrage at assessments:
Want to challenge your property tax assessment? Get in line
KOMO News - Seattle,WA,USA
By Connie Thompson SEATTLE -- If you want to challenge the county's valuation of
your property, get in line and plan on a long wait. ...
This from the Tim Eyman Group:
The $6 billion deficit is a lie
For weeks, all we've heard from politicians and the press is constant whining about
the state government's financial shortfall. It started at $3.2 billion, went to $5.1
billion, and currently sits at $6 billion. The screaming, hysterical headlines are
meant to create a crisis mentality where 'emergency measures' are necessary. In the
tug of war over taxes, the establishment is pulling the rope really, really hard
for higher taxes, even a state income tax -- temporarily, of course :)
But not mentioned in most stories and buried deep in others is the simple fact that
governments will receive billions more dollars next year than in previous years.
Governments are still growing -- they're just not growing as much as politicians
want.
Let me say that again: governments continue to get bigger every year. In fact, since
1999, state, counties, and cities have grown at an annual rate of 5-6% per year,
two or three times faster than inflation. So, even with the passage of I-695 in 1999
(repeal of the state car tab tax) and I-747 in 2001 (1% property tax levy cap) and
I-776 in 2002 (repeal of local car tab taxes) and I-900 in 2005 (performance audits)
and I-960 in 2007 (making it tougher to raise taxes), government revenues continue
to increase.
Our tax burden cannot continue to increase at that rate -- it's simply unsustainable.We're
reaching the tipping point where we exist to serve the government, rather than the
government existing to serve us. They work for us, we don't work for them.
State and local government politicians are pushing hard for a massive taxpayer-financed
bailout to continue their business-as-usual practices.
I, for one,am sick and tired of everyone expecting taxpayers to bail them out. Taxpayers
don't have bottomless wallets. We simply can't afford all these bailouts, whether
they're for private industries or state and local governments.
Working families and fixed-income senior citizens can't handle higher taxes, especially
now-- in fact, they desperately need a lower tax burden, especially property taxes.
Employees and employers can't afford increased taxes, especially now, they both need
lower taxes. Our struggling economy can't withstand higher taxes,especially now,
it needs lower taxes.
Our initiative for 2009 will help us gain control of our government and lower taxes
for everyone. It's a bold, brilliant initiative that you're absolutely gonna love.
At the end of December, we'll be announcing our initiative for 2009 -- it's exactly
what taxpayers and our economy needs. Stay tuned.
*****
December 9, 2008
Just a few things to pass along...
First, about property owner's outrage at assessments:
Homeowner appeals of tax valuations soar:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/391103_assessment
08.html
More King County property owners appeal taxes
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1154/story/409768.html
And, here's something to think about the next time we are asked to pony up our tax
dollars for a failing education system. Teachers, by and large, love children and
want to teach. There is definitely a need to rethink our education system in this
country....
http://www.teachersunionexposed.com/video_release.cfm
*****
December 5, 2008
In all fairness to the assessors, property assessments are two years behind the current
property valuations - just the nature of the beast.
However, here's what Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller Home Price Index, US Bureau
of Economic Analysis has to say:
Home Values DOWN: 17%
Property Tax Collections UP: 3.1%
*****
November 29, 2008
Now that the election is behind us, we need to look forward.
In the past we have spoken about the funding of education and its effects on our
property taxes.
We have just updated our website with some valuable information:
NEW: The biggest portion of our property tax funds education
Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and
over again and expecting different results
The EVERGREEN FREEDOM FOUNDATION'S AWARD WINNING DOCUMENTARY TO OVERHAUL OUR FAILING
EDUCATION SYSTEM
(Out of 29 participating nations, where did America rank on international student
assessment? 24th!)
THERE IS A BETTER WAY THAT ACCOMPLISHES SUPERIOR RESULTS BUT DOES NOT BLEED HOMEOWNERS
AND RENTERS!
What is stopping the Legislators of Washington from abandoning failing concepts and
listening to experts???
Hope you find this information helpful when we are asked to fund upcoming education-related
levies.
*****
November 10, 2008
The following Op-Ed that appeared in the Olympian on November 5 is of grave importance
to property owners:
http://www.theolympian.com/opinion/story/648785.html (printed out below)
The odds are against a ruling in our favor. We need to make our voices known to any
and all who can influence this case.
After the article, I have provided some email addresses. However, snail mail and
phone calls make more of an impression. In fact, using every and all types of communication
is an excellent idea. Also, letters to the editors of not only local but state newspapers
is a very good idea. Likewise, calls to local ABC, NBC, and CBS news affiliates.
You should be able to Google for any of this information...
A lot rides on lodge tax case
Published November 05, 2008
Thurston County Assessor Patricia Costello has every right to be angry about the
state Department of Revenue muddling up what could be a precedent-setting multimillion-dollar
tax dispute with the tribal owners of Great Wolf Lodge.
Full report Click hereto read Olympian reporter Christian Hill's story on the property
tax controversy surrounding Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound.
Costello believes that the hotel and water park facility at Grand Mound should not
be exempt from property taxes. Revenue initially agreed, but then reversed itself
in a controversial ruling that has landed in federal court.
Why care?
Why should Thurston County taxpayers care about this tax struggle?
The answer is millions of dollars in tax revenue are at stake. And if Great Wolf
lodge eventually wins this court showdown, the company's tax burden shifts to other
taxpayers. When Great Wolf doesn't pay, other taxpayers in Thurston County must make
up Great Wolf's share.
The issue is complex, but was thoroughly reported by Olympian reporter Christian
Hill. In his detailed story, Hill notes that the ultimate outcome of this case will
have far-reaching effects ó perhaps even national ramifications.
Great Wolf is owned by CTGW LLC, a joint venture between Madison, Wis.-based Great
Wolf Resorts Inc. and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.
The tribe bought 43 acres of property adjacent to Interstate 5 at Grand Mound for
$1.5 million in 2002. While the property is not on the tribe's reservation, it is
considered tribal trust land, and therefore exempt from taxes.
No one disputes that the property itself is exempt from property taxes.
What clouds this issue is the unique partnership between the tribe and Great Wolf
Resorts, which together formed CTGW LLC under Delaware law to develop and operate
the resort on 39 of the 43 acres. The tribe owns 51 percent of the joint venture,
and Great Wolf Resorts owns 49 percent. The profits generated by the joint venture
are divided by the same percentages.
It's Costello's belief that 100 percent of the lodge's value should be subject to
property taxes. The assessor's rolls have the value at $82 million, but Great Wolf
officials say their investment is worth $100 million.
The tribe and CTGW argue the county can't levy property taxes on a building owned
by a venture controlled by the tribe. They say Costello's action is an attack on
the tribe's self-governance.
The lodge owners have gone to federal court to prevent the county from assessing
the resort, which employs almost 500 people and draws an estimated 350,000 visitors
to the county each year.
Revenue's involvement
Adding fuel to this fiery situation is the involvement of Revenue. In a preliminary
letter to the tribe, Revenue officials said the tribe's involvement in the resort
operation wasn't sufficient to prevent the resort from paying property taxes.
Costello says that Revenue Deputy Director and tribal liaison Leslie Cushman pressed
for a favorable rating to the tribe that the property improvements should be off
the tax rolls.
Revenue Director Cindi Holmstrom must review the record and determine whether Cushman
was acting as a tribal liaison or, as Costello alleges, an advocate for the tribe.
We would hope that all Revenue employees would be impartial and not press for a ruling
favoring any group or individual. The fact that Revenue also withheld documents during
the confrontation with the county assessor is also troubling.
After what has transpired between the county and state, Costello has every reason
to question whether Revenue is an impartial player in this tax debate. Costello said,
"I'm glad it's gone to the courts. I don't have a lot of confidence on any kind
of ruling that the Department of Revenue would issue at this time."
Much at stake
A lot is riding on the ultimate outcome of this court challenge.
For Great Wolf, their estimated property tax bill for 2009 would be more than $760,000.
Will they or won't they have to pay?
For taxpayers, if Great Wolf doesn't pay, the tax responsibility shifts to their
pocketbooks. So taxpayers have a stake in the outcome, too.
And for other private companies considering joint ventures with tribes ó in
Washington and elsewhere ó the court decision could make or break their partnerships.
A tax-free operation has a lot of allure.
All eyes are on federal court. While Thurston County taxpayers will be directly affected
by the court's ultimate decision, you can bet tribal attorneys across the country
are watching and waiting.
*****
November 1, 2008
If you haven't sent in your ballot, VOTE!
Thought I'd send this along. This is called "spread the wealth around"
(aka wealth redistribution)...
Rhetorical question: and why is it that homeowners are the ones who are always asked
to foot the bill!
Local tax increase proposals not an easy sale these days
By Judy Keen, USA TODAY
CHICAGO - Economic anxiety could doom some of
the hundreds of local tax increase proposals on the Nov. 4th ballot, supporters say.
"Most families are in a no-new-tax situation," says Barry Olson, school
superintendent in Blooming Prairie, Minn., one of 42 Minnesota school districts seeking
property-tax increases to fund operations. "Obviously the economy plays on the
minds of all of our constituents."
Kim Rueben, public-finance economist at the non-partisan Tax Policy Center, says
the outlook could be grim for governments that "are scrambling for money"
because their major revenue sources ó income, sales and property taxes ó
are being hurt by the sagging economy.
Proponents of new taxes are concerned:
"There's no way to look at this and say this is good for us," says Mark
Williams, school board president in Austin. Voters are being asked to add 3.9 cents
in taxes for every $100 of property value for teacher and staff salary increases.
When the board approved the proposal in August, he says, it had no clue "the
level to which the economic mayhem was going to be occurring."
Fresno County, Calif., wants voters to add one-eighth of a cent to sales taxes to
renovate and build libraries. Campaign chairwoman Deborah Ikeda is optimistic, but
says, "It's an uphill battle."
The outcome of a plan to increase sales taxes by three-fourths of a cent to support
ambulance services in Franklin County, Ill., is "up in the air," says William
Dill of the Regional Economic Development Corp.
"The economy is making it really bad" for a non-binding referendum on a
plan to build a $72 million justice center in Portage County, Wis., says county executive
Mark Maslowski. "People are worried about the stock market and their 401(k)s."
Pitkin County, Colo., voters are "thinking cautiously and thoughtfully"
about raising sales taxes one cent for every $100 purchase for a healthy rivers and
streams fund, says county commissioner Rachel Richards.
In Bay County, Mich., board chairman Patrick Beson says the benefits of raising property
taxes to provide health insurance to county residents without coverage will outweigh
economic worries. "During tough economic times, people know they need health
coverage," he says.
Mark Baldassare, president of the Public Policy Institute of California, says voters
typically are more likely to support local tax increases that benefit them directly,
but all bets are off because of the volatile economy.
"When people have an historically high level of concern about credit, bonds
and financial markets. Ö they are going to question whether something is needed
or not," he says. "It's a very difficult environment."
For those of you who own acreage, you might be interested in this info about how
to put your forested land into a program that greatly reduces your property tax:
To qualify you have to have a licensed forester prepare a Timber Management Plan
and implement it, which may or may not require planting trees, depending on the state
of the property. The you have to file an application with the Department for Community
Development for enrollment in the Current Use Assessment Tax Program under the Timber
Land Classification. Your forester should be able to do that if you negotiated that
to be part of the scope of his work. Once the County Assessor and the Planning Division
have reviewed the application a public hearing is scheduled. If no problems surface
at the hearing, a month or two later the County Commissioners should approve the
application, whereupon you and the County Commissioners will execute an Open Space
Taxation Agreement. After all this, which should not take more than six months, it
can take several more years before your property taxes will be affected. Once the
Current Use designation has been factored into the property tax calculation by the
assessor's office you can expect the tax for the affected land to drop to about $1.07/acre
(in 2008). Note that if you take any of the land out of Current Use you will have
to pay back taxes equal to the tax savings of the previous 10 years. This information
should be confirmed with the property state agencies.
*****
October 28, 2008
Previously we have told you we support Thomas Thomas for Representative for the 24th
District.
Yesterday, I recorded a radio spot in support of Mr. Thomas for KONP radio.
The following is a recent newspaper article which also supports him:
From the Aberdeen Daily World:
Thomas Thomas for State Representative, 24th District
If there's a diamond in the rough on the Olympic Peninsula political scene, it would
be Joyce businessman and 24th District state legislative candidate Thomas Thomas.
A Republican, Thomas is a friend and neighbor of former state representative Jim
Buck. But he doesn't appear to be nearly as conservative as Buck.
The owner of a Joyce-based wholesale Internet and large area network provider, Thomas
is also an inventor who is an enthusiastic proponent of alternative and renewable
energy sources. He is also a strong advocate of promoting small business throughout
the district.
Because of his diverse background, enthusiasm and potential for bringing a new voice
to the Coastal Caucus, Thomas receives the Daily World Editorial Board's endorsement
in his bid to unseat Democratic incumbent Kevin Van De Wege.
A firefighter/paramedic from Sequim, the soft-spoken Van De Wege has provided a reliable
Democratic vote in his first term as a state representative. He also earned our admiration
for commuting back to Sequim and continuing to work occasional weekend shifts as
a firefighter even while the legislature is in session.
During the editorial board interview, however, Van De Wege displayed a limited grasp
of key issues facing the Grays Harbor portion of his sprawling district. We believe
Thomas could do a better job representing his entire constituency.
The plain-spoken Thomas, a political neophyte, comes off as a bit rough around the
edges. That quality, combined with his lack of political experience, creates some
doubts among editorial board members as to whether he could become an effective legislator,
particularly in his first term. He may need to hook up with a similarly green-minded
Republican mentor who could show him the ropes.
*****
October 25, 2008
And this from the EFF:
Dear EFF Member,
If you're an optimist, you think we're less than two weeks away from Election Day.
The glass-is-half-empty crowd thinks itís recount season thatís just
around the corner.
Four years ago, our governor's race was decided by 133 votes. Citizens have a duty
to be informed and to vote. Our election officials have a duty to know and follow
the laws that safeguard the integrity of our elections.
You may have seen the KIRO-TV story about thousands of convicted felons who are registered to vote in Washington and Secretary of State Sam Reed's
refusal to review this list and remove those who are ineligible from the voter roll.
At EFF, we believe this is a serious problem for two reasons: it violates state law
and it may result in thousands of illegal votes.
Many members have asked us about this issue, in part because Secretary Reed and his
staff continue to downplay these concerns and have released some confusing and even
misleading information about what is really going on. Hopefully this email will answer
any questions you have and will set the record straight.
Here are three EFF publications that explain the problem and the solutions.
Felon voting facts and timeline
What Sam Reed must do to prevent felon voting
EFF Response to Sam Reed on Felon
Voting (PDF file)
Unfortunately, it appears that the Secretary of State's office has thus far responded
only by attacking KIRO and even EFF for making election security an issue. Humorously,
part of the official response is that KIRO shouldn't have used the government felon
database because it happens to include crimes from the 19th Century-which would only
matter if dead felons are being allowed to vote (thankfully, that doesn't appear
to be the case).
In the last four years, the Secretary of State has cleaned up hundreds of thousands
of improper voter registrations. He has made real progress; now he needs to finish
the job. Last year, Secretary Reed tried to change the law so that all felons not
currently in prison can vote. That would have made his job easier, but the but the legislation failed. By ignoring
state law, Secretary Reed has essentially changed the law all on his own.
By ignoring state law, Secretary Reed has essentially
changed the law all on his own.
When government officials turn a blind eye to unlawful voting, they don't just put
our elections at risk. Some of these felons are eligible to have their rights restored
so that they can vote legally. Shouldn't the Secretary of State help them do that
instead of looking the other way while they vote illegally?
I hope you'll take a look at the links above. This is a problem that can and must
be solved. Secretary Reed is right that screening out inactive felons isn't easy,
but state law says shall, not if it isn't too much trouble.
The procedure is set out in state law (RCW 29A.08.520).
If a person is found on a felon list and the statewide voter registration list, the
secretary of state or county auditor shall confirm the match through a date of birth
comparison.
If confirmed, suspend the voter registration from the official state voter registration
list.
Send the person at his or her last known voter registration address a notice of the
proposed cancellation and an explanation of the requirements for restoring the right
to vote..
If the person does not respond within thirty days, the registration must be canceled..
The provisional ballot process exists to protect legal voters if a registration is
mistakenly canceled.
From all of us at the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, it's an honor to work on your
behalf to improve election integrity in our state and our nation. Please remember
to vote by November 4th.
Sincerely,
Trent England
Director, Citizenship & Governance Center
Evergreen Freedom Foundation
Visit our blog, www.libertylive.org,
for continuing updates -END-
Also, passing along this article which appeared in the Seattle PI on October 21,
2008
Time for Seattle to say no to taxes
By JOEL CONNELLY
P-I COLUMNIST
Although devoured by the Seattle P-I computer when we switched e-mail systems, the
message from an elderly Beacon Hill couple about their tax burdens remains embedded
in my mind. They wrote about reaching a point where they can't afford to stay in
their modest home of 40 years, and how nobody in government seems the least bit interested
in hearing about it.
We in the media too often focus election year coverage on personalities (and rivalries)
of candidates, campaign tactics, spats over spending and -- painful to admit -- ourselves.
Reporting on the $75 million Pike Place Market levy, the $145 million Seattle park
levy and the $22.8 billion light rail measure has centered on rival transportation
dreams of Greg Nickels and Ron Sims, and rivalry between the Seattle Mayor's Office
and the City Council.
As the late Sen. Everett Dirksen of Illinois once said, "A billion here and
a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money." The real
money comes out of taxpayers' pockets.
The quote comes to mind because property tax levies approved during the Nickels years
will approach $1 billion if city voters approve both Proposition 1, money for the
Market, and Proposition 2, which would improve parks.
Our public officials are coming back with palms open just two years after the people
of Seattle were hit up for $365 million in the "Bridging the Gap" street
and bridge repair levy.
"Bridging the Gap" boosted the tax burden of a typical Seattle homeowner
by $155 each year. The two new levies, if voters pass both, would tack on an additional
$240 a year in taxes on a home valued at a half-million dollars.
Seattle voters have shown a remarkable willingness to tax themselves, even in the
face of folly.
Not even President Bush, in his oil exploration days, managed to drill as many dry
holes as elected officials operating out of Seattle's arid new City Hall.
We spent $444 million on the downtown bus tunnel, only to find that light rail tracks
were the wrong size. A $45 million retrofit was required.
The monorail was a bust that cost local motorists $110 million. After investing $5
million in self-cleaning, high-tech toilets, the city ended up selling them on eBay
for $12,500.
With a passive public -- and no political opposition -- city fathers and mothers
have continued to pile on parking taxes, head taxes, bag taxes and various costs
associated with politically correct garbage disposal and food recycling.
Paul Guppy, vice president for research at the conservative Washington Policy Center,
offers up a provocative argument that every liberal Emerald City voter ought to ponder.
"Seattle leaders have learned that when they shape public funding choices in
a certain way, voters will almost always go along," he writes. "From an
elected official's point of view, this funding strategy makes perfect sense. After
all, as long as voters continue to say 'yes' to paying more taxes, why not keep asking
them for more taxes?
"One would expect this pattern to continue until city officials see voters express
an unwillingness to go along and, because of economic worries or awareness of the
accumulating tax burden, reject a special levy."
In short, just say no.
It's tough. The pro-Market ads show corroding pipes, just as "Bridging the Gap"
propaganda displayed tilting sidewalks.
Why not ask the question, however: Why have Seattle officials allowed such deterioration
of a cherished civic asset? Shouldn't basic tax revenue pay for basic services now
being packaged up into property tax levies?
A longtime P-I colleague, Don Carter, not only pioneered consumer reporting in the
city, but in private life was a committed, involved and informed public school parent.
One year, faced with a highhanded, out-of-touch Seattle Public Schools, Carter voted
against a school levy. Don wrote about it in a column from which you could feel his
pain.
It was a send-them-a-message vote: The levy failed -- the voters' message was received.
In my case, the Connellys have campaigned for parks and open space from the North
Cascades National Park to the Ebay's Landing National Historical Reserve on Whidbey
Island.
Yet, as an Island County registrant, I've just cast a painful, Carter-style vote
against a $15.2 million recreation, aquatics and tennis center. It imposes too much
burden on too small a tax base.
"Bridging the Gap" was actually a triple hit. Property taxes went up. The
city levied a head tax on workers in Seattle. And the City Council imposed a new
10 percent tax on parking in commercial lots.
All that money should widen a lot of sidewalks. Instead, millions of parking tax
dollars are being channeled into the mayor's pet project for a widened, two-way Mercer
Street.
There's one more reason for the natives to be restless -- the current financial crisis.
Could we not curb urban vision until financial markets are again stable, and we find
out how bad the stable smells?
Since World War II ended the Great Depression, Seattle has been a middle-class city.
We've avoided an affliction of the used-up portions of America, cities as domains
of the very rich and the very poor.
The Beacon Hill couple's message is somewhere in cyberspace. I would hate to see
them ejected from a city they love.
*****
October 21, 2008
Have you voted yet? It's the most important thing you can do to exercise your rights
and opinions.
I received a mailer today about a proposed "Home Tax" which would impose
a tax on the money you make when you sell your home. In these troubled times, nothing
like having our over-spending government (we're looking at a $3.2 billion deficit
here in Washington) try yet again to squeeze blood from a turnip.
For more info visit www.StopTheHomeTax.com
*****
October 16, 2008
I am passing along this email from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation.
I apologize if you feel you are being bombarded with emails from Predictable Tax.
This is perhaps the most important election in our lifetime...it is of utmost importance
that information such as this be distributed to voters to allow them to make informed
choices.
Felon Voter Coverage:
As I promised you yesterday, I have put together some thoughts on what Secretary
of State Reed needs to do about the 24,000 felons identified by a KIRO 7 investigative
report.
What Sam Reed must do to prevent felon voting
Olympia-Jonathan Bechtle, Evergreen Freedom Foundation's Legal Counsel, made the
following comments about KIRO-TV's investigative report revealing that 24,000 felon
voters will be able to vote in the November general election.
Election integrity is attained by balancing voter access with vote security every
legal voter should have an opportunity to vote, and should not have his or her ballot
canceled out by an illegal vote. We won't have integrity in Washington elections
as long as our Secretary of State thinks it's ok to ignore thousands of illegal voters
on the rolls. While he has removed many ineligible voters from the roll, he needs
to finish the job.
Secretary Reed could have, and promised to, expand his search for felon voters a
year and a half ago after the state supreme court settled a question about what types
of felons could be allowed to vote. He did not do that, leading to the problem uncovered
by KIRO-TV. Now it will be much harder to fix because ballots are already being mailed
out.
Secretary Reed must act quickly to address the problem. Here's what he needs to do:
State law (RCW 29A.08.520) lays out the procedure he must follow:
Step 1: If a person is found on a felon list and the statewide voter registration
list, the secretary of state or county auditor shall confirm the match through a
date of birth comparison
Step 2: If confirmed, suspend the voter registration from the official state voter
registration list
Step 3: Send the person at his or her last known voter registration address a notice
of the proposed cancellation and an explanation of the requirements for restoring
the right to vote
Secretary Reed immediately should put every staffer he has available to work on matching
felon records to voter records. To prevent any disenfranchisement of non-felons,
it may be necessary to call people or courts to confirm records, but Reed needs to
do whatever it takes. It will be a week or so before ballots start returning to auditors,
so they still have a little time to intercept ballots from these felon voters before
they disappear into the ballot stream. Even if election officials can only verify
500 of the felons, that's still 500 fewer illegal votes in this election.
If any non-felons accidentally get caught up in the review, they would still have
the right to cast a provisional ballot that would be reviewed by the county canvassing
boards. So Reed needs to keep the counties updated with exactly who he is canceling
and the records he depended on to make the cancellations
Several races on the ballot are likely to be close, and the last thing we need is
thousands of illegal votes casting doubt on the outcome. Secretary Reed needs to
act quickly to ensure this election will be honest and accurate -END-
October 15, 2008
See this King 5 news story (video & print) on assessments:
Property taxes won't decrease if house value does
http://www.king5.com/local news/get
jesse/stories/NW_101408GJB_property_tax_tips_KC.1138a4ba8.html
*****
October 14, 2008
Any moment now you will find your ballots in the mail.
Please vote and make sure everyone you know votes. This is how government works.
If you don't exercise your right to vote, you have no right to complain about our
government or those who have pledged to represent us.
The following pertains to those who live on the Peninsula:
Yesterday, October 13, local Peninsula radio station KONP interviewed both candidates
running for the 24th District seat (position 1) which covers Jefferson and Clallam
counties as well as Grays Harbor County.
Here is a link to the KONP interviews. Up first is Kevin Van de Wege. The following
hour is Thomas Thomas.
http://www.konp.com/podcasts/
You will see a box in the center of the screen for the Todd Ortloff Show where you
can download the mp3 file to listen to the interview.
Van de Wege does not support meaningful property tax reform. He has made empty promises
to us. He has gone on record that he does not support a "predictable property
tax" which would allow us to budget, plan for the future, and retire.
In these troublesome and uncertain economic times, it is imperative we elect someone
who understands out of control government spending and the need for government belt
tightening.
Mr. Thomas understands our concerns and has promised to work for us. I have met him
personally and I can tell you he "gets it". He has successfully run a business,
knows the challenges government poses to property owners, and not only has great
practical ideas about how to effect change, but if you will read the following press
release, has applied for a patent for a "revolutionary type of wind vane for
use in vertical wind turbines". Simply put, this is the type of technology that
would specifically address needs here in this mountainous area, but will also bring
jobs! Yes, he "gets it".
Here is the text from a September 28 press release
on the subject:
Today, Thomas Thomas of STRAITBROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS has announced that he is
in the
process of seeking a patent for a revolutionary type of wind vane for use in vertical
wind turbines.
After patent process is completed, Thomas plans on licensing the technology to other
companies as well as
manufacturing turbines locally for specialty applications.
Thomas states; Our initial tests show a 150% + increase in efficiency over conventional
vertical wind
turbines, especially in light winds. This new design is a response to experiences
that we have had with the
wind turbines that power a large part of our business. It is specifically designed
for fickle coastal winds
where constant direction change and low speeds are a real problem.
This new design that Thomas has just completed is scalable in size and can be used
from small off-the-grid
battery charging to megaturbines used for on-the-grid electricity generation.
Thomas says; I feel I am doing my part to help create a new economy, based on domestic
energy
production. While wind energy is not a silver bullet, with technical advances such
as this, it can help reduce
our dependence on imported energy. This is the sort of citizen-based work that America
is famous for, and
what really makes our country great. I am really not the type for idle talk, but
prefer meaningful action!î
Thomas Thomas and his wife Lisa operate STRAITBROADBAND COMMUNICATIONS in Port Angeles,
WA. Thomas is also running for State Representative against Kevin Van De Wege of
Sequim.
The October 9 Ortloff show interviews Kessler and challenger Randy Dutton. The link
above will take you to that mp3 file also.
I urge you to take the time to listen to these interviews. We are all busy, but this
office and the Senate are our most direct hope for our voices to be heard.
Don't just blindly mark an "X" on your ballot. Be an informed voter!
In this crucial election, all gloves are off and Predictable Tax, which works for
property tax reform in Washington state, is behind those who will do more than give
lip service to our needs.
*****
October 4, 2008
Pass this along to anyone and everyone....NOW!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RZVw3no2A4&feature=iv&annotation_id=event_597487. You may need to copy&past this into your browser for this link to work.
*****
September 19, 2008
In lieu of what is happening nationally, I am forwarding to you this message from
Senator Joseph Zarelli's office on the September state revenue forecast.
The Washington state budget deficit has now been recalculated from $2.7 billion to
$3.2 billion (see below).
The following link is to a company website that helps calculate property taxes:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/09/prweb1264274.htm
I am including links to the following articles concerning education (I hope the links
work) as there are sure to be education issues on our November ballot which will
affect property taxes:
EDUCATION (K-12) & SCHOOL SAFETY
Washington Teacher Salaries (Seattle
P-I)
EDITORIAL: The high cost of weak school
management (The Seattle Times)
Forest Grove asks U.S. Supreme Court
to settle special education case (Oregonian - Sunday)
Kelso once again gives students a
little WASL wiggle room (Longview Daily News - Saturday)
COLUMN: An education model that works
(George Will/Seattle P-I - Sunday)
OPINION: Why we must commit to math,
science education (Michael Kundu, Marysville School Board/Everett Herald - Sunday)
FLUNKED, NARRATED BY JOE MANTEGNA IS RELEASED
Contact: Steven Maggi
Phone: 650-454-5210
Email:info@flunkedthemovie.com
Subject: Get Your Copy of Flunked Today!
The Evergreen Freedom Foundation is pleased to announce the release of Flunked. With
over an hour of special features, including interviews with our All-stars and an
in-depth look at some of the topics the movie touches on, Flunked is sure to enlighten,
educate, and provide hope to families across America.
For years we've read the stories: Results of national and international educational
aptitude tests show that the average American student is unable to compete academically.
In short, public education is failing.
Flunked highlights the common threads of successful education: strong leadership,
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Use the coupon code before October 15th: EFBUY to get your copy for $21.99 including
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Flunked just won Best Educational Documentary at the Bayou City Inspirational Film
Festival in Houston, and has been accepted into the San Fernando Valley International
Film Festival.
Flunked has already received great reviews:
A half century ago, American education began a decline. Presidents lament the decline
in their speeches. Politicians pontificate about it...but the problems persist. Now,
here comes a movie that's all about fixing it. J. Caldera - KOA Radio,Denver
"A fine film. Very informative, very challenging..."Michael Medved - Film
Critic
Sen. Joseph Zarelli's statement on September state revenue forecast:
OLYMPIA-Sen. Joseph Zarelli, Republican leader on the Senate Ways and Means Committee
and member of the Economic Revenue and Forecast Council, issued this statement following
the council's approval today of the September state revenue forecast:
The drop in the revenue forecast is not a surprise. I expect this will put the projected
budget deficit for the next biennium up to 3.2 billion dollars once the Senate Ways
and Means Committee staff does a new set of calculations. To put that in perspective,
raising the state portion of the property tax by 70 percent would generate 2.6 billion
dollars - not even enough to erase the 2.7 billion deficit projection from June.
Some in Olympia would suggest the national economy has something to do with state
government's financial situation, but the economy is really not at fault - the cause
is year after year of outspending the available revenue and failing to recognize
that the positive revenue forecasts of the past year or two wouldn't last indefinitely.
Judging from this latest forecast, I'd say the effect of what's happening nationally
has yet to be fully felt in our state. That really makes me nervous. When it comes
to budgeting I think most Washingtonians would prefer the state to be conservative
instead of liberal in spending their tax dollars. The same goes for tapping the new
rainy day fund - because I think the voters know the difference between a real rainy
day, caused by forces beyond our control, and the sort of rainy day that is the result
of too many spending promises. So it's disappointing that some were talking even
before today's forecast about raiding the rainy day fund to make more revenue available
for spending next year. A couple of months ago I suggested ideas for putting the
brakes on spending. Although some were implemented, they didn't go as far as I'd
like. Let's face it: the new forecast suggests the situation isn't likely to get
better anytime soon. The taxpayers deserve to know now, not a month or two from now,
how the state plans to turn things around. I suggest we start by agreeing on the
size of the shortfall, then diagnosing the cause of the shortfall, which seems pretty
obvious. Then we look at ways to slow the growth of government and bring it back
in line with projected revenue,without raiding the rainy day fund. We've done it
before, it can be done again. -END-
*****
September 7, 2008
I am passing along this article written by the Director of the Center for Government
Reform at the Washington Policy Center. It speaks to the will of the people and keeping
government spending in check.
Washington's voters have consistently voiced a desire to restrict the ability of
government officials to unduly raise their tax burden. Initiative 601, passed by
voters in 1993, required not only a strict spending limit, a two-thirds vote of the
legislature to raise taxes, but also voter approval of any tax increase in excess
of the state spending limit.
Despite this clear directive by the voters, lawmakers have suspended the two-thirds
vote requirement twice (in 2002 and 2005) and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown filed
a lawsuit on March 3, 2008 asking the State Supreme Court to declare the two-thirds
vote requirement unconstitutional to make it easier for the legislature to raise
taxes.
The State Supreme Court will hear arguments on Senator Brown's lawsuit on September
9, 2008. A final ruling could come in time for next year's legislative session, when
lawmakers will try to close a projected $2.7 billion budget deficit, the estimated
gap between rising revenues and the even faster increase in state spending. If the
Court strikes down I-601, the justices will make it more likely lawmakers will increase
taxes in 2009, rather than look for ways to slow down the rate of spending growth.
Ironically, while objecting to the supermajority requirement for tax increases, Senator
Brown sponsored Senate rules that require a supermajority vote to amend the budget
on the floor.
This rule was used during the 2008 supplemental budget deliberations to block an
attempt to remove $250,000 from the Senate budget to buy tickets for girls to attend
Seattle Storm basketball games. The vote on the amendment to remove the funding secured
a majority, 24-23, but it failed to pass since it did not receive the required 60
percent vote.
The Attorney General is defending the I-601 law against Senator Brown's challenge.
The AG points out that in the 15 years since voters adopted I-601, "the Legislature
has not chosen to repeal the statute or permanently amend its two-thirds vote provision,
although it could have."
Senator Brown says I-601 violates the state Constitution by requiring a two-thirds
vote to pass tax increases, when the constitution requires only a 50% majority vote
to pass a law. The Attorney General rightly argues that the Constitution only says
a bill has to receive a minimum vote of 50% to pass, and that the legislature, or
the people, can add to that requirement for some bills if they like. Obviously, the
AG says, any bill that receives a two-thirds vote has already satisfied the constitutional
requirement of getting 50%.
Regardless of what the Court rules, the long term solution is for state officials
to enact meaningful constitutional restrictions on tax and spending increases to
help provide a restraint on excessive government spending and future tax increases.
Under a statutory law like I-601, it has proven too easy for lawmakers to circumvent
and ignore the spending limit.
What the people intended to be a firm but reasonable check on the growth of state
spending and tax increases has been reduced almost to zero by the Legislature, as
lawmakers seek to accommodate their desire for excessive spending. Today it is a
meaningless safeguard that is bypassed regularly by lawmakers intent on boosting
spending and taxes.
A model for the reforms that are needed was adopted by the voters last year, when
voters amended the constitution to create a budget reserve account, replacing the
oft-raided Emergency Reserve Fund that was created by I-601.
Initiative 601 is better than nothing, and the Court should uphold it, but only a
constitutional tax and spending limit will help prioritize government spending and
provide a legislative climate in which further increases in the government's financial
burden are difficult to pass. Under such a restriction, if lawmakers felt they really
needed to collect more money from people, tax increase proposals would need a 2/3
vote or could be submitted directly to voters for approval by referendum.
Jason Mercier is director of the Center for Government Reform at Washington Policy
Center, a non-partisan public policy research organization in Seattle and Olympia.
Contact WPC at washingtonpolicy.org or by calling 206-937-9691. Nothing here should
be construed as an attempt to aid or hinder any legislation before any legislative
body. - END-
*****
September 2, 2008
Just passing along two topical items and a website concerning a company that can
assist you with filing property assessment appeals:
#1. The following is a reprint of an Associated Press article about property tax
reform in our state:
November's Promises for Property Tax Reform Lose Steam in March
By CURT WOODWARD, Associated Press
Sunday, March 2, 2008
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/mar/02/novembers-promises-for-property-ta
x-reform-lose/
When they hustled back to the Capitol to reinstate voter-approved property
tax limits in last year's special session, the Legislature's Democratic
majority made plenty of promises that broader reforms were brewing.
Everything would be on the table come January, they said, because Joe and
Jane Taxpayer were being squeezed - right along with local governments that
rely on the revenue stream.
The Senate budget chairwoman even pledged to forego holiday lollygagging for
serious study, all the better to open the regular session "ready to act."
But as the final state budgets now take shape, it's clear that 2008 will not
be a year of sweeping property tax reform in Washington.
The few bills still in play would expand property tax breaks for the retired
and disabled, and make technical corrections to existing law. Broader
relief or substantial changes to the system are at least a year away, and
expected budget deficits could push the issue aside again in 2009.
So, what ever happened to property tax reform?
Democrats say reform is still coming - just a bit slower than previously
advertised. On the political right, initiative guru Tim Eyman claims he
hasn't abandoned his own promises to tackle the issue, framing his latest
traffic-flow ballot measure as part of the same struggle.
Meanwhile, activists like Shelley Taylor, a former TV soap actress from the
Port Angeles area, are steaming mad that the promises of last fall seem to
have evaporated so quickly.
In a letter e-mailed to lawmakers and reporters last week, Taylor's group
Property Owners for Predictable Tax Now said the Legislature is "ignoring an
issue that has been before you for several years now.
"With a handful of exceptions, it is distressingly evident that you have
paid little heed to the distress calls of your constituents."
The whole issue was ignited by Eyman's Initiative 747. Endorsed by voters
in 2001, the initiative capped annual growth in individual districts'
property tax collections at 1 percent. Some property taxes were exempt.
As frequently happens, Eyman's measure was challenged in court. Once the
state Supreme Court tossed it out on technical grounds, Republicans
immediately started beating the drum for a special session.
Gregoire soon relented, and the Legislature was called into town for one day
at the end of November.
Perhaps to shield themselves from liberal criticism, the Democratic
establishment framed the special session as just the beginning of a larger
look at property tax reform, one that would make the overall system fairer.
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, said "all the property tax
proposals" would be on the table when the regular session started in
January.
House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, said he'd like to dig into the issue
of whether local governments should hold on to unused, "banked" taxing
capacity.
Shortly after signing the session's two bills into law, Gregoire said she
hoped November's flurry of activity "does not suggest in any way to the
people of Washington that we're done."
It wasn't just Democrats, either.
Anti-tax crusader Eyman, saying that Democrats weren't doing enough to help
taxpayers during the special session, threatened an even more restrictive
property tax initiative in 2008.
"It would have provisions that are going to make 747 look tame in
comparison," including across-the-board property tax cuts, Eyman pledged.
A few months later, when he unveiled his 2008 initiative, property taxes
were off the table. Instead, Eyman was focusing on traffic jams, following
up on recommendations from a state performance audit.
Democratic leaders have pleaded poverty, and they have a point. Two
consecutive revenue forecasts have shown declining state tax collections,
putting a crimp on plenty of tax breaks and spending projects.
Lawmakers also have a restricted calendar - this year's session is the
shorter, 60-day variety, scheduled to end March 13. And the state
constitution calls for equitable taxation, making broad overhauls of the
system a difficult task.
Republicans rightly point out, however, that other priorities have attracted
spending in the Democratic majorities' proposed budgets: teacher raises,
remedial education programs, even Seattle Storm tickets for kids.
Of course, priorities change. So do political realities.
The November special session was held in the shadow of the month's earlier
elections, in which voters displayed an anti-tax mood by sinking a huge
Puget Sound transportation levy, among other things.
After the special session, all sides were left with reasonable claims to
victory.
Democrats could say they respected the will of the voters, but didn't let
the issue get out of hand. The GOP could say the whole thing was their idea
in the first place. And Eyman may have had the last laugh by seeing the
establishment scurry to restore his initiative.
For what it's worth, this year's Legislature is issuing more calls for
continued attention to property tax relief and reform.
Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, never got any takers on her offer to
probe the issue over the holiday break, but says she's taking her Senate
budget committee on a statewide tour this summer to hear the woes of the
people and the local governments.
Chopp, the powerful House speaker with a strong populist streak and roots in
poverty advocacy, says he's open to more ideas about helping poor people pay
their bills and keep their homes.
On Friday, as the state Senate approved expanded property tax relief for
more than 25,000 seniors and disabled people, sponsoring Sen. Mary Margaret
Haugen, D-Camano Island, pledged that more would come.
"We are committed to working on property taxes next year," she said.
2008 PROPERTY TAX BILLS AT A GLANCE
BREAKS FOR RETIRED, DISABLED: Senate Bill 6912, sponsored by Sen. Mary
Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island. Expands existing property tax exemptions
for the retired and disabled, based on the taxpayer's disposable income. It
also expands a program that allows seniors to defer tax payments until the
property is sold or transferred. Democrats say it will help nearly 26,000
people.
VETERANS' BENEFITS EXEMPTION: Senate Bill 5256, sponsored by Sen. Margarita
Prentice, D-Renton. Says that military veterans' federal disability benefits
should not count as part of a taxpayer's disposable income when calculating
whether they qualify for existing state property tax breaks. Supporters say
it could help more than 1,000 disabled senior veterans.
TEMPORARY LID LIFTS: Senate Bill 6641, sponsored by Sen. Debbie Regala,
D-Tacoma. Fixes an unintended consequence of an earlier state law,
clarifying that local voters are not permanently raising the 1 percent "lid"
on yearly property tax increases, unless the ballot measure explicitly says
so.
-- END --
#2 About I-960, the majority passed initiative to make our legislators more accountable
when passing tax bills:
Liquor tax defeat lays groundwork for I-960 challenge
Feb 29, 9:23 PM EST
By RACHEL LA CORTE
Associated Press Writer
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- Senate Democrats have laid the groundwork for a lawsuit against
a tax-limiting initiative, with the majority leader considering the unusual step
of filing her own lawsuit in hopes of making it easier for lawmakers to raise taxes.
Friday's legal maneuver, coming in the 2008 session's waning days, is an unusually
strong sign that lawmakers have grown tired of initiative promoter Tim Eyman's forays
into limiting the Legislature's power.
The groundwork was laid when the Senate began debate on a proposed $10 million liquor
increase that would pay for drunken driving enforcement and substance abuse treatment.
The bill would have required approval from two-thirds of the Senate, because of last
year's Initiative 960, an Eyman-sponsored measure that reaffirmed higher vote thresholds
for tax hikes.
Eyman opponents, including legislators, believe I-960 is illegal because it conflicts
with the state constitution's provision that the Legislature can pass bills with
a simple majority. The initiative shouldn't be allowed to alter that requirement,
the argument goes, because it wasn't a constitutional amendment.
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, asked Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, the Senate's
presiding officer, to rule I-960 unconstitutional for the purposes of the pending
tax vote.
"A two-thirds requirement to pass certain types of bills, in my opinion, is
antidemocratic and violates the Washington constitution," Brown said. "The
constitution is difficult to change, and it should be. It should remain superior
to the statutes we pass."
Owen, himself a Democrat and former state senator, returned after a huddle with lawyers
and said it was up to the courts to decide the constitutionality of I-960. He also
ruled that the proposed tax increase did meet the thresholds in I-960, and would
require a two-thirds vote.
The tax increase then got a simple majority vote of 25-21, but was defeated because
supporters couldn't get the 33 votes needed to pass it under I-960.
"I believe the only way we can resolve this is in the courts," Brown said
after the vote. "The potential conflict between the constitution and the initiative
is illustrated by what happened."
Brown later indicated that Senate Democrats would be the ones to file the lawsuit.
The fact that Brown asked for a legal ruling on the Senate floor is a legal maneuver
that could give her the proper standing to bring a lawsuit against the initiative.
Eyman reacted with glee that I-960 had been upheld, but said the move to challenge
I-960 foreshadows attempts to raise taxes in the future.
"This was a preview of things to come," Eyman said. "There's going
to be a lot of efforts to push for higher taxes next year."
Senate GOP budget leader Joseph Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, challenged Brown's assertion
that the two-thirds requirement was undemocratic.
"The people clearly supported it. This is what they wanted," Zarelli said.
"Do we honor the democratic process, or do we get to pick and choose?"
-END-
#3
You might be very interested in this website/company: Harley Hoppe. For a fee, they
will help you fight your property assessment valuation and have been known to be
very successful for their clients: http://www.harleyhoppe.com/
*****
August 29,2008
I don't know if you are closely following the presidential race but...
This morning Senator McCain announced his running mate for Vice President, Sarah
Pallin, Governor of Alaska.
I am only writing you to point out the following:
For the first time ever, to my recollection, a national candidate has brought up
the topic of PROPERTY TAX!
Yes, in Governor Palin's acceptance speech, she spoke of the fact that she has fought
for property tax reform as Governor of Alaska.
Here is the direct quote from her speech:
"We're busy raising our kids. I was serving as the team mom and coaching
some basketball on the side. I got involved in the PTA and then was elected to the
city council, and then elected mayor of my hometown, where my agenda was to stop
wasteful spending, and cut property taxes, and put the people first."
Here is the link to a video and transcript of her speech:
http://community.adn.com/adn/node/130001
*****
August 28, 2008
A Senate Ways & Means full committee meeting on Property Tax issue will be held
on September 4 at 3:30 p.m. at the Vancouver Hilton & Convention Center
*****
August 16, 2008
Because election day is looming, I want to make sure you get important information.
Attached is a very informative publication by the Evergreen Freedom Foundation http://www.effwa.org/main/page.php, however, the information about Election Integrity is so
timely that I felt it necessary to send out a second email today.
We all remember the three recounts from our last gubernatorial election. We do NOT
want this to happen again. And, as the following points out: there are things you
can do!
I urge you to read this, and follow through!
Also check out this link which takes you to many newspaper articles on important
issues to voters:
http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/Centers/government/index.html
Election Integrity: What you can do
by Trent England
They tell us, It can't happen here. There's never any vote fraud. You don't need
to worry about election incompetence.
Trust us.
These are the sounds of bureaucrats and incumbent politicians trying to lull citizens
to sleep.
Hopefully the last four years of election frauds and foibles will remain a wake-up
call. From ACORN-sponsored criminal
voter registration fraud to the third-time's-the-charm governor's race to 16,000
under-age voter registrations (see column above), the integrity of our elections
is in doubt.
Free and fair elections is a subject usually reserved for third-world countries.
The assumption in developed, Western nations is that elections work. That's an important
assumption. If people believe - rightly or wrongly - that their vote is compromised,
how can they respect the outcome of an election? Why live by the laws of such a government?
Frederick Bastiat said that the safest way to make laws respected is to make them
respectable. So to for elections. Government officials should spend less time telling
citizens what to believe and more time actually securing the election process and
making it as transparent as possible.
Perhaps this applies to citizens as well. We must not just talk, complaining among
ourselves or to our public officials. We must act. Now is the time.
And thank you to the many EFF members already engaged in activities like those listed
above. If you uncover evidence
of election irregularities, remember to let your auditor and EFF know. Don't forget
to take a camera when you go to
observe the process.
As Americans we must count ourselves among the most blessed people of the earth.
When we embrace and exercise our freedom - particularly the freedom to vote in honest
elections and to hold our government accountable - we truly are securing the Blessings
of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.
Here are a few ways Citizens can help protect our elections:
Contact your county auditor or political party to become an election observer and
then oversee the opening, processing and counting of ballots.
Observe the signature verification process, one of the only security measures available
for vote-by-mail elections.
Attend your county canvassing board meetings where challenged signatures and other
ballot issues are considered.
If you live in King or Pierce County, volunteer to be a poll worker.
Contact your auditor to make sure your own registration is accurate, and after you
vote, make sure your ballot was received and counted. Encourage your friends and
neighbors to do the same.
If you can work with data and databases, get your county voter file from your county
auditor and look for anomalies (underage registrants, nonresidential addresses, deceased
voters,
etc.). Many counties will email the file for free, others charge a small amount.
All counties charge to provide the information on a CD.
Ask your county auditor and county commissioners or council members to make transparency
a priority during the fall elections. The Clark County Auditor's Office provides
a great example of what information counties can easily post to their websites for
citizens and the media to see (http://www.clark.wa.gov/elections/results/index.html).
####
If you haven't already mailed in your ballots...and perhaps need convincing that
we need someone new at the helm, here's an article that appeared in yesterday's Seattle
Times:
As assessments jump, King County homeowners brace for soaring tax bills [Seattle
Times]*
Aug. 15--Pamela and Michael Nugent got a shock when the King County assessor told
them their Renton home is worth $154,000 more than it was valued at last year.
That's a 43 percent increase in assessed value in a year when the median Southeast
King County home price has dropped 9 percent.
The Nugents, both retired from Boeing, are wondering how the assessed value of their
home could go up so much in a distressed real-estate market.
They're also worried that, for the second time since they bought the house on Benson
Hill in 2004, their property taxes may go up by more than $1,000 in a single year.
"Who's running this ship?" Pamela Nugent said. "I just don't understand
the logic in these valuations. I have a business degree and I just don't get it."
The Nugents aren't alone.
Since the assessor began mailing out valuation notices in May, more than 1,800 homeowners
have filed appeals with the Board of Equalization -- compared with 750 at this point
last year -- and appeals are on pace to set a record, said board clerk/manager Dave
Goff.
The Board of Equalization says more than half the appeals result in valuations being
lowered.
"Looking at all the reports in the national media, they're expecting a reduction
and they're getting an increase," Goff said. "That's the most prevalent
thing we're hearing. It's certainly understandable."
The last notices from the assessor are expected to be mailed out by the end of this
month. Property owners have 60 days to appeal.
The Nugents were hit with a steeper increase in assessed value than most. Although
final numbers aren't yet available, the assessor's office says assessed values are
rising an average 10 to 12 percent.
In Snohomish County, where home prices began to fall before those in King County,
Assessor Cindy Portmann reported a 1.9 percent drop in assessed values this year.
King County revalues all properties every year and conducts physical inspections
of properties on average once every six years.
In the Nugents' "South Renton/Kent" appraisal area, the average increase
was 13.9 percent. Rural areas east of the Snoqualmie Valley jumped 27.6 percent.
The 2008 valuations -- which will be used to apportion taxes in 2009 -- are going
up in a down real-estate market because they represent home values as of Jan. 1,
2008. Those values were calculated by looking at prices paid for nearby properties
over the prior three years, a period intended to ease big swings in valuation.
Under state law, appraisers can't consider this year's sales. The median price of
single-family homes sold in King County last month was $445,000, down from $481,000
price a year earlier, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.
The downturn won't be reflected in assessed values until next year, Assessor Scott
Noble said. "That is pretty much what we do all the time -- we play catch-up,"
he said.
Higher assessed values don't necessarily mean higher taxes, if your property goes
up at the same rate as your neighbors'. That's because state law limits how much
money tax districts can collect without a vote. When assessed values rise, the tax
rate typically goes down.
But when the Nugents' assessed value went up a whopping 39 percent in 2005, so did
their 2006 taxes -- from $2,867 to $3,994.
Now, facing what could be an even bigger one-year tax jump, the Nugents aren't sure
how they'll make ends meet. Michael talks about cutting out trips to places like
Lake Chelan and the coast, Pamela about spending less on groceries.
"Now we find out what fixed income really means," Michael said.
The Nugents, like many of their neighbors, plan to appeal their valuation. Twenty-seven
of their neighbors wrote letters of protest to the assessor and to Gov. Christine
Gregoire.
*****
August 6, 2008
Our primary election is just around the corner and by now you should have received
your mail-in ballots which must be postmarked by August 19.
Any election is important. This primary definitely is. And certainly the next one
in November. Not only will we choose a new president then, but a new governor for
the state of Washington as well.
So I want to take this time to remind you of several factors as you make your decisions.
First, the office of governor. Our current governor, Chris Gregoire has increased
government spending since she took office to the point where - despite claiming she
has added to our rainy-day fund, has actually spent us into a huge deficit. And this
negative balance to our coffers will increase over the next few years.
The non-partisan Senate Ways & Means Committee staff has updated its six year
outlook and indicates the incoming Legislature will face a $2.7 billion deficit next
session as it develops the 2009-11 budgets, assuming the new constitutionally protected
rainy day fund is not tapped.
This report showing on youtube is about our state's increasing taxes (note: if link
does not work you may have to copy&paste this link into your browser):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-RcKYoR1fE
Going to Tax School
We all understand the need for taxation. We object to wasted money and poorly thought
out tax laws. Here is something you may find worth reading.
The Washington Policy Center explains that, just as with our federal government,
the only way to help us with our taxes is to reduce government spending. Citizens
must be willing to take more responsibility for themselves and their decisions. When
we give up that power to our government, it means more taxes for everyone.
According to the Washington Policy Center, the purpose of a tax system is not to
require "fair share" or penalize success and prosperity but to provide
funding for the core functions of govt (i.e. those things only govt can do). The
focus of a state tax system should encompass the following concepts:
Simplicity - The tax code should be easy for the average citizen to understand, and
it should minimize the cost of complying with the tax laws. Tax complexity adds cost
to the taxpayer, but does not increase public revenue. For governments, the tax system
should be easy to administer, and should help promote efficient, low-cost administration.
Accountability - Tax systems should be accountable to citizens. Taxes and tax policy
should be visible and not hidden from taxpayers. Changes in tax policy should be
highly publicized and open to public debate.
Economic Neutrality - The purpose of the tax system is to raise needed revenue for
core functions of government, not control the lives of citizens. The tax system should
exert minimal impact on the spending and business decisions of individuals and businesses.
Equity and Fairness - Fairness means all taxpayers should be treated the same. The
government should not use the tax system to pick winners and losers in society, or
unfairly shift the tax burden onto one class of citizens. The tax system should not
be used to punish success or to soak the rich.
Complementary - The tax code should help maintain a healthy relationship between
the state and local governments. The state should always be mindful of how its tax
decisions affect local governments so they are not working against each other - with
the taxpayer caught in the middle.
Competitiveness - A low tax burden can be a tool for Washington's economic development
by retaining and attracting productive business activity. A high quality revenue
system will be responsive to competition from other states.
Balance - An effective tax system should be broad-based, without relying too heavily
on a few sources of revenue. For the same reason, an ideal tax system should avoid
special exemptions, preferring a low overall tax rate with few loopholes.
Reliability - A high quality tax system should be stable, providing certainty in
taxation and in revenue flows. It should provide certainty of financial planning
for individuals and businesses.
Sen. Joseph Zarelli, Republican leader on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and
member of the Economic Revenue and Forecast Council has warned that the "level
of revenue growth isn't enough to uphold all the promises made over the past four
years and the corresponding 33 percent increase in state spending."
"The taxpayers will have opportunities in the months ahead to make it known
how they expect the next Legislature and the next governor to respond. One choice
is to bring spending under control.
"The abnormal revenue growth we saw from the strong real estate and construction
markets has gone the way of a two-dollar gallon of gas. This forecast confirms that
it is time for a shift in state government's thinking - toward concentrating its
limited resources on essential services instead of continuing to spend at a rate
which the taxpayers simply can't afford."
As I stated in an earlier update, the current administration has not been willing
to deal with the property tax issue. That is why Property Owners for Predictable
Tax Now endorses Dino Rossi.
You will recall the controversy in our previous gubernatorial election.
After two ballot counts where Dino Rossi came out the winner, the third count gave
the office to Gregoire with a 129 vote lead. The following news story on dead voters
in Connecticut calls attention to Washington's 2004 fiasco and includes an interview
with Dino Rossi:
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=1138312&maven_referralPlaylistld=&sRevUr=http://www.foxnews.com/specialreport/
While a governor cannot directly deal with the
checks we write to the assessors office, they can influence those who do. Governor
Gregoire has not helped us. I have spoken directly with Dino Rossi and he does understand
the burden of unpredictable property tax increases. He comes from a real estate background.
He is a self-made man who has worked outside of the sheltered world of government;
whereas Governor Gregoire has never held a private sector position.
Dino Rossi served us as a state senator and as Chairman of the Senate Ways and Means
Committee in 2003 when the state faced the largest dollar deficit in history and
achieved something politicians rarely do - he balanced the state budget. And he did
it without cutting vital services.
Summer property tax tour led by Sen. Margarita Prentice
As Senator Prentice is an Ex-officio member of the Gambling Commission, it was her
plan to coincide Property Tax Work Sessions with Gambling Commission meetings in
the community. (Read about controversy with gambling compacts: Democrats defend tribal
compacts, http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/373155_compact01.html.)
Sen. Prentice promised to hold these tours and use the information during the upcoming
2009 session. However, she also promised meaningful legislation at last year's emergency
session to reinstate I-747 when regular session began earlier this year. At the end
of last year's session, no meaningful discourse or meaningful legislation was presented
for our vote.
Remember our Property Tax Tea Party way back in January? You can view a short video
on this link. Scroll over to property tax rights (should be the last one), however,
every video there is informative
http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/Centers/government/index.html
One of the most important votes you will cast in this election is for judges. It
rarely gets much attention but here is where voters can wield power. I urge you to
go to: http://votingforjudges.org/
and get informed. Another helpful website: www.vote.wa.gov which provides one-stop customized voter info.
Education
I have continued to contact our educators and state representatives about education
policy when it relates to how that will affect our property taxes. You will remember
that the teachers union refused our students a $13.2 million grant because they did
not want to set a precedent where teacher pay could be tied to teacher performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrn7U9C51Lc
In the the battle for better education, our legislature has "funded" all-day
kindergarten. The catch is, property owners are to fund it. And the Port Angeles
school tech levy was defeated but will come back again to our ballots in the future.
Rep. Dave Quall wants to reinvent the wheel on K-12 education. I wrote him to remind
him The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce (http://skillscommission.org/) has a great plan and is willing to provide consultants
and funds to help make their vision a reality. I never received a reply, nor have
I received a reply when I have sent similar emails on other aspects of education
to our educators and representatives.
On your ballot is your vote for the Superintendent of Public Education.
Months ago they were calling for a vote of no confidence on the current superintendent,
Terry Bergeson. We are endorsing Randy Dorn who feels 12 years is enough time for
Ms. Bergeson to get a handle on the WASL. His voter's pamphlet statement, "he
will be a forceful advocate for school funding, reminding the legislature it is their
paramount duty to fully fund a basic education rather than relying on local levies."
Discussion for another day: while the state laments the poor showing on WASL tests,
it might be helpful to require students to hand in their cell phones when entering
a class to prevent them from text messaging test question answers. Calculators are
permitted during testing too. How will children learn to pass a test measuring their
math skills when we don't require them to think?
Also on the subject of education, I thought this might be of interest. Two Dear Abby
columns on cheating.
Dear Abby:
My husband and I recently retired from teaching at a highly rated, competitive Midwestern
public school. Cheating was rampant, from copying homework to text-messaging during
tests in the classroom. When confronted, the cheaters were surprised and usually
asserted that "everyone else does it." And they were right.
Cheating occurs in the classroom, in sports, in extracurricular activities and in
the hallways, and has become more acceptable among students than ever before. Teachers
are practically powerless to control it; administrators seem to have no idea how
to handle it. Parents don't want to get involved for fear of angering their children,
and a strong leader may be "asked" to back down from pursuing it.
My husband and I tried many times to make students understand that what they were
doing or thinking was wrong and needed to be corrected, only to be met with an incredulous
stare, a sneer perhaps, and then, "Can I go now?" We began asking ourselves
that same question and realized last year that WE "could go now" -- and
we did. More of our time was spent trying to teach moral values and ethics and less
was spent on the required curriculum.
Dear Abby:
In recent years it seems cheating is encouraged by parents. I have seen it when teaching
Sunday school to seventh-graders. The father of one of the Scouts in our local Scout
troop even called cheating "just a form of competitive advantage."
For a long time I have carried a quote in my wallet that is my favorite saying: "Our
lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." The person
who said it was the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Finally, it's always informative to make note of who endorses your candidate or any
measures on your ballot to get a greater understanding about the person, office,
or issue.
*****
June 19, 2008
Just passing this info along from Senator Joseph Zarelli's office regarding the June
state revenue forecast because I think it is extremely important and contains useful
information when marking our ballots for our next governor in November.
FYI:WA state has 7th worst tax short fall in the nation:
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/06/0627_shortfall_states/index.htm
Sen. Joseph Zarelli, Republican leader on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and
member of the Economic Revenue and Forecast Council statement following the council's
approval of the June state revenue forecast:
The new forecast clearly suggests revenue growth is continuing to settle down
toward a normal level. Unfortunately, a more traditional level of revenue growth
isn't enough to uphold all the promises made over the past four years and the corresponding
33 percent increase in state spending.
The projection made by the nonpartisan Senate budget staff following February's revenue
forecast, which would have the next Legislature facing a 2.5 billion-dollar deficit,
is made more real by the June forecast. In other words, our state remains on course
for a massive budget shortfall in spite of having a record surplus not long ago.
The silver lining in this forecast is that we're only midway through the two-year
budget. There are steps the governor can take right now, if she wants, to save money
- a 12-month 'soft' hiring freeze could save hundreds of millions over the next three
years. Every dollar saved today means a smaller shortfall for the Legislature to
address in 2009.
The taxpayers will have opportunities in the months ahead to make it known how they
expect the next Legislature and the next governor to respond. One choice is to bring
spending under control, which Republicans promoted when we controlled the Senate
in 2003. The result was a frugal budget that erased a 2.6 billion-dollar deficit,
without a general tax increase, by spending on the core priorities of government.
The other choice is to focus on raising revenue, through tax increases, more than
controlling spending. In 2005 the current governor and her party dealt with a smaller
shortfall by approving nearly 400 million dollars in new taxes, adopting a double-digit
spending increase and positioning themselves to raise taxes again in 2006 and 2007.
The abnormal revenue growth we saw from the strong real estate and construction markets
has gone the way of a two-dollar gallon of gas. This forecast confirms that it is
time for a shift in state government's thinking - toward concentrating its limited
resources on essential services instead of continuing to spend at a rate which the
taxpayers simply can't afford.
*****
June 11, 2008
Very important reminder!
The deadline is days away for the possibility of getting Initiative 1030 on our ballots.
This initiative would reduce property taxes by 30%. And even though there is a possibility,
if passed, that this initiative would be found to be unconstitutional - there is
an extremely good reason for pursuing it: if passed, it would mean the Legislature
MUST deal with it.
They need signature gatherers. So I am urging you to do whatever you can to make
sure this initiative qualifies for the ballot. Please go to: http://www.washingtontaxpayers.org/ to get the necessary info to pick up or download forms
(and be sure to follow instructions to the letter - very important or all your hard
work could be voided). Please, do it NOW! With the rising costs of fuel and food,
we cannot let an opportunity like this one fail.
The Senate Ways & Means Committee has scheduled another "staff property
tax presentation." Although billed as an opportunity to tell your legislatures
what's wrong with our system, I have heard that basically it is nothing more than
explaining to YOU why you must continue to be burdened with our draconian system.
All the more reason to show up and protest. The next meeting is June 26 at 1 p.m.
at Skagit Valley College, 2405 East College Way, Mount Vernon.
There were many school funding issues on ballots recently. Many of them failed. One
such failure was the Port Townsend education bond. However, it appears they will
try again come November. In Port Angeles, the school tech levy failed. Although no
official word yet...we can expect this - as well as other failed levies and bonds
- to be revisited.
We have written about Washington school's loss of a $13.2 million grant for education
because the WEA did not want $2 million of those grant dollars - which would pay
teachers - to be tied to performance.
A letter I wrote to educators, legislators and news media about the loss of this
grant, and the tough choices we will all have to make when it comes to deciding which
- if any - voter approved additional property taxes will be given the go ahead was
picked up by the Sequim Gazette. And the Peninsula Daily News printed my special
commentary on the subject (Peninsula text follows letter text).
-beginning of text-
Despite the controversially-passed constitutional amendment making it
easier to pass school levies - it appears the Port Angeles School
District tech levy has failed. Other levy and bond issues in the state
have not been well received.
We have a huge portion of the population (79 million) retired or retiring.
Our website, www.predictabletax.com link to "The Baby Boomer Generation
& Their Effect on Revenue &Services" details a growing problem. A Google
search on the "boomer housing bubble" will provide a good idea of what
is happening to the housing market which has everything to do with
funding services.
As a result, it is no longer practical to rely on the baby boomer
generation to fund services - as has been the case for decades. If we
heed the signs, it is of paramount importance that we all come together
to find an equitable way of funding vital services - without a draconian
squeeze to homeowners.
Theresa Rauch, co-chair of the Port Angeles Citizens for Education
committee is quoted in the PDN as saying, "Now we need to work really
hard to make sure that in the future technology is funded by the state
as part of basic education..."
May I be so bold as to say the state legislature is no friend of
education. Although the state constitution mandates the state fully fund
education - meaning all taxpayers shoulder the burden - the legislature
has abrogated their mandate to property owners for decades. The upcoming
election regarding full-time kindergarten is just another example where
the legislature makes decisions - but expects property owners to make
good on their commitment.
We are spending more money on education than ever in state history.
We are spending more money per student than ever in state history.
We are educating fewer students than 30 years ago.
In addition to state funding, 50% of the check we write for our property
taxes goes to education.
The amount of money spent on education compared with our poor scholastic
results certainly implies our education system needs restructuring.
Recently, the Superintendent of Education, Terry Bergeson, has been met
with votes of no confidence.
To add to our funding woes, Washington state recently lost a $13.2
million grant for our children.
Here is a video report from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation CEO on the
loss of this grant and the role the WEA paid in losing it (note of
interest: the comment by a teacher posted below the video window):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQqiJGyMe7I
In the Seattle Times article about the loss of this grant, "Rich Wood,
spokesman for the Washington Education Association, said that outside
groups can't just set up a new system for paying local teachers.
That's not how it works in our state.
The WEA, he said, was particularly concerned about tying teacher pay
directly to student test scores."
That last statement is very telling and certainly gives the impression
the teachers union is fighting anything tying test results to teacher
performance.
Even if that means denying our children a multi-million dollar grant.
Not tying teacher performance to results defies logic and certainly
appears to be an attempt to remove responsibility and accountability.
This does not sit well with taxpayers.
There are many good causes that beg funding. But funding for them does
not come from thin air. We must always be aware that the state receives
its funding out of the people's pockets.
And when it comes to funding education, the majority from the paychecks
of homeowners.
In the last two years alone, more than 150 bills have been introduced to
address property tax problems, with no relief in sight.
Rep. Van de Wege has touted a homestead exemption which shifts that tax
to everyone else. However, this is just one of the proposals that went
nowhere in the last legislative session.
The "reinstatement" of Initiative 747 which capped levy increases at 1%
has given very little breathing room to property owners in the several
years since it was originally instituted.
The current economic situation with rising fuel and food costs will most
likely continue for years. As a result, property owners have begun to
soul search and make decisions based on priorities of necessity as
evidenced in this recent election. They can reason a motivated student
and his parents will somehow find a way to ensure a good education. For
instance, home schooling is on the rise. But an individual can do
nothing when it comes to providing for themselves emergency services or
state of the art medical care.
These are the hard decisions facing us in the future.
If education is to flourish, educators must join with property owners to
put pressure to bear on our legislators for true property tax reform.
Respectfully,
Shelley Taylor
-end of text-
-beginning of text-
Peninsula Daily News Commentary
The Port Angeles School District is asking for a technology levy of 46
cents per $1000 of assessed value. An extra $138/ year for the next four
years for a $300,000 home.
It's not a lot of money in itself.
But say you are already paying $3000/year or so in property taxes and
the school district proceeds with a planned levy for school construction.
Also, take into account the School Board's recent approval of
state-mandated, taxpayer funded all-day kindergarten.
These additional taxes could very well make or break some homeowners'
budgets.
We are all dealing with a sagging economy, stagnant housing market,
rising fuel prices and food costs. Those wanting to increase our taxes
must be as frugal as we must be on a personal level: tighten belts,
rethink expenses, and take on the challenge of accomplishing more with
less. Sometimes working under these conditions brings out the best in
ingenuity and improves things in unexpected ways.
Our School District has made a move in that direction by recently making
cutes in the 2008-2009 budget. The cuts include $14,000 in savings for
shutting off conputers during non-school hours. But why wasn't this done
already?
With a 25% drop out rate and declining enrollment (750 students since
1970 and 200 additional students through 2010), the closure of Fairmont
Elementary will save taxpayers $735,000. This is good news for strapped
property owners.
The main component of this levy is purchasing computers. The District's
recent flyer recounts several personal stories extolling the use of
computers. Today's children are using them before they ever get to the
school yard and I'm betting most have them at home.
With continual technological advances, computers become obsolete soon
after purchase. Why not, under such lean economic times, ease our tax
burden by taking advantage of those with home computers? According to a
Stanford University's Hoover Institution report, "Kids no longer need to
sit in school to be well educated."
Just fifty-three per cent of the state's students passed the math
portion of the last WASL. Now, some WASL testing has been postponed.
(WASL results can be viewed on the Superintendent's website,
http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/WASLPractice-ParentStudent.aspx.)
While acknowledging the importance of teaching technology, perhaps for
now that money might be better spent on the basics - reading, writing,
and arithmetic - which are languishing under the current system. Surely
emphasizing these basic skills first is mandatory to improve a student's
comprehension of computer technology.
We are spending more money on education ever in state history, more per
student ever in state history, and educating fewer kids than thirty
years ago.
With our economic slowdown, we also need to hold back for upcoming
requests for funding.
The other school levy under discussion is construction. The Washington
state lottery was to fund such expenses, so why can't we lower the pot a
little and put more toward schools?
Another vital service in need of increased funding is provided by our
Olympic Medical Center, which is operating in the red ($6 million in
charges for bad debt and charity care). Our doctors spend a good portion
of their life studying medicine; often they literally hold life and
death in their hands. They (and we) should have access to
state-of-the-art facilities. I asked my doctor his opinion and found out
that if our hospitals want to attract the best doctors in their field,
they need affordable housing (which includes reasonable property taxes),
and schools that offer their children a high quality education. Or our
doctors will chose to live elsewhere than on the Peninsula.
We all understand the privilege of living in Washington requires us to
pay taxes - whether or not we own property. And we understand the
importance of giving our kids the highest caliber education possible.
Property owners recognize the need for services and will willingly pay
for them. All we ask is that our hard-earned tax dollars be used wisely
and especially now - frugally.
After all, it's our money.
-end of text-
The Evergreen Freedom Foundation has made sure the grant loss has become
a national story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eckIe2janAs&feature=user.
Earlier this week, in addition to coverage on Fox News America's Pulse and Fox Report
with Shepard Smith, Fox News Special Report with Brit Hume interviewed Sonya Jones
on the WEA’s refusal to accept this math and science grant from private sources even
though six other states figured out a way to get it done:
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=1138210&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/specialreport/
http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=930098&referralPlaylistId=949437d0db05ed5f5b9954dc049d70b0c12f2749
This story was also reported by CNN on the Glenn Beck show last week: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrn7U9C51Lc .
Here is the text of the letter I wrote to educators (and the media) about the grant
loss:
-beginning of text-
Dear Educators and Legislators:
This story makes it painfully obvious that the WEA has lost its
priorities: educating our students first and foremost.
Why isn't education the priority?
Why are school districts continually coming to strapped homeowners to
finance education - while the state not only continues to abrogate its
constitutional mandate to fully fund basic education, but turns down
millions of dollars which would benefit students and homeowners?
Losing this grant is a tragedy for underprivileged students.
The Evergreen Freedom Foundation has made sure this has become a
national story.
Earlier this week, in addition to coverage on Fox News America's Pulse
and Fox Report with Shepard Smith, Fox News Special Report with Brit
Hume interviewed Sonya Jones on the WEA’s refusal to accept a $13.2
million math and science grant from private sources even though six
other states figured out a way to get it done:
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=1138210&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/specialreport/
This story was also reported by CNN on the Glenn Beck show last week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrn7U9C51Lc
In a word: SHAMEFUL!!
Respectfully,
Shelley Taylor
-end of text-
Rep. Dave Quall wrote an editorial in the Seattle Times calling for a new model for
K-12 funding. The following is the text of his opinion and my response.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Rep. Dave Quall
Education 2.0: We need a new model for K-12 funding
By Dave Quall
Seattle Times
IN 1978, the Washington Supreme Court issued the landmark "Doran
Decision," ruling that the state was not meeting its constitutional
responsibility to "make ample provision for the education of all
children residing within its borders." According to the court, we failed
to define "basic education" and come up with a way to fund it without
relying on local levies.
Fast forward 30 years. We are back in court. At a time when school
districts around the state are on the brink of bankruptcy and parents
are outraged over statistics suggesting our students aren't making the
grade, it's no wonder legislators are under fire to fix education funding.
How did this happen?
The first problem is one of semantics, but as any lawyer can tell you,
semantics count. The terms "ample provision" and "basic education"
mean
different things to different people.
We came up with definitions for these terms in the 1970s when nobody
thought that computers would be as basic an education tool as pencils
and paper. And who could have predicted that ample provisions would
eventually be eaten up by soaring health-care and transportation costs?
The second problem is one of process. In the '70s, we developed a series
of funding formulas — 14 to be exact — to calculate what the state pays
a district for everything from transportation and instruction for
children with disabilities, to operations and administration. The
formulas are outdated, too complicated, and fail to account for today's
real costs of educating our children.
More money doesn't necessarily add up to more support for schools. One
example is funding for teacher raises. Every time the state gives money
to a district for teacher raises, districts are required to provide
raises for the rest of their staff. It's a bittersweet gift for a
cash-strapped district.
Ultimately, the problem is as complicated as the solution. Local
districts are facing their own challenges from declining enrollment and
soaring costs. Unfunded mandates from the federal government further
exacerbate the problem.
Bottom line: Most school districts do not have the resources they need
to provide our children with the quality basic education they deserve.
So how are legislators going to fix this problem?
We're going to start from scratch. It's time to reinvent the wheel.
In the upcoming 2009 legislative session, we must update our definition
of "basic education," figure out what it will cost (it will be an
enormous number), and come up with a completely new funding system to
make it happen.
Legislators have formed a special task force to accomplish those goals.
To be clear, education is inarguably our state's No. 1 funding priority.
More than 40 percent of our state budget goes to K-12 education. That's
more than any other state program. In the past two years alone,
legislators invested $1 billion additional dollars in K-12 education.
But business as usual is simply not working when it comes to education
funding. Our paramount duty as a state is to educate our kids. It's time
we fulfill that duty and put our money where our mouth is, literally.
Look at the task force's work online
(www.leg.wa.gov/joint/committees/bef). Let your legislator know what you
think. We can't afford to shortchange our children any longer.
Rep. Dave Quall, D-Mount Vernon, is chairman of the House Education
Committee. He can be reached at 360-428-1023 or quall.dave@leg.wa.gov
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Honorable Rep. Quall:
Why are we trying to reinvent the wheel?
The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce
(http://skillscommission.org/)
has a great plan and is willing to
provide consultants and funds to help make their vision a reality.
When I checked with them to see if anyone from the state of Washington
had made any inquiries, the answer was, "No."
As we have said repeatedly, the state has abrogated its constitutional
obligation to fund education and in so doing has placed an unbearable
burden on homeowners. The major tax base from property tax revenue has
been on the backs of baby boomers - who are now beginning to retire (79
million nationwide). Boomers can no longer be counted on to fund vital
services. For homeowning seniors, education will take a back seat to
medications, mortgages and emergency services. - end of text-
So far no reply from Rep. Quall.
Also on the education funds front, a recent state
audit has found "significant deficiencies" with the Sequim school financial
report as a result of the state auditor's office tightening its requirements for
financial reports under new standards developed by the American Institute of Certificied
Public Accountants. According to Sequim's district business manager, "This is
becoming a statewide issue."
As you can see, I've been busy.
I have received numerous comments from our supporters telling me they will not vote
for any property tax increases - no matter how noble - until the powers that be give
us some meaningful relief.
One of the biggest complaints about property taxes is that when it comes to voter
approved increases, everyone can vote on spending your property tax dollars!
Next time some (non property owner) tells you how
to spend your tax dollars, you might want to throw this into the discussion: it is
imperative during these tough economic times to prioritize. There are thousands of
important causes and issues, but we can't address them all, nor can we legislate
them all. If an issue is important, find a way to make it happen on a personal level
- without calling on legislation for a mandate.
It is the thirtieth anniversary of California's Prop 13. Here is a link to an editorial
about its continued success:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-coupal3-2008jun03,0,2158158.story
A recent article in The Wenatchee World Online tells of skyrocketing assessments:
http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080604/NEWS04/250349380/1001
It is important to remember that although we are experiencing an economic downturn
which includes lower property values, you will probably not see any adjustment to
your home's value any time soon - and you may not see any at all.
We have a chance, with our upcoming gubernatorial election, to elect someone who
has a background in real estate, a proven record of fiscal responsibility, and someone
who is listening to our property tax complaints.
Make sure you are registered to vote!
Until next time,
Shelley
*****
May 23, 2008
Below I am reprinting a commentary about the Port
Angeles Tech Levy which appeared in the Peninsula Daily News on May 9 and a letter
I sent to educators and various media regarding the failure of that levy:
PDN TECH LEVY COMMENTARY
The Port Angeles School District is asking for a technology levy of 46 cents per
$1000 of assessed value, an extra $138 a year for the next four years for a $300,000
home.
It's not a lot of money in itself.
But say you are already paying $3000 a year or so in property taxes and the school district proceeds with a planned levy for school construction.
Also take into account the School Board's recent approval of state-mandated, taxpayer funded all-day kindergarten.
These additional taxes could very well make or
break some homeowner's budgets.
We are all dealing with a sagging economy, stagnant housing market, rising fuel prices
and food costs.
Those wanting to increase our taxes must be as frugal as we must be on a personal level: tighten belts, rethink expenses, and take on the challenge of accomplishing more with less.
Sometimes working under these conditions brings out the best in ingenuity and gains improvement in unexpected ways.
Our School District has made a move in that direction by recently making cutes in the 2008-2009 budget.
The cuts include $14,000 in savings for shutting off computers during non-school hours.
But why wasn't this done already?
With a 25 percent dropout rate and decining enrollment (750 students since 1970 and 200 additinal students thourhg 2010), the closure of Fairview Elementary will save taxpayers $735,000.
This is good news for strapped property owners.
The main component of this levy is purchasing computers.
The District's recent flier recounts several personal stories extolling the use of computers.
Today's children are using them before they ever
get to the school yard and I'm betting most have them at home.
With continual technological advances, computers become obsolete soon after purchase.
Why not, under such lean economic times, ease our tax burden by taking advantage of those with home computers?
According to a Stanford University's Hoover Institution
report, "Kids no longer need to sit in school to be well educated."
Just 53 percent of the state's students passed the math portion of the last WASL.
Now, some WASL testing has been postponed. (WASL
results can be viewed on the Superintendent's website, http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/WASLPractice-ParentStudent.aspx
While acknowledging the importance of teaching technology, perhaps for now that money
might be better spent on the basics - reading, writing, and arithmetic - which are
languishing under the current system.
Surely emphasizing these basic skills first is mandatory to improve a student's comprehension of computer technology.
We are spending more money on education ever in
state history, more per student ever in state history, and educating fewer kids than
thirty years ago.
With our economic slowdown, we also need to hold back for upcoming requests for funding.
The other school levy under discussion is construction.
The Washington state lottery was to fund such expenses, so why can't we lower the pot a little and put more toward schools?
Another vital service in need of increased funding is provided by our Olympic Medical Center, which is operating in the red ($6 million in charges for bad debt and charity care).
Our doctors spend a good portion of their life studying medicine.
Often they literally hold life and death in their hands.
My doctor says if our hospitals want to attract the best doctors in their field, they need affordable housing (which includes reasonable property taxes), and schools that offer their children a high quality education, or our doctors will chose to live elsewhere than on the Peninsula.
We all understand the privilege of living in Washington requires us to pay taxes - whether or not we own property.
And we understand the importance of giving our kids the highest caliber education possible.
Property owners recognize the need for services and will willingly pay for them.
All we ask is that our hard-earned tax dollars
be used wisely and especially now - frugally.
After all, it's our money.
LETTER TO EDUCATORS & MEDIA
Despite the controversially-passed constitutional
amendment making it easier to pass school levies - it appears the Port Angeles School
District tech levy has failed. Other levy and bond issues in the state have not been
well received.
We have a huge portion of the population (79 million) retired or retiring.
Our website, www.predictabletax.com link to "The Baby Boomer Generation &
Their Effect on Revenue &Services" details a growing problem. A Google search
on the "boomer housing bubble" will provide a good idea of what is happening
to the housing market which has everything to do with funding services.
As a result, it is no longer practical to rely on the baby boomer generation to fund
services - as has been the case for decades. If we heed the signs, it is of paramount
importance that we all come together to find an equitable way of funding vital services
- without a draconian squeeze to homeowners.
Theresa Rauch, co-chair of the Port Angeles Citizens for Education committee is quoted
in the PDN as saying, "Now we need to work really hard to make sure that in
the future technology is funded by the state as part of basic education..."
May I be so bold as to say the state legislature is no friend of education. Although
the state constitution mandates the state fully fund education - meaning all taxpayers
shoulder the burden - the legislature has abrogated their mandate to property owners
for decades. The upcoming election regarding full-time kindergarten is just another
example where the legislature makes decisions - but expects property owners to make
good on their commitment.
We are spending more money on education than ever in state history.
We are spending more money per student than ever in state history.
We are educating fewer students than 30 years ago.
In addition to state funding, 50% of the check we write for our property taxes goes
to education.
The amount of money spent on education compared with our poor scholastic results
certainly implies our education system needs restructuring. Recently, the Superintendent
of Education, Terry Bergeson, has been met with votes of no confidence.
To add to our funding woes, Washington state recently lost a $13.2 million grant
for our children.
Here is a video report from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation CEO on the loss of this
grant and the role the WEA paid in losing it (note of interest: the comment by a
teacher posted below the video window): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQqiJGyMe7I
In the Seattle Times article about the loss of this grant, "Rich Wood, spokesman
for the Washington Education Association, said that outside groups can't just set
up a new system for paying local teachers.
That's not how it works in our state.
The WEA, he said, was particularly concerned about tying teacher pay directly to
student test scores."
That last statement is very telling and certainly gives the impression the teachers
union is fighting anything tying test results to teacher performance.
Even if that means denying our children a multi-million dollar grant.
Not tying teacher performance to results defies logic and certainly appears to be
an attempt to remove responsibility and accountability.
This does not sit well with taxpayers.
There are many good causes that beg funding. But funding for them does not come from
thin air. We must always be aware that the state receives its funding out of the
people's pockets.
And when it comes to funding education, the majority from the paychecks of homeowners.
In the last two years alone, more than 150 bills have been introduced to address
property tax problems, with no relief in sight.
Rep. Van de Wege has touted a homestead exemption which shifts that tax to everyone
else. However, this is just one of the proposals that went nowhere in the last legislative
session.
The "reinstatement" of Initiative 747 which capped levy increases at 1%
has given very little breathing room to property owners in the several years since
it was originally instituted.
The current economic situation with rising fuel and food costs will most likely continue
for years. As a result, property owners have begun to soul search and make decisions
based on priorities of necessity as evidenced in this recent election. They can reason
a motivated student and his parents will somehow find a way to ensure a good education.
For instance, home schooling is on the rise. But an individual can do nothing when
it comes to providing for themselves emergency services or state of the art medical
care.
These are the hard decisions facing us in the future.
If education is to flourish, educators must join with property owners to put pressure
to bear on our legislators for true property tax reform.
Respectfully,
Shelley Taylor
*****
May 16, 2008
For those of us living in Port Angeles, the deadline
for mailing in your ballot for the school technical levy approaches (May 20).
I previously reported to you on the loss of a $13.2 million dollar education grant
due to teachers union restrictions. Here is a video report from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation CEO on the loss of
this grant and the role the WEA paid in losing it (note of interest: the comment
by a teacher posted below the video window).
In the Seattle Times article about the loss of
this grant, "Rich Wood, spokesman for the Washington Education Association (WEA),
said that outside groups can't just set up a new system for paying local teachers.
That's not how it works in our state.
The WEA, he said, was particularly concerned about tying teacher pay directly to
student test scores."
That last statement from the spokesman for the WEA is very telling and certainly
gives the impression the teachers union is fighting anything tying test results to
teacher performance.
Even if that means denying our children a multi-million dollar grant.
Not tying teacher performance to results defies logic and certainly appears to be
an attempt to remove responsibility and accountability to taxpayers.
Likewise, the absence of logic for proposed legislation SB6450 which would reimburse
school districts for money spent to ensure education tax dollars are being spent
effectively and efficiently - a special privilege other agencies do not receive.
Currently, not one school district or educational service district has been through
a comprehensive and independent performance audit, according to the Evergreen Freedom
Foundation.
The Fox News Channel recently aired a report from Seattle about that $2 million paid
by The Seattle School District last year to teachers who are awaiting hearings on
various complaints (sometimes for years) - all at full pay, all at taxpayer expense
- as dictated by union rules.
In an effort at belt tightening, the Port Angeles School District is shaving half
a million dollars from their upcoming budget year. $14,000 of that "savings"
will come from turning off computers after school hours, weekends, and breaks. My
question: why was this not done long before this year?
Now that the Olympic Medical Center has made it known they will also be asking property
owners to help make up the multi-million dollar deficit to cover those without insurance,
we need to make decisions based on our budgets and priorities.
One of our supporters, Mr. Jack McElroy of Franklin County attended the first of
what is to be several property tax work sessions by the Senate Ways & Means Committee
chaired by Sen. Margarita Prentice. We can all keep our fingers crossed that this
process bares fruit - although skeptic that I am, I have my doubts. The meeting was
covered in the Tri-City Herald.
Here is a personal report (pared down a bit) by Mr. McElroy:
"I attended both of the events this AM. I also met Wynn Cannon from the League
of Washington Taxpayers and obtained some of their Initiative 1030 petitions.
The audience seemed to be mostly City and County officials, including commissioners,
assessors and treasurers.
Here is an approximate description of my "testimony:"
My name is Jack McElroy, I live in Franklin County, a very fast growing county. I
am not poor and we live in a nice retirement home, but we are being taxed out of
our home.
The I-747 1% lid on taxes does nothing for the individual property owner. For example,
during a recent five year period while 747 was in effect, the property evaluations
and taxes in my neighborhood went up 70%; and this occurred while the tax base in
Franklin County was doubling!
Franklin County is now going from a four year to an annual process of reevaluating
property. This is partly to avoid "sticker shock." Well,believe me, whether
it is 40% every four years or 10% every year, it is still sticker shock. This is
an excessive rate of increase and needs to be limited to something far less.
There have been many bills introduced in the Legislature to limit property taxes.
One that comes the closest to what I would propose is SB 6586 by Sheldon. It would
establish base property evaluation rates for taxation and then be limited to a 1%
rate of growth each year. The base rate would not go up until property ownership
changes.
I believe that the Legislature must take some significant action to limit property
taxes, or you will see the Initiative process doing it for you, and the result could
be much greater than you want to see. -end of testimony-
Most of the workshop was a tutorial on how the property tax system works. There were
three others that testified, two assessors that promoted the total repeal of the
state portion of the property tax, which seemed to get some interest. This would
have a positive impact on every taxpayer. My own assessor said to me afterwards that
this would reduce taxes by $200 on each $100,000, so its fairly substantial. One
other individual to testify was a Loan Officer, who was dismayed by the impact that
property tax increases are having on home payments via the escrow process. He came
from California and was not used to seeing this happen, and the impact that its having
on people making house payments.
In the first meeting with the Representatives, State Sens. Jerome Delvin, Mark Schoesler
and Mike Hewitt, they brought along a SJR 8226 brief, called an Anti-Shift Homestead
Exemption, sponsored by Sen. Zarelli. It would authorize the legislature to exempt
up to $100,000 assessed evaluation of principal residences from property taxes.
I obtained just a few I-1030 petitions. Wynn Cannon said that Rob Welch would be
the main contact in my area for obtaining more petitions. According to Cannon, former
Richland WA Mayor Rob Welch is running for the legislature and may use I-1030 for
campaigning purposes." -end of Mr. McElroy's report-
Initiative 1030 would reduce our property taxes by 30% - IF we get the required number
of signatures to place it on our ballot! Click here to go to the website for initiative. You can call their Tacoma office
(253) 460-9508 to have the petitions mailed directly to you if there is no one in
your area to pick them up. (Of utmost importance: be sure to follow the signature
gathering instructions to the letter!). The back of the petition gives the address
where completed petitions are to be mailed:
League of Washington Taxpayers
15127 NE 24th Street
Redmond,WA. 98052
And here's this from the Washington Policy Center about Washington spending (surprise: it's outta control!):
I will leave you with a bit of comedy - or it would be considered comedy if it weren't so true.
*****
May 16, 2008
The following is a copy of the letter sent today to educators, Gov. Gregoire, and Legislators:
Dear Educators, Governor Gregoire & Honorable Legislators:
We would like to pass along to you a short film which has been provided to our supporters
We are also providing the link to the trailer of the recently released "Flunked the Movie" produced by the Education Reform Center.
In early April, the Seattle Times reported that in some Washington state school districts
teachers' benefits include the purchase of big-screen TVs, camcorders, home-theater
equipment and iPods for personal use - all with taxpayer money through a contract
provision which makes the purchases part of the compensation package.
As I am sure you must be aware, fifty per cent of the check property owners write
for property taxes goes to education; most of which does not go directly to educating
our children.
Recently it was reported that a $13.2 million grant which was to be awarded to Washington
state schools has been lost due to our teachers union rules.
The National Math & Science Initiative wanted to disburse this grant by paying
teachers directly. But Washington's teachers union's collective-bargaining laws require
that teacher pay (a small portion of the grant) be negotiated between unions and
school districts.
According to the Seattle Times article, "The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,
which provided $10 million for the effort, was disappointed that Washington state
couldn't find a solution, noting that some of the other states involved have teachers
unions, too.
"Honestly, I can't figure out why they couldn't solve this," said Steve
Seleznow, the foundation's program director for education.
But Rich Wood, spokesman for the Washington Education Association (WEA), said that
outside groups can't just set up a new system for paying local teachers.
"That's not how it works in our state."
The WEA, he said, was particularly concerned about tying teacher pay directly to
student test scores."
That last statement from the spokesman for the WEA is very telling and certainly
gives the impression the teachers union is fighting anything tying test results to
teacher performance.
Even if that means denying our children a multi-million dollar grant.
Not tying teacher performance to results defies logic and certainly appears to be
an attempt to remove responsibility and accountability to taxpayers.
Likewise, the absence of logic for proposed legislation SB6450 which would reimburse
school districts for money spent to ensure education tax dollars are being spent
effectively and efficiently - a special privilege other agencies do not receive.
Currently, not one school district or educational service district has been through
a comprehensive and independent performance audit, according to the Evergreen Freedom
Foundation.
Some months ago, a local radio show interviewed a Washington teacher who stated that
the single biggest obstacle to our children receiving a world class education are
teachers unions.
Here is a video report from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation CEO on the loss of this grant and the role the WEA paid in
losing it (please note the comment by a teacher posted at the end).
Another upsetting waste to taxpayers: teachers who are awaiting hearings on various
complaints - which could range from a minor infraction to assault - are assigned
to what teachers call "the rubber room" - all at full pay, all at taxpayer
expense - as dictated by union rules.
According to Fox News and AP reports, the Seattle School District paid $2 million
to teachers last year while they await administrative hearings. Two million dollars
of our taxes going to teachers who must sit and do nothing in some cases for years.
While some may not be "fit" to teach, surely they can be given assignments
in the school system to make them useful to taxpayers.
We can do better.
According to several education reform organizations, more money is not what is needed
to improve our children's educations.
And doing better should not mean squeezing residential property owners and renters
to the point where they can no longer afford their homes. Especially in these tough
economic times.
It is our understanding there has been a vote of "No Confidence" for School
Superintendent Terry Bergeson. Considering the disappointing WASL results for both
math mastery and reading, we are hoping changes will soon be made.
We will continue to urge our supporters to ask questions and get answers as to why
our schools are doing such a poor job of preparing our children for the real world,
why home schooling is on the rise, why our drop out rates are alarmingly high, and
why educators and the WEA appear to discourage the acceptance of new and proven approaches.
Respectfully,
Shelley Taylor
Co-Founder
Property Owners for Predictable Tax Now
*****
May 7, 2008
Until this Port Angeles school tech levy election
is over on May 20, I will continue to send updates to you that will hopefully assist
you in making your decisions. I hope too you will discuss this information with your
friends and neighbors.
Today I learned about a $13.2 million grant which was awarded to Washington state
schools...only to be lost due to our teacher's union rules.
Some months ago, I listened to a radio interview with a Washington teacher who stated
that the single biggest obstacle to our children receiving a world class education
in Washington is the WEA (Washington Education Association).
Fifty per cent of the check you write for your property taxes goes to education;
and a big portion of that DOES NOT go to educating our children.
According to the following article which appeared in today's Seattle Times.
The National Math & Science Initiative wanted to disburse this grant by paying
teachers directly. But Washington's teacher's union's collective-bargaining laws
require that teacher pay (a small portion of the grant) be negotiated between unions
and school districts.
"The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which provided $10 million for
theeffort, was disappointed that Washington state couldn't find a solution, noting
that some of the other states involved have teachers unions, too.
"Honestly, I can't figure out why they couldn't solve this," saidSteve
Seleznow, the foundation's program director for education.
But Rich Wood, spokesman for the Washington Education Association (WEA), said that
outside groups can't just set up a new system for paying local teachers.
"That's not how it works in our state."
The WEA, he said, was particularly concerned about tying teacher pay directly to
student test scores."
That last statement from the spokesman for the WEA is very telling. In other words,
the teachers' union doesn't want anything tying test results to teacher performance.
They want to avoid accountability at any cost. Even if that means denying our children
a multi-million dollar grant.
Here's a video report from the Evergreen Freedom Foundation with an eyepopping interview
of its CEO on the loss of this grant and the role the WEA paid in losing it (the
comment by a teach posted at the end is very interesting indeed):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQqiJGyMe7I
(Note: the EFF was the organization that challenged the WEA and won the Supreme Court
case which foiled the WEA's attempt to use non-union teacher dues for the WEA's own
political causes.)
And here's another wasteful fact: teachers who are awaiting hearings on various complaints
- which could range from a minor infraction to assault - are assigned to what teachers
call "the rubber room" where they must report daily, sometimes for years,
to await a decision. Here they read magazines, play cards and nap....all at full
pay, all at taxpayer expense - as dictated by union rules.
The Seattle School District paid $2 million to teachers last year while they await
administrative hearings. Two million dollars of our taxes going to teachers who must
sit and do nothing. Okay, so some of them may not be "fit" to teach, but
surely they can be given some job in the school system to make them useful to taxpayers.
There are so many many ways our government run school system is wasting our hard
earned tax dollars and failing our children (and why home schooling is on the increase).
Changing the state constitution to allow passage of school levies by a simple (as
opposed to super) majority, further removed our schools' responsibility to accountability.
Today's PDN front page story tells of the PA School Board's cut to this year's school
budget (partially achieved by job attrition and declining enrollment). But the School
District will go ahead with our Legislature's mandated (but unfunded by the state;
translation: to be funded through property taxes) all-day kindergarten. If you are
interested, I can point you to reports which state that this approach to learning
does not necessarily help our children learn and in some respects can actually hinder
it.
Also interesting to note in the PA School budget trim: $14,000 saved by turning off
computers during evenings, weekends, and school breaks. Stoopid question of the day:
how many years has this been going on and why didn't the school board think about
saving us that $14,000 in energy costs before now? I won't even go into green issues
with this one - not to mention wear and tear on the computers - which we are being
asked to replace.
All something to think about when filling out your ballots.
*Please do not construe the statements above as our being opposed to education
or taxes for education. We are NOT! We simply want our tax dollars spent wisely,
our children to receive a world class education, and the state of Washington, the
WEA, and our schools to put the children first.
*****
May 5, 2008
For Clallam and Jefferson County residents, don't
forget to vote on the school tech levy and don't forget to spread the word.
Meanwhile, here are two other vitally important issues and events:
Below is the press release for this Thursday's Kennewick meeting to discuss property
taxes. Please make every effort to attend. As you can see, although the meeting starts
at 10 a.m., there is a roundtable discussion earlier that morning (info provided
in the release for those details).
Also, very important, as I mentioned in a previous update, there is an effort to
gain signatures for an initiative which would lower everyone's property taxes by
30%! But you will never get a chance to vote on it if the sponsors do not get
the required number of signatures to force the legislature to put it on the ballot!
Properly signed petitions must be received by June 25. (Properly signed = signed
by the signature gatherer on the back of the petition). The sponsors are looking
for anyone attending the Kennewick meeting to bring the petitions with them to the
meeting (as well as others to work on signature gathering). Here is the pertinent
information: Website for initiative: http://www.taxfight.org. The back of the petition gives the address where completed
petitions are to be mailed:
League of Washington Taxpayers
15127 NE 24th Street
Redmond,WA. 98052
You can call their Tacoma office (253) 460-9508 to have the petitions mailed directly
to you if there is no one in your area to pick them up.
-Beginning of Kennewick Property Tax Meeting Press Release
May 1, 2008
For Immediate Release:
For Interview
Contact:
Sen. Jerome Delvin
(360) 786-7614
Sen. Mike Hewitt
(360) 786-7630
Sen. Mark Schoesler
(360) 786-7620
Senators urge public to attend property tax meetings in Kennewick
OLYMPIA...State Sens. Jerome Delvin, Mark Schoesler and Mike Hewitt are urging residents
to voice their frustrations and offer their solutions about rising property taxes
by attending a community forum on property taxes, followed by a special work session
of the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Thursday, May 8, in Kennewick.
The committee's property tax work session with local county assessors and treasurers
will be held 10-11:30 a.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room of the Benton County
Justice Center, 7122 W. Okanogan Place, Kennewick.
Earlier that morning, the local Republican senators will host a community roundtable
meeting to talk about what the Legislature has and has not accomplished on property
taxes over the past year, and to listen to citizens' concerns about property taxes.
The roundtable will take place in the Justice Center's Commissioners Meeting Room
from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on May 8.
"Even with the Legislature's reenactment of the 1 percent cap on annual increases
in regular property tax levies, many homeowners and businesses are worried about
rising property taxes, and we need to listen to them," said Delvin, R-Richland.
"It's important for as many property taxpayers as possible to attend both the
roundtable and the committee's work session to voice their concerns and let the committee
know that we have more work to do on property taxes."
Schoesler, R-Ritzville and a Ways and Means Committee member, said Senate Democrats'
promises last year for action on property taxes have failed to materialize.
"I think taxpayers would rather see the Legislature actually pass property relief
measures than just hold meetings about it. But people should come to this work session
and make it clear what they want us to do next year. We need to focus more on the
taxpayer than the tax spender," Schoesler said.
Hewitt, also a Ways and Means Committee
member and Senate Republican leader, reminded the public that unless it keeps up
the public pressure, the Legislature could very easily again duck the issue of property
tax relief.
"When we held the special session last November to reinstate I-747, we heard
lots of promises about how the Legislature was going to take action on property tax
relief in the 2008 session," said Hewitt, R-Walla Walla. "Even though state
spending has increased 33 percent over the past four years, including in 2008, property
tax relief was not made a priority and nothing happened. Instead, the Legislature
punted the issue and decided to hold property tax meetings around the state, including
this first one in Kennewick on May 8.
"The state is facing a $2.5 billion shortfall next year, and unless citizens
make their voices heard the Legislature will be tempted to again ignore their calls
for property tax relief. That's why it's important for everyone to come to the community
roundtable and work session on Thursday," Hewitt added.
Citizens with questions about the 8 a.m. community forum may call the senators' legislative
offices at:
* Sen. Hewitt, (360) 786-7630;
* Sen. Schoesler, (360) 786-7620
* Sen. Delvin, (360) 786-7614.
For more information contact
Pat Albright at (360) 786-7519 or albright.pat@leg.wa.gov
Rebecca Japhet at (360) 786-7516 or japhet.rebecca@leg.wa.gov
Brian Zylstra at (360) 786-7399 or zylstra.brian@leg.wa.gov;
Please visit our Web site at www.senaterepublicans.wa.gov.
-End of Press Release-
Hope you'll be able to participate in both of these extremely important endeavors!
*****
May 4, 2008
By now you should have received your tech levy
ballots in the mail. I've already mailed mine in - I already knew how I would vote
and why.
Here's some information to help you make up your mind....
As Peggy Noonan - a best selling author on American politics, history and culture
- said, "Put a federal agency in charge of the Sahara Desert and it would run
out of sand."
*There is a better way. And a commission made up of top educators has spelled it
all out for us (and school boards and others involved in educating our children):
http://skillscommission.org/
The problem seems to be: people - and especially
large organizations - don't like being told they need to improve. And any suggestion
to do so results in a "dig in their heels" response. Because I have tried
to get educators here and our legislators to look into this approach - with no success.
They will not even take up the Skills Commission's offer to provide free consultants
to discuss it.
Also trying to give a helping hand to reform our education system is the Evergreen
Freedom Foundation: http://www.effwa.org/main/page.php?number=413
The EFF agrees that providing high caliber education to our children DOES NOT translate
into ever-increasing budgets and the ever-increasing property taxes to fund them.
It is NOT anti-education to demand that our schools reform and do a better job!
The EFF has produced a movie (Flunked) to try to get these points across:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPDOPF2IY5g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyaNe6pBkrQ&feature=user
And still more food for thought:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&feature=related
Here's a comment made by a teacher after viewing the previous video:
"Privatize the schools. Give a voucher only to the poor. It is absurd to give
vouchers to the rich and middle class. The rest of us should pay tuition, and send
our kids to any school we want to. The competition would improve the schools, and
all of our property taxes would be slashed. We need to break the government school
monopoly. I am a high school math and physics teacher."
This EFF update will give you a little perspective on how our legislators are spending
OUR money (and their tenacity to overrule the will of the people and keep business
as usual): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4bg_R2wwVg
Still more: How our Legislature is focusing on small things and overlooking the big
things (watch both videos on this page): http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/pressroom/multimedia.html
I found it interesting in today's PDN that the "Pro Tech Levy" letter in
Peninsula Voices states that technology becomes obsolete in 18 months - basically
admitting that there is no end to more and more property tax dollars going to computers
(the largest portion of the requested levy).
There is only so much blood that can be squeezed from a turnip (sorry for the cliché)
and there are many of us who would like to reserve the option of spending our property
tax levy dollars on other important issues.
Please pass this along to your voting friends.
****
May 1, 2008
Our supporters live in every corner of the state of
Washington, but we began on the Olympic Peninsula. Later this month we will be voting
on a school technology levy which, if passed, will raise our property taxes 46 cents
per $1000 of assessed value.
Next Friday, May 2, the Peninsula Daily News is scheduled to run my Opinion piece
on this upcoming election:
The Port Angeles School District is asking for
a technology levy of 46 cents per $1000 of assessed value. An extra $138/ year for
the next four years for a $300,000 home. Not a lot of money in itself, but if you
are already paying $3000/year or so in property taxes, if the schools proceed with
a planned levy for school construction and then another for (Legislature mandated
but unfunded) all-day kindergarten - that could very well make or break some homeowners'
budgets.
We are all dealing with a sagging economy, stagnant housing market, rising fuel prices
and food costs. Those wanting to increase our taxes must be as frugal as we must
be on a personal level: tighten belts, rethink expenses, and take on the challenge
of accomplishing more with less. Sometimes working under these conditions brings
out the best in ingenuity and gains improvement in unexpected ways.
Our School District has made a move in that direction: foregoing raises. This gesture
alone will save taxpayers nearly $34,000. With a 25% drop out rate and declining
enrollment (750 students since 1970 and 200 additional students through 2010), the
closure of Fairmont Elementary will save taxpayers $735,000. This is good news for
strapped property owners.
The main component of this levy is purchasing computers. The District's recent flyer
recounts several personal stories extolling the use of computers. Today's children
are using them before they ever get to the school yard and I'm betting most have
them at home.
With continual technological advances, computers become obsolete soon after purchase.
Why not, under such lean economic times, ease our tax burden by taking advantage
of those with home computers? According to a Stanford University's Hoover Institution
report, "Kids no longer need to sit in school to be well educated."
Just fifty-three per cent of the state's students passed the math portion of the
last WASL. Now, some WASL testing has been postponed. WASL results can be viewed
on the Superintendent's website.
While acknowledging the importance of teaching technology, perhaps for now that money
might be better spent on the basics - reading, writing, and arithmetic - which are
languishing under the current system. Surely emphasizing these basic skills first
is mandatory to improve a student's comprehension of computer technology.
We are spending more money on education ever in state history, more per student ever
in state history, and educating fewer kids than thirty years ago.
With our economic slowdown, we also need to hold back for upcoming requests for funding.
The other school levy under discussion is construction. The Washington state lottery
was to fund such expenses, so why can't we lower the pot a little and put more toward
schools?
Another vital service in need of increased funding is provided by our Olympic Medical
Center, which is operating in the red ($6 million in charges for bad debt and charity
care). Our doctors spend a good portion of their life studying medicine; often they
literally hold life and death in their hands. They (and we) should have access to
state-of-the-art facilities. I asked my doctor his opinion and found out that if
our hospitals want to attract the best doctors in their field, they need affordable
housing (which includes reasonable property taxes), and schools that offer their
children a high quality education. Or our doctors will chose to live elsewhere than
on the Peninsula.
We all understand the privilege of living in Washington requires us to pay taxes
- whether or not we own property. And we understand the importance of giving our
kids the highest caliber education possible. Property owners recognize the need for
services and will willingly pay for them. All we ask is that our hard-earned tax
dollars be used wisely and especially now - frugally.
After all, it's our money. -End of Column-
Suffice it to say here that in upcoming (special) elections, we will be asked to
fund school construction, all-day kindergarten, possibly contribute to the Olympic
Medical Center and - although I'm only guessing - eventually police and emergency
services.
And, as we all know too well, under Washington's current property tax system, we
can be broadsided with a whopping increase when we least expect it, as you'll see
here in this KOMO TV report where a 92 year old woman's property went from $40,000
assessed value to $830,000.
So we must budget ourselves when it comes to voting for any one of these tax increases.
You must vote your conscience, and your pocketbook, as to which is the most important
to you and your family.
One thing I will say here, the Port Angeles School District flyer and recent letters
to the editor speak of the importance of our children's access to computers in this
world of technology. But none of those letters and nothing in the flyer makes a point
of stating that those computers aren't available at home. I also understand that
although computers have keyboards, typing is no longer taught in our schools.
What can you do to help yourself and fellow homeowners? Talk. Talk to your friends
and family and help educate them on what is at stake.
Meanwhile, the Governor's race is beginning to come to the forefront.
As we have said previously, we are backing Dino Rossi for Governor. (He will be a
guest today on the Thor Tolo radio show (820 AM) at 4:30 pm I am told.
One reason we are endorsing Dino Rossi is based on a report from Senator Zarelli that focuses on the growth of the Governor's office, "one
of the most rapidly expanding areas of state government." (There are several
other enlightening reports on Senator Zarelli's website page.)
In addition, the Washington Policy Center has created the Piglet Book which showcases out of control government spending.
Last Fall's special legislative session to reenact Initiative 747 which capped levy
increases was about all our Legislature accomplished during the past short session
- despite our bringing the need for property tax reform literally to their doorstep
with our Property Tax Tea Party. You can see our rally on YouTube.
Something you may want to attend: On May 8, the Senate Ways & Means Committee
is planning told hold a Property Tax Work Session, which will include a staff property
tax presentation and a public hearing with public comment. It will be held at the
Benton County Justice Center (7122 W Okanogan Place in Kennewick) at 10 a.m.
Despite what's going on in our economy, government is loathe to set a precedent and
lower taxes. Arizona's Governor (and there are other states jumping on this bandwagon),
despite warnings that it could exacerbate the housing decline, will raise property
taxes. You can read the full article in the Wall Street Journal.
I've saved the best for last! If enough signatures are obtained to get it on our
ballot, an initiative has been sponsored that would cut your property taxes by 30%!
Go to the Tax Fight website to
learn all about it.
*****
March 16, 2008
The Legislative session for 2007-2008 ended this past
week.
By some counts, one hundred bills were submitted regarding property tax reform. Submitted
was all we got. Our legislators felt there was not enough time to tackle property
tax this time around.
What happened to the promises we got after the Special Session (which saved Initiative
747 after a public outcry) that they would get down to the meat of the problem during
this session?
Our only "hope" to get our Legislature moving on property tax reform maybe
in our power to "throw the bums out." Later this year we will have an opportunity
to not only vote for governor but also for several of our representatives and senators.
And there is every indication our property taxes are going to increase again.
As you know, the Legislature proposed a constitutional amendment to change the passage
requirements for school levies from a super to a simple majority. In the 11th hour,
enough votes came in to change our state constitution (although this did not pass
in Clallam County). What this means is: it is easier now for voters to pass legislation
to increase our property taxes via voter approved education levies. And get ready
for them to hit us up BIG: technology levies, all day kindergarten, and building
repairs. Please do not misunderstand my intentions (especially you hard-working teachers
out there), but it is no secret that we have a very high drop out rate in Washington,
the WASL tests have had to be postponed in order to get our kids graduated, and (just
like the stellar job government does in running Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security
and the Post Office - and FEMA), can we possibly expect them to do any better with
education? More money does not translate to better education. You must vote your
conscience - but vote wisely. And demand that educators improve the future of the
children of Washington state. Changing the state constitution, in effect, lowered
requirements for accountability in education.
Rep. Lynn Kessler (24th District) will make an appearance at the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce on March 24 to speak "on how the legislators responded to our
requests: What was and was not possible. How they came to their decisions, and how
those decisions will affect us in the short and long term. She will also update on
other pertinent issues decided in this legislative session." Here is your chance
to ask important questions.
Many of you have asked and suggested there be a place for you to turn to find out
exactly what our legislators are doing. There is such a destination: WashingtonVotes.org. Created by the non-partisan Washington Policy Center,
you can find out how our lawmakers voted on the bills and issues with plain-English
bill descriptions, customized updates sent right to your inbox, and easy access to
your legislators' voting records.
Also from the Washington Policy Center, their take on how to lower property taxes.
The Washington Policy Center's VP for Research, Paul Guppy now appears every Tuesday
morning on KVI
570AM on the Kirby Wilbur Show at 7
a.m. If you can't pull it in live, they archive the interviews (for a short time)
and also have interviews with legislators. An excellent resource to "get it
from the horse's mouth."
I met with Rep. Ross Hunter the day of our Property Tax Tea Party. He is involved
with education legislation and property tax. The following passage was lifted "as
is" (i.e. misspellings/typos) from his latest newsletter on property tax in
his latest newsletter:
*Property Taxes*
This is a particularly approporiate time to write about property taxes since many
of you have just received a new statement from King County (or whatever county you
live in.) Property values continue to rise, but more slowly than they have in the
past. This is probably a good thing. Some prices have declined. These valuation changes
don't necessarioly change your property taxes, but the voter approved increases and
changes from the county do impact the rate you pay.
This year I considered several alternative property tax systems. Our current one
requires uniformity of valuation, with the only property tax exemptions going to
low-income seniors and some disabled veterans. We also looked at a Homestead exemption
and a cicuit breaker.
The homestead exemption exempts a portion of the value of your house from being taxed.
Since it's a fixed amount it has a higher impact on lower-priced houses than it does
on high-priced ones. This has the result of shifting the tax burden saved by these
owners of lower-valued houses to the owners of higher-valued houses and commercial
property.
A circuit breaker limits the amount of property tax paid to a fixed fraction of your
income. (It's more complex than this, but this is the main idea.) This shifts the
tax burden from low-income people to higher income people.
If your goal is to prevent low-income seniors from being priced out of your homes,
the circuit breaker is the way to go. All of these proposals increase the taxes paid
by the business community, which is not a good thing in a state with relatively high
business taxes.
Either of these changes requires a constitutional amendment, something best done
in the longer session. Since an amendment requires a 2/3 vote the business community
would have to agree to do something, so there would need to be a package that worked
for everyone to make this happen. I will continue trying to understand the complex
dynamics of tax policy and will see if there is interest in making big changes to
the property tax system in WA or not. -END-
Written and sent a few weeks ago, here is my response to which I have received...nothing
to date (nor have I received any response from legislators regarding the letter I
sent to them reprinted on What's the Latest (see February 27):
Honorable Rep. Hunter,
I always enjoy receiving and reading your newsletters. Of course, I have been watching
to see if the Legislature followed through on their promise during the Special Session
to reserve the real work on property taxes during the regular session. However, it
is my understanding that we are past the point of seeing any real reform this year...yet
again.
Three points:
First, I understand that the House (and possibly the Senate) is planning a "Summer
of 2008 Property Tax Tour" in Wenatchee, Yakima, Clark Countyand Walla Walla.
While I am happy to hear of this, these particular areas might appear to some to
be "cherry picked" because they are not areas as affected by our property
tax problems as others. What are the chances of expanding the areas for this tour
to hit a majority of districts/counties?
Second, you state in this newsletter, "I .....will see if there is interest in making big changes to the property tax system in WA or not." How will you be determining the answer to your question?
And third, your newsletter also states, "I will continue trying to understand the complex dynamics of (property) tax policy." Our assessors have previously offered to - for lack of a better term - teach a college course on Washington's property tax system. I would like to strongly urge that such a course be instituted. It seems all we are able to do is spin our wheels and this seems to be a constructive way to hear from experts about the ramifications of different types of legislation and would go a long way toward insuring we're all on the same (educational) page. I would be interested in discussing this further with you. What say you?
I enjoyed meeting with you last month and look
forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully -END-
And lastly, Senator Joe Zarelli, Ranking Republican - Ways & Means Committee
has a "Budget Tidbits" newsletter with excellent information on legislation, budget, and property
tax.
******
March 3, 2008
Just passing along two topical items and a website
concerning a company that can assist you with filing property assessment appeals:
#1. The following is a reprint of an Associated Press article about property tax
reform in our state:
November's Promises for Property Tax Reform
Lose Steam in March
By CURT WOODWARD, Associated Press
Sunday, March 2, 2008
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2008/mar/02/novembers-promises-for-property-tax-reform-lose/
When they hustled back to the Capitol to reinstate voter-approved property tax limits
in last year's special session, the Legislature's Democratic majority made plenty
of promises that broader reforms were brewing.
Everything would be on the table come January, they said, because Joe and Jane Taxpayer
were being squeezed - right along with local governments that rely on the revenue
stream.
The Senate budget chairwoman even pledged to forego holiday lollygagging for serious
study, all the better to open the regular session "ready to act."
But as the final state budgets now take shape, it's clear that 2008 will not be a
year of sweeping property tax reform in Washington.
The few bills still in play would expand property tax breaks for the retired and
disabled, and make technical corrections to existing law. Broader relief or substantial
changes to the system are at least a year away, and expected budget deficits could
push the issue aside again in 2009.
So, what ever happened to property tax reform?
Democrats say reform is still coming - just a bit slower than previously advertised.
On the political right, initiative guru Tim Eyman claims he hasn't abandoned his
own promises to tackle the issue, framing his latest traffic-flow ballot measure
as part of the same struggle.
Meanwhile, activists like Shelley Taylor, a former TV soap actress from the Port
Angeles area, are steaming mad that the promises of last fall seem to have evaporated
so quickly.
In a letter e-mailed to lawmakers and reporters last week, Taylor's group Property
Owners for Predictable Tax Now said the Legislature is "ignoring an issue that
has been before you for several years now.
"With a handful of exceptions, it is distressingly evident that you have paid
little heed to the distress calls of your constituents."
The whole issue was ignited by Eyman's Initiative 747. Endorsed by voters in 2001,
the initiative capped annual growth in individual districts' property tax collections
at 1 percent. Some property taxes were exempt.
As frequently happens, Eyman's measure was challenged in court. Once the state Supreme
Court tossed it out on technical grounds, Republicans immediately started beating
the drum for a special session.
Gregoire soon relented, and the Legislature was called into town for one day at the
end of November.
Perhaps to shield themselves from liberal criticism, the Democratic establishment
framed the special session as just the beginning of a larger look at property tax
reform, one that would make the overall system fairer.
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, said "all the property tax proposals"
would be on the table when the regular session started in January.
House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, said he'd like to dig into the issue of whether
local governments should hold on to unused, "banked" taxing capacity.
Shortly after signing the session's two bills into law, Gregoire said she hoped November's
flurry of activity "does not suggest in any way to the people of Washington
that we're done."
It wasn't just Democrats, either.
Anti-tax crusader Eyman, saying that Democrats weren't doing enough to help taxpayers
during the special session, threatened an even more restrictive property tax initiative
in 2008.
"It would have provisions that are going to make 747 look tame in comparison,"
including across-the-board property tax cuts, Eyman pledged.
A few months later, when he unveiled his 2008 initiative, property taxes were off
the table. Instead, Eyman was focusing on traffic jams, following up on recommendations
from a state performance audit.
Democratic leaders have pleaded poverty, and they have a point. Two consecutive revenue
forecasts have shown declining state tax collections, putting a crimp on plenty of
tax breaks and spending projects.
Lawmakers also have a restricted calendar - this year's session is the shorter, 60-day
variety, scheduled to end March 13. And the state constitution calls for equitable
taxation, making broad overhauls of the system a difficult task.
Republicans rightly point out, however, that other priorities have attracted spending
in the Democratic majorities' proposed budgets: teacher raises, remedial education
programs, even Seattle Storm tickets for kids.
Of course, priorities change. So do political realities.
The November special session was held in the shadow of the month's earlier elections,
in which voters displayed an anti-tax mood by sinking a huge Puget Sound transportation
levy, among other things.
After the special session, all sides were left with reasonable claims to victory.
Democrats could say they respected the will of the voters, but didn't let the issue
get out of hand. The GOP could say the whole thing was their idea in the first place.
And Eyman may have had the last laugh by seeing the
establishment scurry to restore his initiative.
For what it's worth, this year's Legislature is issuing more calls for continued
attention to property tax relief and reform.
Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, never got any takers on her offer to probe the
issue over the holiday break, but says she's taking her Senate budget committee on
a statewide tour this summer to hear the woes of the people and the local governments.
Chopp, the powerful House speaker with a strong populist streak and roots in poverty
advocacy, says he's open to more ideas about helping poor people pay their bills
and keep their homes.
On Friday, as the state Senate approved expanded property tax relief for more than
25,000 seniors and disabled people, sponsoring Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano
Island, pledged that more would come.
"We are committed to working on property taxes next year," she said.
2008 PROPERTY TAX BILLS AT A GLANCE
BREAKS FOR RETIRED, DISABLED: Senate Bill 6912, sponsored by Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen,
D-Camano Island. Expands existing property tax exemptions for the retired and disabled,
based on the taxpayer's disposable income. It
also expands a program that allows seniors to defer tax payments until the property
is sold or transferred. Democrats say it will help nearly 26,000 people.
VETERANS' BENEFITS EXEMPTION: Senate Bill 5256, sponsored by Sen. Margarita Prentice,
D-Renton. Says that military veterans' federal disability benefits should not count
as part of a taxpayer's disposable income when calculating
whether they qualify for existing state property tax breaks. Supporters say it could
help more than 1,000 disabled senior veterans.
TEMPORARY LID LIFTS: Senate Bill 6641, sponsored by Sen. Debbie Regala, D-Tacoma.
Fixes an unintended consequence of an earlier state law, clarifying that local voters
are not permanently raising the 1 percent "lid" on yearly property tax
increases, unless the ballot measure explicitly says so.
-- END --
#2 About I-960, the majority passed initiative to make our legislators more accountable
when passing tax bills:
Liquor tax defeat lays groundwork for I-960
challenge
Feb 29, 9:23 PM EST
By RACHEL LA CORTE
Associated Press Writer
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- Senate Democrats have laid the groundwork for a lawsuit against
a tax-limiting initiative, with the majority leader considering the unusual step
of filing her own lawsuit in hopes of making it easier for lawmakers to raise taxes.
Friday's legal maneuver, coming in the 2008 session's waning days, is an unusually
strong sign that lawmakers have grown tired of initiative promoter Tim Eyman's forays
into limiting the Legislature's power.
The groundwork was laid when the Senate began debate on a proposed $10 million liquor
increase that would pay for drunken driving enforcement and substance abuse treatment.
The bill would have required approval from two-thirds of the Senate, because of last
year's Initiative 960, an Eyman-sponsored measure that reaffirmed higher vote thresholds
for tax hikes.
Eyman opponents, including legislators, believe I-960 is illegal because it conflicts
with the state constitution's provision that the Legislature can pass bills with
a simple majority. The initiative shouldn't be allowed to alter that requirement,
the argument goes, because it wasn't a constitutional amendment.
Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, asked Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, the Senate's
presiding officer, to rule I-960 unconstitutional for the purposes of the pending
tax vote.
"A two-thirds requirement to pass certain types of bills, in my opinion, is
antidemocratic and violates the Washington constitution," Brown said. "The
constitution is difficult to change, and it should be. It should remain superior
to the statutes we pass."
Owen, himself a Democrat and former state senator, returned after a huddle with lawyers
and said it was up to the courts to decide the constitutionality of I-960. He also
ruled that the proposed tax increase did meet the thresholds in I-960, and would
require a two-thirds vote.
The tax increase then got a simple majority vote of 25-21, but was defeated because
supporters couldn't get the 33 votes needed to pass it under I-960.
"I believe the only way we can resolve this is in the courts," Brown said
after the vote. "The potential conflict between the constitution and the initiative
is illustrated by what happened."
Brown later indicated that Senate Democrats would
be the ones to file the lawsuit. The fact that Brown asked for a legal ruling on
the Senate floor is a legal maneuver that could give her the proper standing to bring
a lawsuit against the initiative.
Eyman reacted with glee that I-960 had been upheld, but said the move to challenge
I-960 foreshadows attempts to raise taxes in the future.
"This was a preview of things to come," Eyman said. "There's going
to be a lot of efforts to push for higher taxes next year."
Senate GOP budget leader Joseph Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, challenged Brown's assertion
that the two-thirds requirement was undemocratic.
"The people clearly supported it. This is what they wanted," Zarelli said.
"Do we honor the democratic process, or do we get to pick and choose?"
-END-
#3
You might be very interested in this website/company: Harley Hoppe. For a fee, they
will help you fight your property assessment valuation and have been known to be
very successful for their clients: http://www.harleyhoppe.com/
******
February 27, 2008
The following letter was sent to our representatives regarding Taxing and the ending
Legislative sessionÓ
Honorable Representatives & Senators & Governor Gregoire
Although we acknowledge the inherent complexities of our property tax system, we
are extremely disappointed with the lack of action taken by you this legislative
session.
In addition, we question the sentiments put forth by you (as reported by media) that
there was not enough time to pass "responsible" legislation. With all that
has transpired on this issue, especially in lieu of the special session forced upon
you by public pressure, it does not ring true that you have been caught off guard
by the voters desire to see meaningful property tax reform, underscoring the obvious
impression that you are still ignoring an issue that has been before you for several
years now. With a handful of exceptions, it is distressingly evident that you have
paid little heed to the distress calls of your constituents.
Not long ago, we warned of the coming change to our country's landscape with the
imminent retirement of more than 78 million baby boomers and its effects on tax revenue
for vital services. Our website has a link to our stated beliefs: THE BABY BOOMER
GENERATION & THEIR EFFECT ON REVENUE & SERVICES
And now our warnings, put forth months ago, have been proven in the form of two studies
done by the Brookings Institution and the University of Southern California as reported
by the Associated Press. Here are some excerpts:
Baby boomers alter home sales
Waves of retirements will push prices down over next two decades
The next housing change is already on the horizon.
In the next two decades, as millions of aging baby boomers put their homes on the
market, they'll put downward pressure on prices, and their exodus will reshape neighborhoods
and cities coast to coast, according to research released this month.
In some states, the trend has already begun, making it harder for areas to recover
from the real estate recession, which isn't expected to bottom out until the second
half of this year at the earliest.
Long an "incoming tide"
"Boomers were "an incoming tide for four decades - now the tide's turned,
and it's going to make it much harder for housing markets to rise," said Dowell
Myers, professor of policy planning and development at the University of Southern
California and co-author of the study.
The trend has long been anticipated, but Myers is the first to analyze buying and
selling, state by state.
Nationwide, the ratio of seniors to working-age residents will increase by 67 percent
in the next 20 years.
As boomers age, more will move into assisted-living centers, apartments or relatives'
houses. Those with two homes may sell one and retire to their vacation house....
And when they pass on, many of their heirs will sell the properties.
Myers research...included population and immigration projections from the U.S. Census...
William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution agrees with Myer's conclusions.
"The glut of homes on the market from baby boomers will depress the housing
market and have an impact on some suburban neighborhoods that will come to look like
older city neighborhoods that have undergone blight and disrepair."
The math is simple: 79 million boomers have driven up housing demand.
That trend will reverse itself when boomers are age 65 to 75 - there will be three
sellers for each buyer, Myers says. -End of AP article
excerpts-
Something must be done to insure adequate funding for vital services that do not
shift the brunt of that funding onto homeowners.
Ignoring the pleas of voters will not make this issue fade.
In addition, we would like to point out to those who favor instituting income tax
here in Washington that studies done show that those states with income tax trigger
a backlash by encouraging the emmigration of residents to those states which do not
tax income:
Excerpt from Wall Street Journal, States of Opportunity, February 12, 2008:
"An old adage says high taxes don't redistribute income, they redistribute people.
For new evidence look no further than migration patterns within the United States,
as documented in a new survey by the moving company United Van Lines... Our friends
on the left say Americans are willing to pay more taxes to get better government
services, but their migration patterns reveal the opposite. Governors would be wise
to heed these interstate migration trends as they try to cope with what may be one
of the worst years in recent memory for state finances. The people who tend to be
the most mobile in American society are the educated and motivated -- in other words,
the taxpaying class. Tax them too much, and you'll soon find they aren't there to
tax at all. -End of WSJ excerpt-
We urge you to heed these facts which will become even more important with upcoming
elections.
Respectfully,
******
February 5,2008
It will come as no surprise that things aren't looking good. The Olympian reports that "This isn't the year for broad property tax relief."
I must say that my foray into political activism and trying as hard as I can to effect
some change in our property tax system has soured me on the benevolent intentions
of our elected officials - even those that appear to be "on our side."
Time and again I see evidence of politicians riding roughshod over constituents -
mainly because there are no apparent repercussions. As a result, I have not traveled
the two hours plus to Olympia to attend any hearings. And so far my judgment has
served me well, because nothing has gone anywhere and my voice would not have changed
the outcome.
The legislature, and one of its most powerful members, Senator Margarita Prentice,
Chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee, has said they don't want to move
too hastily passing legislation - as if this issue of property tax reform hit them
broadsided this year.
I have updated our website "2008 Legislation" page and so far I count 54
property tax bills (the newspapers count 100 but I haven't been able to find the
other 46). Most are bandaids, most shift taxes from one group to another, most result
in too little too late, and most are just politician talk for "sorry nothing
substantive came out of this but, hey, I did submit legislation!" with hopes
this will prompt you to vote for them again.
TV Washington allows
you to view live (and archived) hearings and committee meetings. The website is fairly
easy to navigate, so if you find that a bill you're interested in has a hearing,
you can view the proceedings. I recently watched the hearing for HB 2977, a bill that would lower the burden of proof for property
owners who are appealing their assessments.
Sounds wonderful, but according to the King County Assessor, Scott Noble, as well
as an article in the Dallas Morning News about similar legislation passed in Texas,
big business has big pockets to hire big gun attorneys to fight their battles; whereas
homeowners rarely have these kinds of funds. The bottom line: business wins and their
winnings shift their "avoided" property taxes onto homeowners - as has
already been the case for many years basically because commercial properties sell
far less frequently than homes and are, thus, rarely revalued by sales prices. The
King County Assessor estimates it will shift $200 million onto homeowners in King
County alone. During the last election I told you to always look at who is sponsoring
legislation to find out who it will benefit. This legislation is sponsored by the
Association of Washington Business (the same organization that spoke against our
Predictable Tax Amendment in 2006) who contacted me repeatedly to convince me of
the benefits to homeowners. I wasn't having any of it. I had a long email argument
with one of the sponsors of this bill, Rep. Ed Orcutt, who refused to admit that
homeowners would lose in this scenario. What a world we live in when experts' advice
is continually pushed aside by "we know better" politicians. Also on TV
Washington, I viewed a 2 hour session of the Finance Committee Work Session on Property Tax.
One glaringly apparent fact you will learn when viewing these meetings and hearings
is how few legislators attend; how few people hold our futures in their hands when
it comes to passing legislation that does not require a vote of the people.
Property taxes, as we are all learning, is complex and convoluted. I consider assessors
to be experts in property tax. It is their job. They work with our laws and the constitution
daily. The assessors have offered many times to present a work session to legislators
to assist them in understanding the complexities of our system.
The legislature has never accepted the invitation.
On another front, or should I say affront to our voice, the legislature passed a
bill which is now on it's way to the House Appropriations Committee that will go
a long way toward curbing our ability to use the initiative process (HB 2601).
The Washington Policy Center is a great source of information. Government waste is
infamous. Their report, The Washington State Piglet Book Connecting
the Dots on How Government Wastes Your Money
is informative. Their website
is a valuable source of information on taxes, spending, legislation etc.
Unless something momentous occurs, I do not plan on sending any updates in the near
future. If you wish to keep up with proposed legislation, go to the 2008 Legislation
page which gives a brief summary of the bill and links to the state website for more
detailed info. Otherwise, keep your eyes and ears open for media reports.
*****
January 23, 2008
Reprinted from an email sent by the Tim Eyman group:
Speaker of the House Frank Chopp (D-Seattle, 360-786-7920,
chopp.frank@leg.wa.gov) is in complete control of Olympia. Nothing goes forward unless
he OK's it, nothing goes forward if he rejects it. Theoretically, there are three
branches of government - this is not true in Olympia - there's one branch, and his
name in Frank Chopp. He has a history and background involving the initiative process
but the most powerful special interest groups in Olympia (both business and labor)
are hounding him to allow these anti-initiative bills to slip through. They're telling
him "don't worry, Frank, all you have to do is joinus in demonizing the people
who collect signatures, say it's to protect the children from sex offenders, and
let us handle the dirty work of roughing up these active, engaged citizens -- it'll
be easy once these bills force them to publicly identify themselves and where they
live."
They're promising Speaker Chopp and his fellow Democrats an endless supply of campaign
dollars that these groups will save from not having to fund initiative opposition
campaigns like they've repeatedly (and unsuccessfully) done against our initiatives.
Money and power -- these special interest groups have a lot of both and they know
how to throw their weight around.
If Speaker Chopp thinks he can get away with it, he'll do it.
The only thing standing between freedom and tyranny is what all of you are doing:
communicating with him through emails and phone calls -- over and over and over again.
He must hear from regular citizens -- FROM ALL OF YOU. This year these powerful anti-First
Amendment goons are pulling out all the stops, promising Chopp and his cohorts the
moon and the stars if they'll just ignore all of you.
You can't let them get away with it. Speaker Chopp's office phone is 360-786-7920.
His office email address is chopp.frank@leg.wa.gov
Since these bills require regular citizens to publicly identify themselves and where
they live, we've considered telling everyone to call and visit Frank Chopp at home
and send letters to him at his family's home. Although that has a sick irony to it,
we've refrained from that for the same reasons we oppose these bills: we should all
be able to feel safe in our own homes.
In 2000, opponents of one of our initiatives protested in front of my home that forced
my wife and 6 month old son to leave for the day. That day's edition of the Everett
Herald published my home mailing address.
Such harassment and intimidation on our supporters will be common place if House
Bill 2019 (the gotta-publicly-identify-yourself-and-put-yourself-in-danger-and-if-you-don't-then-perfectly-valid-voter-signatures-will-be-rejected
Bill) and House Bill 2601 (the gotta-register-and-be-licensed-by-the-government-to-gather-voter-signatures-on-initiatives
bill) become law.
Speaker Chopp MUST hear from you today: 360-786-7920 and/or chopp.frank@leg.wa.gov
They know stopping you means stopping signature gathering means stopping the initiative
process.
And this whole effort is supposedly to track down those folks who are committing
forgery or fraud. But that's not a problem here. The Secretary of State, in response
to a public records request, said they "have no instances of verified forgeries
or fraud in the signature gathering process for initiatives in those years (1999
through 2006)." Eight million signatures over eight years - zero instances of
verified forgery or fraud. For 2007, same thing, nearly 500,000 voter signatures,
not a single problem. And even if there were some, the forged/fraudulent signatures
don't count anyway - the Secretary of State only accepts a voter's signature if it
matches EXACTLY the one on the voter's registration card.
If Democrats insist on making it their top legislative priority and making it their
legislative legacy to gut the initiative process and squelch free speech, let's make
sure it doesn't happen without a fight.
******
January 22, 2008
I will not even comment on this except to say I found an article in the Dallas
Morning News last week and I will add it at the end of this
article which appeared in yesterday's Seattle Post Intelligencer: :
Seattle Post Intelligencer
Assessor warns of largest property tax
increase in state history
By Chris McGann
P-I Capitol Correspondent
OLYMPIA -- It's an election-year, no-new-taxes, fiscal-responsibility legislative
session, but that's not stopping lawmakers from
contemplating a bill that could ultimately saddle homeowners with the largest property
tax increase in state history.
House Bill 2977 and Senate Bill 6517 would make
it easier to dispute local property tax assessments -- an easy sell in a region that
has seen property taxes increase as real estate values have gone through the roof.
Sponsors, who include high-ranking Democrats and Republicans alike, say the change
would provide a tool for overburdened taxpayers and protect property owners.
"This just lowers the bar for citizens who have to make their case if they think
their valuation is too high," said House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam.
But King County Assessor Scott Noble said the real impact is buried beneath the stated
good intentions, and it would amount to a tax break for big business paid for by
the state's homeowners, because the burden would simply shift.
"This change ... will produce the biggest property tax increase onto residential
property owners in the history of the state of Washington," Noble said in an
e-mailed warning last week to Finance Committee chairmen.
In King County alone, the change would shift as much as $200 million of taxes onto
residential property owners, he said.
"In our budget-based property tax system, reductions of valuations will produce
tax shifts onto other taxpayers, and my experience with advocates from our large
commercial taxpayers suggests a large increase of appeals and lawsuits from these
property owners who have sizable resources," Noble said in the e-mail.
Homeowners have historically been much less likely to appeal property value assessments
because they have less to gain, he said.
In California, where a similar rule was passed in 1991, appeals from major industry
and major commercial property owners increase tenfold, Noble said.
"If we share California's experience, King County's commercial appeals will
increase to over 12,000," Noble said. "Over 80 percent of
commercial appeals are handled by lawyers, tax consultants or tax agents."
Noble said assessors offices would not only be inundated because of the way the bill
is written, but local assessors would likely lose against well-financed appeals.
In King County, roughly 40 percent of the property tax burden falls on commercial
property owners, who hold buildings and land worth $136 billion.
If 30 percent decide to appeal and win substantial value reductions, it would take
more than $20 million of assessed value out of play, he said.
Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, co-sponsored the legislation.
"That wasn't the intention of this bill," he said. "I think just the
opposite, it looks like it protects the property owner. To me, that's a
better property right than we have now."
Hewitt owns a 22,000-square-foot commercial property in Eastern Washington; he said
he has seen the tax on that double in the past decade.
Hewitt said he would look into the issue further.
"Property taxes are a big priority for us," he said. "It might be
a consequence we hadn't thought about."
Rep. Kessler also disagreed with Noble and said she'd like to see the bill passed.
"Businesses have attorneys who can appeal the valuations. This would put homeowners
on equal footing as businesses. It lowers the bar for what they have to prove."
Though the proposal is not central to her agenda, Kessler said, "It's one thing
we could do to protect them."
The bills are supported by the Association of Washington Business and opposed by
the Washington State Association of County Assessors.
Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman Margarita Prentice, D-Renton, said she respects
Noble's opinion and is not inclined to give the proposal a hearing, although she
isn't ruling it out.
She said she sees a problem common to many "hot issues," because people
are so eager to act on a perceived problem that they tend to overlook the consequences
of so-called solutions.
"I don't like overreacting," she said.
Prentice has been reviewing a slew of property tax bills that have emerged since
the Legislature convened late last year for a special
session on property taxes.
"I don't plan to act on any of these," she said.
Instead, Prentice is organizing a series of work sessions to come up with a more
comprehensive solution -- one without unintended consequences.
"It's so easy to play politics with this issue," she said. "I'm not
going to do anything based on dogma -- there are lots of misconceptions about this."
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
THE PROPOSED BILLS
Legislators want to make it easier for homeowners to dispute property tax assessments.
WHO MAY BENEFIT MOST
King County's assessor says commercial property owners likely would be the biggest
beneficiaries.
AND WHO MAY LOSE OUT
Homeowners might have to make up the resulting revenue shortfall. -END-
Protest consultants help clients cut property
bills, affect county roll
January 12, 2008
By Kevin Krause & Molly Motley Blythe
The Dallas Morning News
Motivated by a cut of the savings, Dallas County's property tax consultants drive
many of the commercial property protests each year by filing hundreds of challenges
for their clients.
About 76 percent of commercial property owners who protested in 2006 used a tax consultant,
significantly more than homeowners, according to an analysis of 2006 Dallas Central
Appraisal District data by The Dallas Morning News.
Nearly half of those were successful.
That's one of the findings The News made after analyzing 2006 DCAD data on residential
and commercial property protests. The analysis studied protest and success rates
by census tract to identify trends.
The impact of tax consultants on Dallas County's tax roll is significant.
With its successful protests, Deloitte & Touche, one of the major firms in the
field, removed more than $1 billion from the tax roll in 2006.
The firm handled protests for most of Dallas' tallest and most expensive skyscrapers,
resulting in a reduction of $140 million of taxable value. Overall, Deloitte handled
the most commercial protests, with an average 57 percent success rate.
Terry Obeney, owner of Heritage Stonecraft in Garland, said he was forced to hire
a tax agent last year to reduce his appraisal after his own efforts failed.
In 2006, it was easy. He just walked into DCAD's offices with his closing statement,
showing how much he paid for the warehouse building that year. DCAD knocked 38 percent
off the value.
But last year, the district increased the value to what it was before he bought it.
He said he paid a Plano-based company, Real Estate Tax Consultants, about $7,000
to get it reduced again.
"It's almost like an extra surcharge on your taxes," he said. "You
have to pay the taxes and then pay these guys to keep it reasonable."
Many of the larger consulting firms automatically file protests for all their clients
every year and later focus only on the ones they believe have the best chance of
getting a reduction. They say because of that, their success rate is higher.
For a homeowner, though, the chances of winning don't improve with the help of a
tax agent. Generally, one out of two homeowners won their protest, regardless of
whether or not they used an agent, according to The News' analysis.
It's just as well. Not everyone can afford tax consultants. And firms that work on
a contingency basis say the amount of tax savings on modest homes isn't worth the
time and effort.
Only about a quarter of Dallas County homeowners who protested in 2006 used a tax
consultant. And most of them lived in affluent neighborhoods.
Tax agents provide a wide range of financial services to minimize taxes, part of
which involves negotiating property values with the district's appraisers and appraisal
review boards.
Experts are needed, the firms say, to properly appraise commercial property, much
of which is valued on the income generated from rents. The job involves complex calculations
that also factor depreciation, expenses, occupancy rates and other variables.
Consultants say they're providing a necessary service to correct imbalances in the
county's imperfect mass appraisal system. But the
firms have also been a drain on the appraisal district's resources over the years,
hiring away many of DCAD's appraisers.
With the opportunity to earn big money in the private sector, many appraisal district
employees and supervisors eventually go to the other side.
"That's why values are so off," said Candace Rubin, a local tax consultant.
"You have new guys who are inexperienced."
Even the appraisal district's longtime chief appraiser made the private-sector leap.
In 2005, Foy Mitchell went to work for Marvin F.
Poer & Co. as a vice president after serving 23 years as the county's top appraiser.
Mr. Mitchell said he doesn't handle any Dallas County property cases because it would
be inappropriate given his recent role as chief appraiser.
Mr. Obeney said he believes tax agents use their relationships with their former
colleagues at DCAD to win successful outcomes and keep themselves in business.
"I definitely feel there is a bit of a racket going on here," he said.
Other connections exist between the appraisal district and tax agents.
Paul Pennington, founder of one of the county's biggest tax firms - P.E. Pennington
- is the brother of one of the appraisal district's
highest-ranking employees.
Ken Nolan, Dallas County's chief appraiser, said David Pennington, the district's
technical services director, is not allowed to work with the Pennington tax firm.
Paul Pennington said he and his brother are never in the same room together during
official business - to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. That's been
the case since 1982, he said.
Mr. Nolan said many young people fresh out of college are recruited to work for the
district. Eventually, he said, many will go to work for a tax-consulting firm after
learning the business.
"You can only earn so much money in the public sector," Mr. Nolan said.
"Every consulting firm in town has someone who worked for us."
Firms often use that fact as a marketing ploy.
"We have a complete and thorough understanding of the appraisal office's methodologies
that can only be obtained by having worked there," the Hegwood Group touts on
its Web site.
One of the Hegwood Group's partners, John Nisbett, is a former DCAD supervisor. He
could not be reached for comment.
The company handled more than 360 residential protests in 2006, a high volume compared
with other agents. And Hegwood won all but a couple of dozen - a 93 percent success
rate and the year's best record.
Marvin F. Poer & Co. had the highest success rate with commercial protests among
tax agents who handle a high volume of cases. The company won 61 percent of its cases
and had a 14 percent average value reduction.
It helped remove more than $498 million from the tax roll with its successful cases.
The company, formed in 1964 in Dallas, is one of the nation's largest property tax
firms.
******
January 19, 2008
While this is not the "Important Announcement"
I spoke of in my last update, this is extremely important and I want to make sure
you see it as soon as possible.
There were hearings on Friday regarding two pieces of legislation which basically
gut the initiative process. This report begs the question, "Just what the heck
is going on in this state???" This is such a transparent example of our legislators
doing everything in their considerable power to avert and subvert the will of the
people, that I wanted you to get this asap and act on it. Here is Tim Eyman's report:
RE: Today's hearing on anti-initiative bills
You're pounding them with emails, pounding them with phone calls, but Democrats in
Olympia at hell-bent to require the Secretary of State to reject PERFECTLY VALID
VOTER SIGNATURES. Even with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) screaming
at them to not disenfranchise valid voter signatures, they're moving full steam ahead
with their anti-First Amendment agenda: House Bill 2019 and House Bill 2601.
The hearing today was maddening. Citizens were 'granted' a whopping two minutes to
talk after listening to politicians pontificate as long as they wanted.
Rep. Sam Hunt said he's a big supporter of the initiative process and he's pushing
these bills to help it. That whopper didn't pass the straight-face test.
A lengthy laundry list of lobbyists for special interest groups signed up in favor
of House Bill 2019 (the gotta-publicly-identify-yourself-and-put-yourself-in-danger-and-if-you-don't-then-perfectly-valid-voter-signatures-will-be-rejected
Bill) and House Bill 2601 (the gotta-register-and-be-licensed-by-the-government-to-gather-voter-signatures-on-initiatives
bill). Most didn't testify, but the head of the Service Employees International Union
said he liked it (the bill specifically exempts unions from its requirements). The
head of the trial lawyers liked it too. Every special interest group that feeds at
the public trough knows that shutting down the initiative process means they can
focus all their money on buying off legislators and would no longer need to spend
money opposing initiatives like last year's I-960 (they spent $1.7 million against
it and voters still approved I-960 by a comfortable margin).
I had over 500 "Scarlet Letters" from citizens throughout the state telling
legislators "Hands Off the People's Initiative Process."
I asked if the public record would show those 500 citizens as being against the bill.
That request was denied.
Some additional sleazy details came out on the bills:
* Sabotage will be simple - if goons sign the petition twice or sign someone else's
name, then the person gathering the signatures is guilty of fraud, loses their 'license'
to gather signatures FOREVER, and the "Chief Petitioner" (the sponsor of
the initiative - Jack, Mike, and I) are legally liable and also guilty of fraud perpetrated
by the saboteurs.
* Since everyone must be licensed with the government to gather signatures, then
opponents can simply look on a government website to get a list of all the people
gathering signatures and their home addresses so they know who to harass and where
to harass them. The chilling effect on citizens' willingness to ask voters to sign
petitions completely guts the initiative process. And every politician pushing these
bills knows that.
* The bill specifically exempts public employees.
* House Bill 2601 says that sex offenders can gather signatures if they are volunteers
or employees of the campaign. But if they work as independent contractors, they can't
gather signatures. Huh? Completely bizarre. What this requirement means is that the
government will be required to do criminal background checks on everyone who gathers
signatures to learn which are sex offenders. Criminal background checks on regular
citizens just for exercising their First Amendment rights? Talk about intimidating.
In response to a public documents request, the Secretary of State reports that from
1999 to 2006, there have been zero instances of verified forgeries or fraud for initiative/referendum
signature gathering in our state. They confirmed the same thing for 2007, no problems
at all. Eight and a half million signatures submitted- zero instances of verified
forgeries or fraud.
It's now totally up to Speaker Frank Chopp at this point -- if he hears from ALL
OF YOU loud and clear that you CAN'T STAND THE FACT THAT PERFECTLY VALID VOTER SIGNATURES
WILL BE REQUIRED TO BE REJECTED BY THESE BILLS. That people
who gather signatures MUST PUBLICLY IDENTIFY WHERE THEY LIVE, OPENING THEMSELVES
UP TO HARRASSMENT. That citizens who want to sign initiative petitions will have
less access to them because fewer people will collect signatures because of intimidation
and fear of retribution. That Senate staff found these bills violate the state Constitution
and US Constitution, violating both the rights of voters who sign petition sand citizens
who collect signatures.
Speaker Chopp wants Democrats to keep their majority and the bills' sponsors are
all Democrats. None of the Republicans are sponsoring any of these anti-initiative
bills.
You must focus all your attention on him and him only: email him at chopp.frank@leg.wa.gov
(always 'cc' me at tim_eyman@comcast.net) or call him at (360) 786-7920
http://www1.leg.wa.gov/house/chopp
Rep. Frank Chopp, Speaker (D) 43rd LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
Olympia Office: 339C Legislative Building
PO Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7920
Shelley here: My personal recommendation: don't email - call - and you can call anytime
and leave a voicemail.
******
January 18, 2008
What a day! It appears all the long hours and effort
to arrange interviews with the major radio talk shows and newspapers paid off.
Our Property Tax Tea Party garnered print coverage from the Associated Press which
distributes to all newspapers, the two most prominent Washington periodicals: the
Seattle Times and Seattle Post Intelligencer; as well as The Olympian, Spokesman
Review, News Tribune, the Oregonian - in addition to these papers' online editions
including Heraldnet.com. NPR radio did a nice piece which I understand played several
times that day. And, we had coverage on all the major television networks: KIRO,
KOMO, and KING. And there could be more we haven't heard about yet.
If you are interested, Google "Property Tax Tea Party Olympia" or variations
on that theme and you will be able to pick up a lot of the coverage.
(The KIRO piece by reporter Essex Porter aired
on the 5 p.m. news on Monday, January 14-the day of the protest. Anyone out there
have a copy of that??? I, of course, was not home to tape it and although there is
a service which will make a copy, it costs $100!)
An hour or so prior to the kick off, radio talk show host Dave Ross (KIRO) called
me for a last-minute live interview. By the time the event began, I was greeted by
a woman from Kent who caught the interview, jumped in her car, and showed up with
her protest sign!
One of the radio interviews I gave early on was with Mike Siegel from KITZ. What a stroke of luck! Mr. Siegel offered to moderate
the event and he brought a level of professionalism and knowledge and we cannot thank
him enough. He was also instrumental in the agenda which I believe was largely responsible
for the great press coverage.
After the Tea Party, I was running from one end of the capitol campus to the other
for meetings with several of our representatives: Sen. Derek Kilmer, Rep. Ross Hunter,
Sen. Rosa Franklin, Rep. Kevin Van de Wege, and Sen. Val Stevens as well as dropping
off information packets to Sen. Brian Hatfield and Sen. Joe Zarelli. After my last
meeting with Senator Stevens, I sat in the hallway outside her office and gave a
newspaper and radio interview. Our day began before 6 a.m. and we were not on the
road back to the Olympic Peninsula until well after 7 p.m.
It has been asked, "Where do we go
from here?" And it is the question
we all need to ask ourselves.
Property tax reform - or any other issue voters and taxpayers want addressed - will
NEVER HAPPEN until and unless the citizens get actively involved. That's how our
system of government works. If I could twitch my nose and get property tax laws changed,
believe me I would. But just like learning to ride a bike, affecting change in government
is one thing you really have to push for yourselves. And that requires time and commitment.
It requires contacting your legislators time
and time again (most efficiently by phone
or written/typed letter - emails are not considered to carry much weight) and writing
letters to the editors of your papers. It also helps to call in to talk radio.
There are no easy shortcuts.
On the Slactivist front, I received a phone call the other day from a gentleman
about "driveby mortgages" and their affect on property assessments. After
listening to his story, I asked him to get involved and take up this particular aspect
of reform. He said he was unable to because he was too close to the mortgage industry.
I asked him if there were a newspaper article he could email to me. He had none.
I asked him if he would then send me a detailed email explaining the situation, but
he said he was unable to do that, "I'm telling you this so you can work on it,"
expecting me to pick up his gauntlet. I, too, have a life and I hope you agree I
have put my time where my mouth is. I explained to the gentleman that individual
citizens must get involved and write to their representatives if change is to ever
happen. I didn't get the impression he would follow through.
Again, on the Where Do We Go From Here" front, I have just found out about a
grant that has been made available for organizations such as ours from the National
Taxpayers Union:
NTU's "Standing Together" Taxpayer Grant Program was launched earlier this
month to provide financial assistance and ongoing advice to citizen activists who
are serious about forming a taxpayer group and guiding it to self-sufficiency during
the first critical year of development. Up to $50,000 is committed to the "Standing
Together" Grant Fund, from which awards will be made to taxpayers who are willing
to lead others in what NTU Chairman David Stanley calls "the greatest human
rights struggle of our time."
Taking advantage of such a grant would be a very time-consuming endeavor involving
a lengthy application process. Is there anyone out there with expertise in this area
who is ready to push up their sleeves and take us to the next level? We have no "staff"
or budget. Basically, our workforce is..... Jill and I. (I create, write, maintain,
and publish the website. Jill foots the bill.) My husband and I are busy building
our home by our own hands - literally. It's just a mini-miracle I was able to tear
myself away from that these past few months to work on the Tea Party. Applying for
such a grant is a huge step forward and, frankly, I am not in a position to spend
the time on it nor create the time that would result from the awarding of a grant.
This organization must make the leap to the next level if we are ever to reach our
goals. One necessary requirement is getting actively-involved representatives in
each of our 39 counties.
Although property tax is a statewide issue, Jill and I are residents of Clallam County.
We need a representative who is willing to take a proactive stance on reform. Our
representative, Kevin Van de Wege's 2006 campaign literature lifted phrases right
off of our website, "Kevin will make our property tax system more predictable and
fair. We need to protect long-term homeowners from exploding real estate markets
and make it easier for families to plan and budget
for the future."
His promises have not come to be. I believe there is someone in the wings willing
to work on those promises.
LOL: It has been suggested *I* run against Rep. Lynn Kessler to which I replied,
"Are you crazy or are you losing your mind!"
Let me make this perfectly clear: I have NO INTENTION of running for political office.
That is NOT what I want my life to be about. Besides, talk about "no good deed
goes unpunished!" I get enough of that doing what I do now!
But I will throw my support to anyone who will work for property tax reform.
This from the Tim Eyman front regarding the effects of I-960 which requires legislators
to tell us if new legislation will increase our taxes:
Taxes? Fees? I-960 rattles Olympia
- Legislators uneasy with new scrutiny
Seattle Post Intelligencer
We have again updated our website. It now includes information on property tax legislation
submitted during this 2008 session. There are several bills already and one which
is essentially our Predictable Tax Amendment from the 2006 session(however, we were
not involved with this submission). Also included on that link is legislation that
could increase property taxes, i.e. HB 2332. We also added a "fun" page
called "Did You Know & All Manner of Tidbits."
The Washington Policy Center's Jason Mercier, Director of the Center for Government
Reform (who attended the Tea Party) posted an entry on the WPC blog regarding property tax.
That's it for now. I will be sending another email to you shortly with an important
announcement.
******
January 12, 2008
This has been an incredibly whirlwind week for our cause.
By the use of Press Releases, phone calls, emails and sheer tenacity, I was able
to get booked on nearly every major radio talk show this past week:
Mike Siegel on KITZ (who, as a result of my interview,
offered to be our moderator for the event)
Mike Bastinelli on KIT
Fred Ebert on KITZ (twice)
Mike Fitzsimmons KXLY
Mike Kent on Real Estate KGMI
Wilbur Kirby on KVI
Lars Larson on KXL
Dori Monson on KIRO
Todd Ortloff on KONP
Dennis Shannon on KONA
Thor Tolo KGNW (twice)
In addition, I had an interview with David Ammons of the Associated Press and I was interviewed for an article by Martha Ireland which recently appeared in the Peninsula Daily News, January 4, entitled, "Will we ever get needed tax reform?"
The holiday season, with all its sparkle and busyness, now cycles into another season that's even busier and not nearly as much fun.
Yes, we're just 10 days away from Jan. 14-the day the state Legislature convenes.
At 11 a.m. on opening Monday, Shelley Taylor of Sequim will be standing on the steps of the state capitol building in Olympia.
She hopes she'll have enough company to focus legislative attention on the very tough issue of property tax reform, said Taylor, co-founder of Property Owners for Predictable Tax Now.
Everyone who wants substantive property tax reform should join the rally, she said. (See www.predictabletax.com for directions.)
"We don't want a study or a commission, we want something done," Taylor said.
Last year, some 50 bills were introduced that related in some way to property taxes.
The only one that became law-a constitutional amendment narrowly approved in November that reduced the majority required for school levies from 60 percent to 50 percent plus one vote-made it easier for property taxes to rise.
Not a single property tax reform measure was adopted as the freshly elected state House of Representatives powered through its "long" session.
Having only 90 days to adopt a biennial (two-year) state budget, left little time to work on other issues, Taylor was told.
Now she's already been warned by House Finance Committee Chairman Rep. Ross Hunter, D-Bellevue, not to expect much from this year's 60-day short session.
Short or long, legislative sessions have snubbed substantive property tax reform for 40 years, Taylor said.
Long sessions occur in odd-numbered years, following November legislative elections.
In even-numbered years, such as 2008, the legislators hammer out a short session before the entire House of Representatives and one third of the Senate hits the campaign trail.
This fall, all three District 24 seats, representing Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor, are up for election.
District 24's current legislative delegation consists of Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, a 24-year veteran; House Majority Leader Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, with 16 years in office; and freshman Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim.
Whether a legislative session is short or long, myriad interests push agendas that often rival children's Christmas wish lists.
Taylor's dream of real tax reform is no less likely than the Washington State Grange's plea for "an economic impact statement prior to implementing regulations that inhibit or affect" agriculture.
The Grange's 32-page 2008 Legislative Handbook addresses a full spectrum of issues-from labor and land use to education and health care to taxation and transportation-illustrating that virtually all government regulations affect agriculture, directly or indirectly.
Some might fantasize that legislators always fully consider bills' economic and environmental impacts before voting.
However, with hundreds of bills vying for attention, rare, indeed, is the legislator who actually reads every bill before voting.
The result: abundant examples of new laws that need tweaking, or that just leave the people they affect shaking their heads in disbelief.
Legislative imperfections spawn citizen initiatives that frequently illustrate just how much the body politic has in common with its elected lawmakers.
Witness the string of Tim Eyman initiatives overturned by the state Supreme Court on finer, sometimes confusing points of law, only to be hastily reinstated by re-election-hungry legislators who vehemently opposed those very same issues when they were on the ballot.
A flood of letters, calls and e-mails, plus seeing the capitol steps packed with constituents demanding action, might motivate election-bound legislators to undertake property tax reform, Taylor said.
"Government is such a huge ship that changing course is almost impossible," she said. "But somebody has to try, or failure is guaranteed."
###
I am keeping my fingers, eyes, and toes crossed that we have a big crowd because as I have told you: this is the single most important event we have ever produced - and it is imperative that it be a success.
Truthfully, if we are not successful with turn out, I will have to admit that the issue of property tax reform is not important enough for the homeowners and renters of Washington to be bothered with.
I know some of you would like to be there but for some understandably legitimate reasons. For all of you who have and will make the effort to appear, I applaud you - and you should applaud yourselves.
I did some research through the Library of Congress to find how to be most effective when contacting our legislators: since communication from constituents is tallied by Legislative aides, most of the time it is they who make the decision whether or not a constituent's request is important enough to notify their "boss." According to research, emails do not hold much sway (unless of course you have developed a relationship with your representative). What sways them most are actual snail mail hand-written or typed letters. Legislative aides have said that one signed letter has as much impact as 100 e-mails. If we want change, we are just going to have to make the time in our lives to make the most effective effort.
And the single most important question you should ask your representative is: ARE YOU GOING TO CUT MY PROPERTY TAXES? Ask that question, and tell them you are (respectfully - always respectfully ) looking forward to their answer.
I have gotten word that there are some pieces of property tax legislation in the works. HB 2545 will prevent voter-approved increases in property tax levy limitations for a multiyear period of up to six years from becoming a permanent increase to a taxing district's levy base, unless otherwise provided in the ballot proposition. (if referred to committee) Sponsored by Reps. Hunter and Ericks, the hearing is set for January 18 at 8 a.m.
Our website has been overhauled and updated with more info, more links, and hopefully is more user friendly in the process. I recommend you take some time to explore. There you will find the speech I am planning to deliver as well as an Agenda for the event which will also tell you who will be appearing alongside myself and Jill. There are some pretty impressive names and organizations who are lending their support. No one who asked to be present was refused.
Other important news: the Tim Eyman group is watching our legislators like hawks to make sure the key elements of I-960, the Taxpayer Protection Initiative to insure greater transparency and accountability in government is a success. Here is the text from his email:
WE'VE GOTTA WATCH 'EM LIKE HAWKS
One of the key elements of Initiative 960, the Taxpayer Protection Initiative, was greater transparency and accountability. The most critical component of that was an email alert system that tells the public and the press any time a tax or fee increase bill "moves" in the legislative process. I-960 requires the state budget office to set up this email service. They've done so.
Now it's critical that as many citizens as possible sign up for it.
As soon as a tax hike or fee increase bill is introduced, you'll get an email telling you how much it'll cost and who's sponsoring it. When they hold a hearing on a revenue-raising bill, you'll get an email telling you where and when. When they vote in committee, you'll get an email telling you how each legislator voted. When they vote in the House, you'll get an email telling you how each legislator voted. When they vote in the Senate, you'll get an email telling you how each legislator voted.
We need Olympia politicians to know that there are thousands of eyes watching their every move.
WE'VE ALL GOTTA WATCH 'EM LIKE HAWKS.
Below is a short news story about it -- it is absolutely essential that you and everyone you know sign up for this service. Here's the link: http://listserv.wa.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=TAX-AND-FEE-PROPOSALS&A=1
Sign up for notice of state tax and fee increase
proposals now
By Joe Turner TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE JANUARY 3, 2007
Remember Initiative 960? That's the Tim Eyman proposal to make it harder to raise taxes and fees. The main tool to discourage legislators from raising taxes is to "out" them and their proposed new or higher taxes or fees, right away.
The measure, passed by voters in November, requires the governor's budget office, officially known as the Office of Financial Management, to alert the public, reporters and legislators every time a bill that would hike taxes is introduced. OFM must "expeditiously determine its cost to taxpayers in the first 10 years of imposition" and "must post and maintain these (news) releases on its Web site."
Well, the guv's people are ready.
Today, they got that site up and running. If you want to be automatically notified via e-mail of any new tax and fee bills, here's the link (http://listserv.wa.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=TAX-AND-FEE-PROPOSALS&A=1) for the LISTSERV that will let you sign up.
Says OFM spokesman Glenn Kuper, "The analysis will be published as part of the fiscal note for the bill after the bill is introduced, when a public hearing is scheduled, and when a bill is passed by a legislative committee or either house of the Legislature.
"Once published, email notification of the availability of the fiscal note, along with required information about sponsors, committee members and legislators' voting records, will be sent out through the tax-and-fee-proposal e-mail list."
Incidentally, Eyman was not the first to sign up. Two OFM staffers were first on the list. A reporter was 3rd.
Gov. Chris Gregoire has some fee increases in her budget proposal, but she'll have to get a legislator to actually sponsor the fee-increase or budget bills.
A bill to set the toll on the HOT lanes on Highway 167 in South King County is likely to be among the first tax-and-fee bills the Legislature deals with this upcoming session. Lawyers have told the state Transportation Commission the Legislature probably will have to approve the tolls that will be collected from motorists who want to buy their way into the carpool lanes. -- END --
Last words: do what you can to change plans and be there on Monday and to get others
to do so. Come with your protest signs and digital and video cameras (and ya might
as well bring along an umbrella). Our chant, when we ask you to raise your voices
is:
NO MORE! THIS GRAVY TRAIN IS STOPPING!
Remember, please, to be orderly and respectful. And should a reporter approach you for a quote, make sure to also tell them that you are there to also represent friends and family who wanted to participate but couldn't make the long trip to Olympia. And again, the single most important statement you could make to the press is:
"We want our legislators to cut our property taxes and we want it done now!!!"
I will see you there in Olympia on Monday, on the Capitol steps at 11 a.m. sharp!
******
January 1, 2008
I have hardly had a moment to spare - sitting at this computer for hours and days
on end getting all our ducks in a row to launch our Property Tax Tea Party in Olympia
on the 14th.
One of our supporters was generous enough to donate $200. making it possible to send
out a "professional" Press Release to all media (print, radio, television,
and the new political powerhouse: blogs).
I cannot stress enough how important the
success of this event is for property tax reform.
Beginning January 2, I will be on the phone working to set up radio interviews and
newspaper and television coverage. The point being: the press will be there. If the
press finds "nothing of note" to photographor talk about - this is a big
story in itself. Failure will be a mighty blow to all of us, a clear sign to legislators
that the people of Washington don't care about escalating property taxes - and the
movement will lose the momentum created by the press from the strikedown of I-747
and the Legislature's Special Session to reinstate it.
In other words, we don't want this to backfire! Some of you have never participated
in government. Now is your chance. And you couldn't make a more important contribution
for your own future. Failure cannot be an option. Am I making you feel guilty????
***A note about the reinstatement of I-747 and your property tax bill:
Many people have asked me why we still need to fight for property tax reform since
I-747 was reinstated in the Special Session last month:
Because I-747 HAD, HAS, AND WILL HAVE NO EFFECT ON THE SITUATION WE HAVE ALL EXPERIENCED
IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I-747 was never "off the books." We have been operating
under its edict all along. And although it has given some much needed relief regarding
voter approved levy increases over the past few years, it is not addressing what
you and I have been complaining about.
All the more reason our protest must be a whopping success.
We've already made the paper! Recently reporter Peter Callaghan published an opinion
column in the Tribune on property taxes. I gave him a call and countered every single
one of his arguments against meaningful reform. He gifted us with a writeup, "Is
there a property tax revolt brewing?" In his article he makes note of my
point that this Tea Party is to protest property taxes in general - as we do not
want to discourage participants who may not feel that freezing property values is
the answer to our property tax woes.
Here is his column from December 13, 2007:
Is there a property tax revolt brewing?
An organization called Washington State Property Owners for Predictable Tax Now
<http://www.predictabletax.com/> has formed to lobby the Legislature for a
constitutional amendment to reduce property taxes.
The first formal event will be a rally, termed a Property Tax Tea Party, on the steps
of the Legislative Building on the first day of the 2008 session. Shelley Taylor.
a co-founder, said the rally will begin at 11 a.m. on Jan. 14.
"This event is to protest property taxes in general and is not a venue to champion
any particular approach to property tax reform," the group'sweb site says. Taylor
said one idea is an amendment that would freeze current assessed values and allow
them to increase by 1 percent a year until a house is sold.
But the group is open to other ideas for reducing the increases in property taxes,
she said. -END-
For instance, the Washington Policy Center, a non-partisan think tank working for
government reform (and quoted in our Press Release) feels tax cuts are the way to
go. Here is an excerpt from his writings:
"The best way to protect homeowners from high property tax bills is for lawmakers
to simply cut the state property tax (25% of our property tax bills). Since state
revenues are constantly growing -- state spending is up 32 percent over four years
-- a modest tax cut would result in only a slowing in the rate of spending increase.
There would be no real-dollar cuts in programs. It would, however, provide fair,
broad-based relief to every Washington property owner, without officials in Olympia
picking winners and losers.
A tax cut would also stimulate the economy by spurring private investment and creating
new jobs. Best of all, it would give lawmakers the opportunity to rebuild trust with
the public. State officials do not need every dollar we send them. By easing the
tax burden, our representatives would show respect for taxpayers and become more
accountable for the way they treat the people's money." -END-
We have a budget based system, meaning all the government entities get together and
work up their budgets for the year. Here is a very oversimplified explanation: The
state then goes to homeowners and says, "This is how much we need, now divvy
it up amongst yourselves and fork it over!" There are rate based systems like
California whereby basically the homeowner says, "Here's how much we're giving
you - now make itwork!"
We are hoping to get our legislators to the negotiating table with other policy experts
to review all options for property tax reform, and this approach is one of many we
should be discussing.
Also from the Washington Policy Center Newsletter, several articles they have gathered
you may find of interest:
Property-Tax Frustration Builds
12/18/07, Wall Street Journal
Taxes make owning home a hardship
12/6/07, Columbian
Tax deferral offers little help to
homeowners
12/12/07, Everett Herald
Look before you leap into tax deferral
program
12/4/07, Yakima Herald
Property tax changes create winners,
losers
12/11/07, Tacoma News Tribune
Microsoft willing to help with transparency
reforms
12/20/07, WPC Blog
Mmmmmmmm. Budget leftoverrrrrs
12/19/07, Tri-City Herald Blog
Abusing the clause
12/14/07, Spokesman Review
Federal spending website launched
(early)
12/13/07, WPC Blog
Do we really have the right of referendum?
12/10/07, WPC Blog
Taxes matter
12/10/07, WPC Blog
Ending Abuse of the Emergency Clause
12/10/07, WPC Blog
Bringing sunshine to public spending
12/5/07, WPC Blog
Washington Voters Want Discipline,
Not Tax Increases
Heartland Institute
Reform the way we pay teachers
12/19/07, Seattle Times
Did you see this opinion piece by columnist Adele Ferguson?
EYMAN EXPOSES DEMOCRATS' LOOPHOLE IN 1% BILL
Do you think it was wise of you to jump all over the governor and the Legislature
after they passed the I-747 replacement bill in the special session? I asked Tim
Eyman. Isn't the bill a replica of your initiative?
"No," he said. "They drafted the bill themselves and had to address
other things because of the court's ruling they had to deal with. We were consistent
and insistent and specific from Day One that a one percent cap on property taxes
needs to be a one percent cap, and their bill has a $108 million property tax increase
buried in it."
"They put a loophole in the bill," Eyman said, "that allows local
governments to exceed the one percent without a vote of the people, and that clearly
is not what the voters want. The voters don't want loopholes and for governments
to ignore the cap. The one percent cap in the Legislature's bill is in name only."
If this is confusing, let's go back to Square One. Eyman's I-747 passed in 2001,
calling for a one percent cap on annual property tax collections per taxing district,
other than schools, which at the time were capped at 2 percent under I-722, which
was challenged in the state Supreme Court and ultimately declared unconstitutional.
Districts could go higher than one percent but only after running it by the people
first.
Because the language of I-747 was based on the subsequently dead I-722, the state
Supreme Court said last month, voters were misled into thinking they were only reducing
the cap from 2 percent to 1 percent when the pre-I-722 limit was 6 percent.
Voiding of I-747 by the court not only put all taxing districts back to where they
could increase their property tax collections up to 6 percent, but they could use
the taxing capacity they hadn't used under I-747, which would be 5 percent per year.
Eyman wanted to ban the use of the banked money local governments had squirreled
away but the Democrats refused. Republicans introduced bills to do it, but in vain.
Also missing in the replacement bill is a fix to a problem called to everyone's attention
some months back by King County Assessor Scott Noble, a Democrat. Prior to action
taken by the Democratic-controlled Legislature at the governor's request, temporary
tax increases passed by taxing districts were just that, and expired after the term
they were passed for, such as the recent multi-year levies. Now, it's the reverse.
They are permanent unless the law says otherwise.
The Legislature is promising property tax reform in the 2008 session. So what's Tim
going to do? He's mailing his 25,000 supporters a letter listing the legislators,
led by Gov. Gregoire, who blocked the clean one percent bill (all Democrats except
Sen. Tim Sheldon of Potlatch) plus the Supreme Court justices who killed I-747. Recipients
of the letter are asked to sign it and it says the people want a real one percent
cap and won't vote for activist judges who say voters are stupid.
"We're calling it The Scarlet Letter," he said. "You'll probably have
to explain what that means." If you haven't read Hawthorne's "The Scarlet
Letter," about he scarlet A worn as a mark of shame for committing adultery,
you know now what Eyman means.
Eyman is buoyed by the fact that I-960 passed which means everything the lawmakers
do in their property tax reform will be under public scrutiny. "They can't do
this stuff under the radar screen any more," he said.
As for the property tax deferral bill the governor got passed last month, I doubt
many people will take advantage of it. Not if their heirs have anything to say about
it. - END -
Here's an interesting quote made by Tim Eyman at an Olympia hearing back in March
of this year regarding I-747:
"Property taxes continue to be a huge problem for Washington's taxpayers.
We're doing everything we can to keep the heat on politicians. As I said during a
recent legislative hearing: "It has to be the worst kept secret in Olympia is
that there isa property tax revolt coming. And I would simply suggest to the committee
that you recognize that, that you embrace it, and you simply say: 'Do we want to
do it or do we want the voters to do it for us?"
In preparation for the Tea Party, and because our official Press Release will be
driving traffic to our website, we have done a major overhaul to this website.
There are several new features: In addition to info on the protest, there is a link
about "Slactivisim." Are you a Slactivist??? (Our very small cadre
of volunteers definitely do notfit the description!) We discuss "Exactly
What is a Billion" - useful information when you hear our politicians throwing
that figure around with regard to taxes. We are beginning to amass ideas for solutions
to our outdated property tax system (Possible Solutions for Our Broken System).
We have included a link to an excellent Q&A Primer on Property Taxes.
Added discussions on "Dispelling Misinformation About Assessment Freezes,"
and "The Baby Boomer Generation & their Effect on Revenue & Services."
And we have expanded the Useful Links section including a section devoted
to Education Reform since education funding is 50% of the check we write the
Taxman.
The following is a reprint of a Letter to the Editor of the Peninsula Daily News
I submitted in response to an article reporting the dismal test results of the WASL
tests:
Our government does a poor job of preparing our students for the global market.
Just ask an employer. Look at the problems with Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid
systems.
There are growing numbers of home schooled children.
What is not wrong with the system is lack of funding.
Voting for education funding is an easy (and expensive) knee-jerk reaction propelled
by slactivisim (doing good with little or no effort required of the person inspired
to participate).
Research shows our schools are unquestionably well funded. We spend $13 billion -
that's with a "B" - to educate one million students and more money on education
and more per student than ever in state history. But, educating fewer students than
30 years ago (according to the Washington Policy Center).
Fifty percent of our property taxes go to education alone and we're getting poor
return on our dollar.
The new School Levy Amendment not only makes it easier to raise property taxes, it
allows our Legislature to continue to shift their constitutionally mandated edict
to fully fund education onto property owners.
The National Center on Education and the Economy states, "The core problem is
that our education and training systems were built for another era...." "Most
important...we do not need new programs, and we need less money than one might think."
For an eye opener, read the Executive Summary at skillscommission.org and "A
History of False Hopes, Extravagant Spending & Broken Promises" by the Evergreen
Freedom Foundation and soon to be a documentary, "Flunked." -END-
Anyone planning on attending the Tea Party who can come a bit earlier to assist with
set up? Please email me - we can use all the "police" we can find. We are
also looking for people with poignant stories to tell - the press loves this kind
of thing so don't be shy. Come early and see me at the podium at the event.
For those attending, please dress for the weather. Wear black (which should make
for a good "photo op" for the press), and do bring your own protest posters
to flash at the press. Signs are extremely important. Our website has several suggestions
listed on the Tea Party Information link (scroll down) - or come up with your own.
Just make the writing legible. Oh, and bring cameras both digital and video. We want
to compile something to post on youtube.
And if the press asks you where you're from, tell
the truth but also tell them you're representing others (and give names) who couldn't
make it today.
And our battle cry at the event is: NO MORE! THIS GRAVY TRAIN IS STOPPING!
I will let you know how my phone calling is doing after the 2nd.
*****
December 23, 2007
I have hardly had a moment to spare - sitting at this computer for hours and days
getting all the ducks in a row to launch our Property Tax Tea Party in Olympia on
the 14th.
One of our supporters was generous enough to donate $200 making it possible to send
out a "professional" press release to all media (print,radio, television,
and the new political powerhouse: blogs).
Here is a copy of the release which will be published on January 2:
PROPERTY TAX PROTEST - OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON - CAPITOL STEPS
- JANUARY 14
11 A.M.
Olympia, Washington (PRWEB) 01/02/2008 -- Over reliance on property
taxes is igniting a taxpayer revolt (Gregoire, Dems Dash for Cover in
Revolt Against Property Taxes, David Ammons, AP 11/18/07).
Washingtonians are being crushed by the burden of ever-escalating
property taxes ("Because taxing people out of their homes is horrendous
tax policy, we need change," Taxes Make Owning a Home a Hardship, The
Columbian 12/06/07). In the tradition of our forefathers, Property
Owners for Predictable Tax Now is invoking the original tax revolt
strategy by holding a Property Tax Tea Party on the first day of
Legislative session, January 14 at 11 a.m. on the Olympia Capitol steps.
Many issues are driving the revolt.
Nearly 50 bills were introduced to address Washington's broken property
tax system during last year's Legislative session. Not one made it to
the ballot.
Half of property tax bills go toward education. Washington has a high
drop out rate and poor showings in math, science, and reading. The
Evergreen Freedom Foundation will soon release a documentary, "Flunked,"
"exposing the truth about how much our state spends for a mediocre K-12
education." (http://www.flunkedthemovie.com/)
State spending is out of control. The constitutionally mandated
budget-based Ad Valorem system has allowed the Legislature to increase
spending. The Wall Street Journal writes "Property-Tax Frustration
Builds, States, Cities Revise Strategy As Homeowners Protest Rising
Levies" (12/18/07). According to Paul Guppy, the Vice President for
Research at the Washington Policy Center, "State spending is up 32
percent over four years. State officials do not need every dollar we
send them. By easing the tax burden, our representatives would show
respect for taxpayers and become more accountable for the way they treat
the people's money."
For specific information about the problems with Washington's property
tax system, go to the "What's Wrong with Washington's Property Tax
System" link at www.predictabletax.com.
It is time to rethink over reliance on property taxes to fund services.
Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama has said: "Probably the best thing we can do is
hold the line on tax increases at all levels."
Property owners are realizing the urgency of reforming Washington's
property tax system. Property Owners for Predictable Tax Now offers a
venue to tell the Legislators: No More! This Gravy Training is Stopping!
Protest participants should dress for the weather, bring placards and
wear black if possible.
For additional information on the Property Tax Tea Party protest at the
Washington state Capitol on January 14 at 11 a.m., contact Shelley
Taylor or visit www.predictabletax.com.
Property Owners for Predictable Tax Now is a grass roots property tax
reform group which was responsible for the submission of the Predictable
Tax Amendment (HJR 4214 & SJR 8219) during the 2006 Washington state
Legislative session. ###-END-
*I cannot stress enough how important the
success of this event is for property tax reform.*
Beginning January 2, I will be on the phone working to set up radio interviews and
newspaper and television coverage. The point being: the press will be there. If they
have "nothing of note" to photograph or talk about - this will be a mighty
blow to all of us and a clear sign to legislators that the people of Washington do
not think escalating property taxes are important - and the movement will lose the
momentum we have received via the strikedown of I-747 and the Legislature's Special
Session to reinstate it.
In other words, we don't want this to backfire! Some of you have never participated
in government. *Now is your chance and you couldn't make a more important contribution.
*A note about the reinstatement of I-747 and your property tax bill: Many people
have asked me why we still need to fight for property tax reform if they reinstated
I-747. Because I-747, although in the news and struck down by the state supreme court
and now reinstated by the legislature during their recent special session, HAD, HAS,
AND WILL HAVE NO AFFECT ON THE SITUATION WE HAVE ALL EXPERIENCED IN THE LAST FEW
YEARS. I-747 was never "off the books" - we have been operating under its
edict all along, and although it has given some much needed relief regarding levies
over the past few years, it is not addressing what you and I have been complaining
about.*
For those of you on the Olympic Peninsula who would like to travel on the charter
bus leaving at 8 a.m. on the 14th and meeting at the WalMart parking lot, NOW is
the time to send in your check. Go to this website's Home Page to find the link for
info.
We've already made the paper! Recently a reporter, Peter Callaghan, published an
opinion column on property taxes. I gave him a call and countered every single one
of his arguments against meaningful reform. He gifted us with a writeup in the Tribune,
"Is there a property tax revolt
brewing?"
An organization called Washington State Property Owners for Predictable
Tax Now <http://www.predictabletax.com/> has formed to lobby the
Legislature for a constitutional amendment to reduce property taxes.
The first formal event will be a rally Ü termed a Property Tax Tea Party
Ü on the steps of the Legislative Building on the first day of the 2008
session. Shelley Taylor. a co-founder, said the rally will begin at 11
a.m. on Jan. 14.
"This event is to protest property taxes in general and is not a venue
to champion any particular approach to property tax reform," the group's
web site says. Taylor said one idea is an amendment that would freeze
current assessed values and allow them to increase by 1 percent a year
until a house is sold.
But the group is open to other ideas for reducing the increases in
property taxes, she said./
<http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/politics/2007/12/12/is_there_a_property_tax_revolt_brewing>,
12/13/07
As his article reports, we are open to all meaningful legislation to fix our broken
property tax system. I recently spoke with the Vice President of Research from the
Washington Policy Center, a non-partisan think tank working for government reform
for Washingtonians (and quoted in our press release). Here is an excerpt from his
writings:
"The best way to protect homeowners from high property tax bills is
for lawmakers to simply cut the state property tax /_(25% of our
property tax bills)_/. Since state revenues are constantly growing --
state spending is up 32 percent over four years -- a modest tax cut
would result in only a slowing in the rate of spending increase. There
would be no real-dollar cuts in programs. It would, however, provide
fair, broad-based relief to every Washington property owner, without
officials in Olympia picking winners and losers.
A tax cut would also stimulate the economy by spurring private
investment and creating new jobs. Best of all, it would give lawmakers
the opportunity to rebuild trust with the public. State officials do not
need every dollar we send them. By easing the tax burden, our
representatives would show respect for taxpayers and become more
accountable for the way they treat the people's money." -END-
We have a budget based system, meaning all the government entities get together and
work up their budgets for the year. Here is a very oversimplified explanation: The
state then goes to homeowners and says, "This is how much we need, now divvy
it up amongst yourselves and fork it over!" There are rate based systems like
California whereby basically the homeowner says, "Here's how much we're giving
you - now make itwork!"
So the Washington Policy Center approach is definitely something that should be looked
at when we get to the negotiating table.
The following articles were gathered by the Washington Policy Center and may be of
interest:
/Property-Tax Frustration Builds
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119794186980635629-email.html>,
12/18/07, Wall Street Journal
Taxes make owning home a hardship
<http://www.columbian.com/opinion/news/2007/12/12062007_Taxes-make-owning-home-a-hardship.cfm>,
12/6/07, Columbian
Tax deferral offers little help to homeowners
<http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20071212/OPINION03/712120013>,
12/12/07, Everett Herald
Look before you leap into tax deferral program
<http://www.yakima-herald.com/page/op/290442110888226?print=1>,
12/4/07, Yakima Herald/
Property tax changes create winners, losers
<http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/columnists/callaghan/story/226374.html>,
12/11/07, Tacoma News Tribune
Microsoft willing to help with transparency reforms
<http://washingtonpolicyblog.typepad.com/washington_policy_center_/2007/12/microsoft-willi.html>,
12/20/07, WPC Blog
Mmmmmmmm. Budget leftoverrrrrs
<http://www.tri-cityherald.com/tch/local/blogs/mulick/v-rss/story/9526993p-9437804c.html>,
12/19/07, Tri-City Herald Blog
Abusing the clause
<http://www.spokesmanreview.com/tools/story_pf.asp?ID=223649>, 12/14/07,
Spokesman Review
Federal spending website launched (early)
<http://washingtonpolicyblog.typepad.com/washington_policy_center_/2007/12/federal-spendin.html>,
12/13/07, WPC Blog
Do we really have the right of referendum?
<http://washingtonpolicyblog.typepad.com/washington_policy_center_/2007/12/do-we-really-ha.html>,
12/10/07, WPC Blog
Taxes matter
<http://washingtonpolicyblog.typepad.com/washington_policy_center_/2007/12/taxes-matter.html>,
12/10/07, WPC Blog
Ending Abuse of the Emergency Clause
<http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/GovtRegulations/PNEmergencyClause2007.html>,
12/10/07, WPC
Bringing sunshine to public spending
<http://washingtonpolicyblog.typepad.com/washington_policy_center_/2007/12/bringing-sunshi.html>,
12/5/07, WPC Blog
Wash. Voters Want Discipline, Not Tax Increases
<http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=22440>, Heartland Institute
Reform the way we pay teachers
<http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2004081049_teacherpay19.html>,
12/19/07, Seattle Times
Here's something I just thought I'd pass along: a friend sent me one of those emails
to send out to everyone I know. This one was to save the whales. I always do a Google
"hoax" search to see if these things are legit and Google sent me to snopes.com.
There I came upon a new word and I am going to make great use of it:
Word for the day:
Slacktivism (Slactivist)
Slacktivism is the search for the ultimate feel-good that derives from
having come to society's rescue without actually getting one's hands
dirty, volunteering any of one's time, or opening one's wallet.
Slacktivism comes in many forms, but its defining characteristic is its
central theme of doing good with little or no effort on the part of the
person inspired to participate, through the mechanisms of forwarding,
exhorting, collecting, or e-signing.
Our very small cadre of volunteers definitely do not fit the description!
Anyone planning on attending the Tea Party who can come a bit earlier to assist with
set up? Please email me - we can use all the "police" we canfind. We are
also looking for people with poignant stories to tell - the press loves this kind
of thing so don't be shy. Come see me at the podium at the event. If you can come
a bit early, that will be helpful.
Did you see this opinion piece by columnist Adele Ferguson?
EYMAN EXPOSES DEMOCRATS' LOOPHOLE IN 1% BILL
Do you think it was wise of you to jump all over the governor and the
Legislature after they passed the I-747 replacement bill in the special
session? I asked Tim Eyman. Isn't the bill a replica of your initiative?
"No," he said. "They drafted the bill themselves and had to address
other things because of the court's ruling they had to deal with. We were
consistent and insistent and specific from Day One that a one percent cap
on property taxes needs to be a one percent cap, and their bill has a $108
million property tax increase buried in it."
"They put a loophole in the bill," Eyman said, "that allows local
governments to exceed the one percent without a vote of the people, and
that clearly is not what the voters want. The voters don't want loopholes
and for governments to ignore the cap. The one percent cap in the
Legislature's bill is in name only."
If this is confusing, let's go back to Square One. Eyman's I-747
passed in 2001, calling for a one percent cap on annual property tax
collections per taxing district, other than schools, which at the time
were capped at 2 percent under I-722, which was challenged in the state
Supreme Court and ultimately declared unconstitutional. Districts could
go higher than one percent but only after running it by the people first.
Because the language of I-747 was based on the subsequently dead I-722,
the state Supreme Court said last month, voters were misled into thinking
they were only reducing the cap from 2 percent to 1 percent when the
pre-I-722 limit was 6 percent.
Voiding of I-747 by the court not only put all taxing districts back to
where they could increase their property tax collections up to 6 percent,
but they could use the taxing capacity they hadn't used under I-747, which
would be 5 percent per year.
Eyman wanted to ban the use of the banked money local governments had
squirreled away but the Democrats refused. Republicans introduced bills
to do it, but in vain.
Also missing in the replacement bill is a fix to a problem called to
everyone's attention some months back by King County Assessor Scott Noble,
a Democrat. Prior to action taken by the Democratic-controlled
Legislature at the governor's request, temporary tax increases passed by
taxing districts were just that, and expired after the term they were
passed for, such as the recent multi-year levies. Now, it's the reverse.
They are permanent unless the law says otherwise.
The Legislature is promising property tax reform in the 2008 session.
So what's Tim going to do? He's mailing his 25,000 supporters a letter
listing the legislators, led by Gov. Gregoire, who blocked the clean one
percent bill (all Democrats except Sen. Tim Sheldon of Potlatch) plus the
Supreme Court justices who killed I-747. Recipients of the letter are
asked to sign it and it says the people want a real one percent cap and
won't vote for activist judges who say voters are stupid.
"We're calling it The Scarlet Letter," he said. "You'll probably
have
to explain what that means." If you haven't read Hawthorne's "The
Scarlet
Letter," about he scarlet A worn as a mark of shame for committing
adultery, you know now what Eyman means.
Eyman is buoyed by the fact that I-960 passed which means everything
the lawmakers do in their property tax reform will be under public
scrutiny. "They can't do this stuff under the radar screen any more,"
he
said.
As for the property tax deferral bill the governor got passed last
month, I doubt many people will take advantage of it. Not if their heirs
have anything to say about it. - END -
Definitely something to think about. It's too true to be funny:
The next time you hear a politician use the word 'billion' in a casual manner (Shelley
here: as with School Superintendent Terry Bergeson who was quoted in the paper that
she has asked the Legislature for billions and billions of dollars to which I wrote
her: you are making a grave disconnect - you have been asking the PEOPLE!), think
about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good
job of putting that figure into some perspective in
one of its releases. (Shelley here: I did a Snopes.com check and this is basically
true - depending on which definition of a billion one is using. No matter - it's
a lot!)
A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age.
A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and
20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New
Orleans. It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division . .
Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D), is presently asking the Congress
for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number, what does
it mean?
A. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of
New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you
each get $516,528.
B. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in
New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.
C. Or, if you are a family of four, your family
gets $2,066,012.
***
Well, that's enough for today. I will let you know how my phone calling is doing
after the 2nd.
*****
December 12, 2007
My last update was the first time I attempted to send you to links for current newspaper
coverage. We just want to get the info to you so you can keep up with what's going
on out there with property tax, the legislature, and the media. Although the links
were there, there may have been extraneous info and I will attempt to streamline
this in the future...However, AOL is notorious for jumbling such information.
One way our legislators make decisions that can raise our property taxes is by using
the Emergency Clause which eliminates the people's right to referendum, meaning -
we get cut out of the decision process. The voters have been denied their voice via
the Emergency Clause on 17% of bills passed since 1997; 75 in 2007 alone. You will
be frustrated on just what they have used this Emergency Clause for. The Washington
Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank, has explained this in detail along with
proposed legislation to fix this problem:
Ending Abuse of the Emergency Clause
- Restoring Our Right of Referendum
Also from the WPC:
Creating a Free Searchable Website of State Spending - Bringing Sunshine to Public
Spending
At some point most citizens wonder, Just how, when and where does government spend
our tax dollars? What do our elected representatives want to accomplish when they
spend public money, and what results are actually achieved?ÓConsidering Washington
lawmakers will spend about $71 billion over the next two years, these are basic questions
to which any taxpayer should be able to get answers quickly and conveniently... Click to read the full report.
And click here to read about the WPC
Property Tax Survey.
One of our wonderful supporters has really stepped up to the plate to help make our
Property Tax Tea Party a success! He has donated $200 to pay for a professional press
release organization to launch our rally. Thank you thank you...and thank you again!
With the passage of the school levy amendment, we can look forward to schools asking
property owners to pay yet more money toward a system that isn't working. If you
don't believe me, don't as the PTA or the teachers or the school...ask an employer!
And misinformation like the following opinion by John Burbank isn't helping the problem:
Where's the evidence that property taxes are too high?
By John Burbank
Last week the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
released the latest results for academic skills for 15-year-olds. The
report measured students' aptitude in science, math and reading. The top
country was Finland. Our neighbor to the north, Canada, was second in
science and fifth in math. The United States was ranked 25th out of 30
developed countries.
How about the performance of the most academically talented kids? Even
that attempt to slice and dice the numbers doesn't work. The top 10
percent of Finnish 15-year-olds scored more than 10 percent better than
the top 10 percent of kids in the U.S. in math. Canadian kids were 7
percent better.
Another key to citizenship and economic vitality is the number of kids
who go on to college from high school. Unfortunately, in this
measurement Washington is at the very bottom, 50th out of the 50 states
in the percentage of students who attend college right after high
school. So our kids are falling behind in global standards, and
education ends for the majority at 12th grade.
This is not just about the need for our children to have the skills and
the brains to compete globally. Public education is the foundation for
democracy. As we slowly starve off resources for public education we are
also undermining any sense of shared citizenship that is central to
democracy.
We do have some great public schools and great public school teachers.
We have politicians who, at least in their rhetoric, place public
education at the center of our state's responsibility. Our state's
Constitution declares the paramount duty of the state to provide basic
education for all children. We have students who work hard and do well.
But what supports are we willing to provide to these students?
Consider the governor's and the Legislature's recent rapid response to
the state Supreme Court decision declaring Initiative 747
unconstitutional. Instead of taking the time to consider a measured
reform of the property tax, they agreed to put into statute a 1 percent
limit on growth on overall taxation of current property. That means that
without special elections the state, as well as local school districts,
will be unable to keep up with inflation, and only watch while their
revenues for public education are slowly squeezed.
It is not only our elected officials jumping on the anti-tax bandwagon.
Many liberals are pandering for "tax relief." Consider this statement
in a Seattle newspaper last Wednesday: "Lower- and middle-income
homeowners across the state have been hit with property tax bills they
cannot easily afford to pay. For some -- especially those on fixed incomes -
rising property taxes have made it difficult to stay in their homes."
It reminds me of the recent debate about the estate tax, which was
claimed to put family farmers out of business. When the Farm Bureau was
asked to locate one of these family farmers, they couldn't find one in
all of Iowa who had to sell out because of the estate tax. So where is
our evidence for the unaffordability of the property tax? I bet that 80
percent of us don't even know what we pay in property taxes, either
because it is wrapped into our mortgage payments, with principal and
interest taking a much bigger share of income, or because it is hidden
as a pass-through to renters. So if we don't know how much it is, how
can we determine that it is unaffordable? Many of those who do know how
much they pay in property taxes do so because they have paid off their
mortgages and have to make semi-annual tax payments. That's a lot, but
then, it is still many times less what homeowners with mortgages are paying.
There may be instances of property taxes that may be difficult to pay,
but let's see the evidence before we go overboard in joining the current
"property-taxes-are-bad" movement. More than 55 percent of property
taxes pay for K-12 education. These taxes also pay for police officers,
firefighters, road maintenance, public health services, public
universities and health coverage, among other public goods and services.
Tax cuts do come home to roost. And that won't make for a very easy path
for our children to catch up with students in Finland, and Canada, and
Korea, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, New Zealand, Germany,
France, Norway, and all the other countries ahead of us.
John Burbank, executive director of the Economic Opportunity Institute
Here is my letter to the editor:
I'm sure Mr. Burbank's heart is in the right place. I mean, who wouldn't want our
students to get the best education money can buy? But don't fall for his so called
"facts" to sway you that what's wrong with the poor showing of Washington's
high school students on math, science, and reading is lack of funding!
If you do your research, you will find that our schools are unquestionably well funded.
Taxpayers are spending $13 billion - that's with a "B" - to educate one
million students. We are spending more money on education and more per student than
ever in state history. But, we are educating fewer students than 30 years ago! This
according to the Washington Policy Center.
Parents know how bad our education system is here as evidenced by growing numbers
of home schooled children.
Fifty percent of our property tax bills go to education alone; and Mr. Burbank incorrectly
lumps in funding for police officers, firefighters and other vital services. Ask
someone who knows, verify this with an assessor.
Playing the 1% cap-not-enough-money-to-counter-inflation card downplays the power
of the people for voter approved levies, lid lifts and M&Os which allows for
countering inflation and putting tax dollars right where they belong - close to home.
Yes, it is true just how poorly a job our government is doing to prepare our students
for the global market. Just ask an employer. When you look at Social Security, Medicare
and Medicaid, maybe the government should get out of the education business altogether
and put it in the hands of those who truly know how to teach.
The National Center on Education and the Economy states, "The core problem is
that our education and training systems were built for another era...." "Most
important...we do not need new programs, and we need less money than one might think."
I urge you to go to
skillscommission.org
and read their Executive Summary. It will be one heck of an eye opener. Or read "A
History of False Hopes, Extravagant Spending & Broken Promises" which specifically
speaks to Washington state, published by the Evergreen Freedom Foundation who will soon be releasing a documentary on the subject,
"Flunked."
The answer to our education problems is not downplaying the contributions of homeowners
and definitely not the status quo of our draconian property tax system. Come on Mr.
Burbank, wise up!
I have been working for property tax reform for over two years and we have scheduled
a Property Tax Tea Party on the steps of the capitol on the first day of legislative
session, January 14 at 11 a.m. I challenge Mr. Burbank to attend and tell these overburdened
taxpayers that they still aren't giving enough to fund education. -end of letter-
Here's another article on problems
with our property tax system
And finally, another of our wonderful supporters has come forward and will be assisting
me at the Property Tax Tea Party and among his duties will be manning the public
address system. He has made appointments and has been meeting with his representatives
to discuss the property tax issues. This is what we should all be doing. He has also
managed to get his local paper to allow him to submit a Guest Opinion. And here it
is:
My wife and I have had the pleasure of living in the Gig Harbor area
since 1975. Both of our children attended peninsula schools and
currently have businesses here. We're also blessed with six wonderful
grandchildren. We built our home ourselves and we love our neighborhood.
We have trees that we planted as seedlings that are now sixty feet tall.
We have a tree house that our daughter played in when she was four years
old, and now our grandchildren play there. This is not just a piece of
dirt to us. This is our home. And now, in our supposed "golden years"
we and many people we know are now facing the real possibility of being
taxed out of our homes. And you could be next.
Our property taxes have gone up 400% in just the last five years. And
there is absolutely nothing to prevent the same thing from happening
over the next five years. Without a change in our property tax system,
I believe that's it's only a matter of time until home ownership, long a
part of the American dream, will only be available to the wealthiest of
families.
Under current Washington law, all real property (with few exceptions)
must be taxed at 100% of fair market value. And to explain the basic
unfairness of this system, I use the example of purchasing stock at $10
per share If that stock rises to $100 per share, there is no tax paid on
the $90 profit until the stock is sold. However if a person buys a home
for $100,000 and that house rises to $500,000 in value, the property
owner must pay tax on the $400,000 profit even though they don't have
that money in their pocket unless they sell their home. We're being
taxed for unrealized gains year after year. And we're basically
penalized for pride in home ownership. This is just wrong and totally
unacceptable.
Please don't think that this will change because of the legislature's
recent reinstatement of the1% cap on levy increases that fund our basic
services .
I believe that what we desperately need is a system where we are only
taxed on the purchase price of our homes plus a reasonable and
predictable increase each year. Then we could actually budget for our
property taxes which is impossible under our current system. Now we have
the reinstatement of the 1% cap many wanted, but that is a separate
issue from rising property assessments. This is what we need to change.
If you believe that paying tax on unrealized profit is unfair, you are
not alone. And all the new "tax deferral" program really does is put a
lien on your home. And to add to the insanity, you're charged 7%
interest for those deferred taxes. Wonderful. It will take an amendment
to our state's constitution to change our current property tax laws.
They cannot be changed by the initiative process. Only our elected state
representatives can make the changes we need, so please let them know
how you feel.
I feel like now I must fight for my beloved home. And I will not quit
until we have a reasonable, just and predictable property tax system in
our state. I did not ask for this fight. Believe me, I would much rather
spend time with my grandchildren than get involved in tax politics. It
can be a nasty business . But I love my land. It's my share of the
American dream, and I will not let it be taxed away.. I have started a
blog to provide a journal of these efforts at
http://fightingoutofcontroltaxation.blogspot.com.
And I will be attending a rally on January 14th, on the capitol steps at
11:00 to keep this issue in front of our lawmakers. That is the opening
day of the 2008 legislative session. It is being organized by Property
Owners for Predictable Tax Now. For more information please go to
www.predictabletax.com. This is a volunteer group of people who have
been working on these issues for two years. We would love to see you
there. It's the American way.
( Pat DeLapp is semi retired and he and his wife of 41 years have lived
on five acres on Peacock Hill for 32 years. He would love to hear your
thoughts on these issues at theharborguy@gmail.com)
See you all on the 14th! Download those flyers available on this website, and get
your local businesses to post them. And for those on the Peninsula, send in your
$22 to secure your seat on the charter bus leaving the morning of the 14th from the
WalMart parking lot at 8 a.m. asap!
******
November 27, 2007
I know I'm sending out lots of updates these days
- but that's because - finally - the property tax issue has become a hot potato.
We have momentum and we must keep it going. Our Property Tax Tea Party should
make a big impression on our elected officials.
I am attaching to this email 3 documents: two concern the Tea Party - one is
specific to the Peninsula because it gives info on the charter bus - the other is
a general flyer. The other document is a bullet point sheet on what exactly
is wrong with our property tax system.
Please do what you can to print these out and have local businesses and restaurants
post them in their windows. And post them on community bulletin boards (ie.,
your supermarket). If you feel it would be better to hold off until after Christmas
(people have short memories), then start putting them out there right after the holiday.
I'm handicapped right now for posting things on the website due to my computer blow
up. If you are interested in keeping up with newspaper coverage, do a Google
search on Property Tax - Washington state and that should give you lots to read.
In the meantime, I have yet another Eyman email I'm sending along - because it is
all about our property tax crisis
See you on January 14 in Olympia,
Shelley
RE: Port Townsend's huge tax hike before the special session shows why
repealing ALL banked capacity is critical
Email all legislators after you read this (see instructions below).
Special session in Olympia is this Thursday in the John O'Brien Building.
The hearing on the bill will start at 8:15 am (arrive at 8 am to sign up
to testify). There's also a rally on the north end of the Capitol steps
at 12 noon. Hope you can come down, but if you can't, send emails to
legislators. Forward this email to friends and family.
Governor Gregoire said property owners need and deserve
predictability and certainty on property tax increases - they won't get
predictability or certainty under her bill. Since 1986, if any government
didn't take the maximum property tax increase allowed by law in any year,
they stockpiled it. That means governments have 21 years of 'banked
capacity' that they can unilaterally impose WITHOUT A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE
(as City of Port Townsend will do tomorrow - see below). The governor
promises a 1% cap, but her bill isn't a 1% cap. Sen. Don Benton, Rep. Ed
Orcutt, Dino Rossi, and other Republicans (and advocated by the Washington
Policy Center) want to wipe the slate clean and repeal ALL unused taxing
authority or require voter approval to access it if the levy exceeds 1%.
Without those changes, the governor's bill is 1% in name only. It's a
fraud, a sham, a lie.
The City of Port Townsend is proving that local governments will
sidestep the governor's bill and will cost taxpayers hundreds of millions
of dollars.
One town rushes to raise taxes
Posted by David Postman, SEATTLE TIMES at 08:18 AM
The Port Townsend City Council will hold a special meeting tonight to
consider raising property taxes. The council wants to act before Thursday
when the Legislature is expected to impose a statewide tax cap. To clear
the way for the increase, the Port Townsend City Council voted last night
to rescind a law that would have required a a public advisory vote on the
tax hike, according to the Port Townsend and Jefferson County Leader.
Reporter Barney Burke writes in the PT Leader that if the city had stuck
to the 1 percent limit it would have been allowed to raise taxes on a
$300,000 home by $4.22. Under the city's plan, though, that tax bill would
go up $46.40. And Burke reports that it's not clear what happens if the
city raises taxes tonight and the Legislature reinstates the 1 percent cap
Thursday.
At issue in Port Townsend is what's called "banked capacity." When local
governments raised property taxes less than the limit, they were allowed
to bank the difference for future tax increases.
Gov. Chris Gregoire has asked local governments to refrain from raising
taxes over the 1 percent limit until the Legislature acts. She says that
since I-747 passed overwhelmingly statewide, the people have spoken and
local taxing districts should not take advantage of the small window of
opportunity to raise taxes above the limit.
Port Townsend would use its new tax money to balance next year's budget.
The money would go to a trust fund for the city library, to maintain the
city pool and to match private funds being raised to build a new pool,
according to the Peninsula Daily News.
The vote last night to rescind the law requiring an advisory vote was 4-3.
But from what City Manager David Timmons told the Daily News' Evan Cael,
it doesn't look like local officials are too worried about the governor's
call for tax restraint.
"I understand that it's a political issue in Olympia more than a reality
here," Timmons said.
"People have reminded us that the city of Port Townsend did not support
any of the Eyman initiatives. They rejected them all."
-- END --
KING COUNTY:
Just imposing 1%, and not repealing 21 years of unused taxing authority
(which the governor's bill doesn't do), means property owners in KING
COUNTY face a $175,044,147 ($175 million) property tax hike WITHOUT A VOTE
OF THE PEOPLE. That's 21.93% higher than the 1%.
PIERCE COUNTY:
Just imposing 1%, and not repealing 21 years of unused taxing authority
(which the governor's bill doesn't do), means property owners in PIERCE
COUNTY face a $28,224,443 ($28 million) property tax hike WITHOUT A VOTE
OF THE PEOPLE. That's 16.57% higher than the 1%.
YAKIMA COUNTY:
Just imposing 1%, and not repealing 21 years of unused taxing authority
(which the governor's bill doesn't do), means property owners in YAKIMA
COUNTY face a $25,297,930 ($25 million) property tax hike WITHOUT A VOTE
OF THE PEOPLE. That's 36.24% higher than the 1%.
LEWIS COUNTY:
Just imposing 1%, and not repealing 21 years of unused taxing authority
(which the governor's bill doesn't do), means property owners in LEWIS
COUNTY face a $9,086,443 ($9 million) property tax hike WITHOUT A VOTE OF
THE PEOPLE. That's 20.90% higher than the 1%.
-- END --
The Governor and the House and Senate politicians need to hear from
you. ALL OF THEM need to hear from you. Here's how. Below are the email
addresses for all of them. If it's too many email addresses for your
system to handle in one single email, then send one email to senators, one
to the Governor's email address, and one to House members. If you have
problems, send us your email to them and we'll forward it to them for you.
Make it very, very clear to them: you want a real 1% cap. 1% means 1%.
Repeal ALL unused taxing authority or require voter approval for local
governments to use it. No loopholes. The Governor has repeatedly
promised a 1% cap, but her bill doesn't deliver a 1% cap. Repealing ALL
banked authority, or requiring voter approval, closes the loophole in her
bill. Just imposing 1% doesn't fix the problem the courts have created.
They will put that loophole in the bill if they don't hear from citizens
to take it out. They need to keep their promise to impose a 1% cap. It
can't be 1% in-name-only, it must be a real 1% cap with no loopholes.
SENATORS: benton.don@leg.wa.gov; berkey.jean@leg.wa.gov;
brandland.dale@leg.wa.gov; brown.lisa@leg.wa.gov;
carrell.michael@leg.wa.gov; delvin.jerome@leg.wa.gov;
eide.tracey@leg.wa.gov; fairley.darlene@leg.wa.gov;
franklin.rosa@leg.wa.gov; fraser.karen@leg.wa.gov;
hargrove.jim@leg.wa.gov; hatfield.brian@leg.wa.gov;
haugen.marymargaret@leg.wa.gov; hewitt.mike@leg.wa.gov;
hobbs.steve@leg.wa.gov; holmquist.janea@leg.wa.gov;
honeyford.jim@leg.wa.gov; jacobsen.ken@leg.wa.gov; kastama.jim@leg.wa.gov;
kauffman.claudia@leg.wa.gov; keiser.karen@leg.wa.gov;
kilmer.derek@leg.wa.gov; kline.adam@leg.wa.gov;
kohl-welles.jeanne@leg.wa.gov; marr.chris@leg.wa.gov;
mcauliffe.rosemary@leg.wa.gov; mccaslin.bob@leg.wa.gov;
mcdermott.joe@leg.wa.gov; morton.bob@leg.wa.gov; murray.edward@leg.wa.gov;
oemig.eric@leg.wa.gov; parlette.linda@leg.wa.gov; pflug.cheryl@leg.wa.gov;
poulsen.erik@leg.wa.gov; prentice.margarita@leg.wa.gov;
pridemore.craig@leg.wa.gov; rasmussen.marilyn@leg.wa.gov;
regala.debbie@leg.wa.gov; roach.pam@leg.wa.gov;
rockefeller.phil@leg.wa.gov; schoesler.mark@leg.wa.gov;
sheldon.timothy@leg.wa.gov; shin.paull@leg.wa.gov;
spanel.harriet@leg.wa.gov; stevens.val@leg.wa.gov; swecker.dan@leg.wa.gov;
tom.rodney@leg.wa.gov; weinstein.brian@leg.wa.gov;
zarelli.joseph@leg.wa.gov
GOVERNOR GREGOIRE: marty.brown@gov.wa.gov
DINO ROSSI: jill.strait@gmail.com
HOUSE: ahern.john@leg.wa.gov; alexander.gary@leg.wa.gov;
anderson.glenn@leg.wa.gov; appleton.sherry@leg.wa.gov;
armstrong.mike@leg.wa.gov; bailey.barbara@leg.wa.gov;
barlow.don@leg.wa.gov; blake.brian@leg.wa.gov; campbell.tom@leg.wa.gov;
chandler.bruce@leg.wa.gov; chase.maralyn@leg.wa.gov;
chopp.frank@leg.wa.gov; clibborn.judy@leg.wa.gov; cody.eileen@leg.wa.gov;
condotta.cary@leg.wa.gov; conway.steve@leg.wa.gov;
crouse.larry@leg.wa.gov; darneille.j@leg.wa.gov;
debolt.richard@leg.wa.gov; dickerson.marylou@leg.wa.gov;
dunn.jim@leg.wa.gov; dunshee.hans@leg.wa.gov; eddy.deborah@leg.wa.gov;
eickmeyer.william@leg.wa.gov; ericks.mark@leg.wa.gov;
ericksen.doug@leg.wa.gov; flannigan.dennis@leg.wa.gov;
fromhold.bill@leg.wa.gov; goodman.roger@leg.wa.gov;
grant.william@leg.wa.gov; green.tami@leg.wa.gov; haigh.kathy@leg.wa.gov;
haler.larry@leg.wa.gov; hankins.shirley@leg.wa.gov;
hasegawa.bob@leg.wa.gov; hudgins.zack@leg.wa.gov; hunt.sam@leg.wa.gov;
hunter.ross@leg.wa.gov; hurst.christopher@leg.wa.gov;
jarrett.fred@leg.wa.gov; kagi.ruth@leg.wa.gov; kelley.troy@leg.wa.gov;
kenney.phyllis@leg.wa.gov; kessler.lynn@leg.wa.gov;
kilmer.derek@leg.wa.gov; kirby.steve@leg.wa.gov; kretz.joel@leg.wa.gov;
kristiansen.dan@leg.wa.gov; lantz.patricia@leg.wa.gov;
linville.kelli@leg.wa.gov; lovick.john@leg.wa.gov; mccoy.john@leg.wa.gov;
mccune.jim@leg.wa.gov; mcdermott.joe@leg.wa.gov;
mcdonald.joyce@leg.wa.gov; mcintire.jim@leg.wa.gov;
miloscia.mark@leg.wa.gov; moeller.jim@leg.wa.gov; morrell.dawn@leg.wa.gov;
morris.jeff@leg.wa.gov; nelson.sharon@leg.wa.gov; newhouse.dan@leg.wa.gov;
obrien.al@leg.wa.gov; orcutt.ed@leg.wa.gov; ormsby.timm@leg.wa.gov;
pearson.kirk@leg.wa.gov; pedersen.jamie@leg.wa.gov;
pettigrew.eric@leg.wa.gov; priest.skip@leg.wa.gov; quall.dave@leg.wa.gov;
roach.dan@leg.wa.gov; roberts.maryhelen@leg.wa.gov; rodne.jay@leg.wa.gov;
rolfes.christine@leg.wa.gov; ross.charles@leg.wa.gov;
santos.sharon@leg.wa.gov; schindler.lynn@leg.wa.gov;
schual-berke.shay@leg.wa.gov; seaquist.larry@leg.wa.gov;
sells.mike@leg.wa.gov; simpson.geoff@leg.wa.gov; skinner.mary@leg.wa.gov;
sommers.helen@leg.wa.gov; springer.larry@leg.wa.gov;
strow.chris@leg.wa.gov; sullivan.brian@leg.wa.gov;
sullivan.pat@leg.wa.gov; sump.bob@leg.wa.gov; takko.dean@leg.wa.gov;
upthegrove.dave@leg.wa.gov; vandewege.kevin@leg.wa.gov;
wallace.deb@leg.wa.gov; walsh.maureen@leg.wa.gov;
williams.brendan@leg.wa.gov; wood.alex@leg.wa.gov
November 26, 2007
I think it's important for you to read the following
email from the Tim Eyman
camp, especially because at the end it gives you contact email addresses for your
representatives to make it easy for you to weigh in on the strikedown of I-747 -
which the King County Assessor has called "a disaster, a catastrophe."
Time is of the essence to send your emails because the Special Session is this Thursday
(11/29).
But, first, just to stir you up a little bit more, the /Peninsula Daily News/ ran
an article in its Sunday edition entitled "PT Looks at Property Tax Hike:"
/"The City Council plans to discuss on Monday taking measures to allow it to
use an additional $466,000 in banked capacity and *raise property taxes*, *without
a vote of the public*.
"People have reminded us that the city of Port Townsend did not support any
of the Eyman initiatives. They rejected them all" (David Timmons, PT City
Manager)....
"Banked capacity" is when taxing districts are given the ability to tax
up to a certain per cent but choose not to - with the understanding that they could
invoke those taxes at any time and that this tax hike would not require voter approval.
Also, as a result of the passage of the school levy amendment, you may have an heightened
interest in education funding - increasingly paid for by our property taxes although
it is the constitutional responsibility of the state to *fully fund education*.
FYI: the Legislature has mandated that all-day daycare/all-day kindergarten be
instituted next year.
To better understand your school tax dollars at work, you might find this website
of the Superintendent of Public Instruction very interesting.
On this page you can look over actual WASL tests and see how students have answered
the questions - and how those answers are scored. It's quite eye opening.
And now the Eyman email:
RE: Gov's 2nd bill is meant to keep focus off the details in 1% cap bill
We had a two year debate over capping property tax increases (in 2000
when voters approved I-722 and in 2001 when voters approved I-747). The
Governor's second bill (which defers property taxes - so you still get
shafted, you just get shafted later) is a brand new idea, never discussed,
never debated, never examined. Why would the Governor introduce a totally
obscure, never-before-seen second bill to be considered at a one-day
special session?
One of the main reasons we've pushed so hard for a special session
was to ensure the brightest spotlight of public and press attention
possible on the details in the 1% cap bill. Such heightened scrutiny
ensures no shifty shenanigans and legislative loopholes will escape
notice.
So the Governor's second bill is meant to keep the focus off the
details in the 1% cap bill. She assumes the press will consider the 1%
cap bill "old news" and will, instead, write about the second bill. She
knows the second bill will die because it's complex and it's not been
thoroughly vetted. But she hopes the Republicans will take the bait and
waste time and effort debating the details in the second bill rather than
focusing on the 1% cap bill.
It's a manipulative, transparent attempt to distract people from the
1% cap bill so the issue of "banked capacity" will get short shrift.
But it can't be given short shrift. It's just too important. As King County
Assessor Scott Noble has said repeatedly, the courts have created, in his
words, "a disaster," "a catastrophe," "a crisis."
Unused taxing authority has been building up for 21 years (IT'S
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS) and that threat to the taxpayers must be
removed. Local governments have stockpiled a gigantic amount of "banked
capacity" that allows them to circumvent the 1% cap in Gregoire's bill.
Her bill promises a 1% cap but it doesn't provide a 1% cap because of this
huge, stockpiled unused taxing authority. AGAIN, IT'S HUNDREDS OF
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES OVER AND ABOVE OUR STATE'S
EXISTING CRUSHING PROPERTY TAX BURDEN.
As Representative Ed Orcutt said on Dave Ross' 710 KIRO radio program
on Friday, there are two very easy ways to remove the threat: either
repeal ALL unused taxing authority (banked capacity) or require local
governments to get voter approval to access any of it if the levy exceeds
1%.
The special session promises a bill to enact a 1% cap on property tax
increases. The focus needs to stay on that bill and that bill only. Will
it be a 1% cap, as they've promised everyone, or will it not be a 1% cap?
The details in the bill are critically important for the public and the
press to focus on.
The Governor's second bill is a red herring, a distraction, a straw
man. It's intended to get people talking about and focused on anything
other than the promised 1% cap bill.
We ask everyone to not fall for this cynical ploy.
The Governor and the House and Senate politicians need to hear from you.
ALL OF THEM need to hear from you. Here's how. Below are the email
addresses for all of them. If it's too many email addresses for your
system to handle in one single email, then send one email to senators, one
to the Governor's email address, and one to House members. If you have
problems, send us your email to them and we'll forward it to them for you.
Make it very, very clear them: you want a real 1% cap. 1% means 1%.
Repeal ALL unused taxing authority or require voter approval for local
governments to use it. No loopholes. The Governor has repeatedly
promised a 1% cap, but her bill doesn't deliver a 1% cap. Repealing ALL
banked authority, or requiring voter approval, closes the loophole in her
bill. Just imposing 1% doesn't fix the problem the courts have created.
They will put that loophole in the bill if they don't hear from citizens
to take it out. They need to keep their promise to impose a 1% cap. It
can't be 1% in-name-only, it must be a real 1% cap with no loopholes.
SENATORS: benton.don@leg.wa.gov; berkey.jean@leg.wa.gov;
brandland.dale@leg.wa.gov; brown.lisa@leg.wa.gov;
carrell.michael@leg.wa.gov; delvin.jerome@leg.wa.gov;
eide.tracey@leg.wa.gov; fairley.darlene@leg.wa.gov;
franklin.rosa@leg.wa.gov; fraser.karen@leg.wa.gov;
hargrove.jim@leg.wa.gov; hatfield.brian@leg.wa.gov;
haugen.marymargaret@leg.wa.gov; hewitt.mike@leg.wa.gov;
holmquist.janea@leg.wa.gov; honeyford.jim@leg.wa.gov;
jacobsen.ken@leg.wa.gov; kastama.jim@leg.wa.gov;
kauffman.claudia@leg.wa.gov; keiser.karen@leg.wa.gov;
kilmer.derek@leg.wa.gov; kline.adam@leg.wa.gov;
kohl-welles.jeanne@leg.wa.gov; marr.chris@leg.wa.gov;
mcauliffe.rosemary@leg.wa.gov; mccaslin.bob@leg.wa.gov;
morton.bob@leg.wa.gov; murray.edward@leg.wa.gov; oemig.eric@leg.wa.gov;
parlette.linda@leg.wa.gov; pflug.cheryl@leg.wa.gov;
poulsen.erik@leg.wa.gov; prentice.margarita@leg.wa.gov;
pridemore.craig@leg.wa.gov; rasmussen.marilyn@leg.wa.gov;
regala.debbie@leg.wa.gov; roach.pam@leg.wa.gov;
rockefeller.phil@leg.wa.gov; schoesler.mark@leg.wa.gov;
sheldon.timothy@leg.wa.gov; shin.paull@leg.wa.gov;
spanel.harriet@leg.wa.gov; stevens.val@leg.wa.gov; swecker.dan@leg.wa.gov;
tom.rodney@leg.wa.gov; weinstein.brian@leg.wa.gov;
zarelli.joseph@leg.wa.gov
GOVERNOR GREGOIRE: marty.brown@gov.wa.gov
DINO ROSSI: jill.strait@gmail.com
HOUSE: ahern.john@leg.wa.gov; alexander.gary@leg.wa.gov;
anderson.glenn@leg.wa.gov; appleton.sherry@leg.wa.gov;
armstrong.mike@leg.wa.gov; bailey.barbara@leg.wa.gov;
blake.brian@leg.wa.gov; campbell.tom@leg.wa.gov;
chandler.bruce@leg.wa.gov; chase.maralyn@leg.wa.gov;
chopp.frank@leg.wa.gov; clibborn.judy@leg.wa.gov; cody.eileen@leg.wa.gov;
condotta.cary@leg.wa.gov; conway.steve@leg.wa.gov;
crouse.larry@leg.wa.gov; darneille.j@leg.wa.gov;
debolt.richard@leg.wa.gov; dickerson.marylou@leg.wa.gov;
dunn.jim@leg.wa.gov; dunshee.hans@leg.wa.gov; eddy.deborah@leg.wa.gov;
eickmeyer.william@leg.wa.gov; ericks.mark@leg.wa.gov;
ericksen.doug@leg.wa.gov; flannigan.dennis@leg.wa.gov;
fromhold.bill@leg.wa.gov; goodman.roger@leg.wa.gov;
grant.william@leg.wa.gov; green.tami@leg.wa.gov; haigh.kathy@leg.wa.gov;
haler.larry@leg.wa.gov; hankins.shirley@leg.wa.gov;
hasegawa.bob@leg.wa.gov; hunt.sam@leg.wa.gov; hunter.ross@leg.wa.gov;
hurst.christopher@leg.wa.gov; jarrett.fred@leg.wa.gov;
kagi.ruth@leg.wa.gov; kelley.troy@leg.wa.gov; kenney.phyllis@leg.wa.gov;
kessler.lynn@leg.wa.gov; kirby.steve@leg.wa.gov; kretz.joel@leg.wa.gov;
kristiansen.dan@leg.wa.gov; lantz.patricia@leg.wa.gov;
linville.kelli@leg.wa.gov; lovick.john@leg.wa.gov; mccoy.john@leg.wa.gov;
mccune.jim@leg.wa.gov; mcdermott.joe@leg.wa.gov;
mcdonald.joyce@leg.wa.gov; mcintire.jim@leg.wa.gov;
miloscia.mark@leg.wa.gov; moeller.jim@leg.wa.gov; morrell.dawn@leg.wa.gov;
morris.jeff@leg.wa.gov; newhouse.dan@leg.wa.gov; obrien.al@leg.wa.gov;
orcutt.ed@leg.wa.gov; ormsby.timm@leg.wa.gov; pearson.kirk@leg.wa.gov;
pedersen.jamie@leg.wa.gov; pettigrew.eric@leg.wa.gov;
priest.skip@leg.wa.gov; quall.dave@leg.wa.gov; roach.dan@leg.wa.gov;
roberts.maryhelen@leg.wa.gov; rodne.jay@leg.wa.gov;
rolfes.christine@leg.wa.gov; ross.charles@leg.wa.gov;
santos.sharon@leg.wa.gov; schindler.lynn@leg.wa.gov;
schual-berke.shay@leg.wa.gov; seaquist.larry@leg.wa.gov;
sells.mike@leg.wa.gov; simpson.geoff@leg.wa.gov; skinner.mary@leg.wa.gov;
sommers.helen@leg.wa.gov; springer.larry@leg.wa.gov;
strow.chris@leg.wa.gov; sullivan.brian@leg.wa.gov;
sullivan.pat@leg.wa.gov; sump.bob@leg.wa.gov; takko.dean@leg.wa.gov;
upthegrove.dave@leg.wa.gov; vandewege.kevin@leg.wa.gov;
wallace.deb@leg.wa.gov; walsh.maureen@leg.wa.gov;
williams.brendan@leg.wa.gov; wood.alex@leg.wa.gov;
-END of Eyman email-
November 25, 2007
Okay, even I get it wrong sometimes....
After two years working for property tax reform, the complexity of it
still makes my eyes roll back in my head. In our last update we made an
"overly simplified" attempt to explain the ramifications of I-747. I
have been corrected by someone who knows and here is the /real story/ on
I-747 - unless I hear from someone else who has another version:
A common misunderstanding of what I-747 does
I-747 is NOT "about a 1% cap to LEVY INCREASES.
Actually,I-747 has *NOTHING* TO DO WITH LEVY INCREASES that all
voters vote on.
I-747 allows each taxing entity (city, county, school district, etc.)
to increase the amount of revenue it collects from property taxes on
preexisting properties to the amount collected the previous year, plus
1%, without a vote of the people.
The tax rate needed to produce that amount (amount to be collected
divided by total property value) is then also applied to new properties
(buildings not on the tax role the previous year). This figure becomes
the base for the following year. Each year, the "cap" on the total
collected without a vote of the people is 101% of what was collected the
previous year, plus taxes on new properties
Prior to I-747, state law said property tax revenue could increase by
up to 6% per year, _without a vote of the people_. That's the rule the
Supreme Court inJustices just reinstated--AND they said those increases
that weren't taken were automatically banked, meaning they can be
retroactively imposed. (At 6%, government doubles its take from property
taxes about every 12 years.)
Property tax laws are confusing. Newspapers routinely get it wrong when
describing the "1% cap," and even the finance director of the city of
Port Angeles was half-wrong as recently quoted. She reportedly said her
city's levy rate dropped significantly due to increased property
valuations (correct) and new construction (incorrect).
Property owners should keep in mind that I-747 IS NOT a cap on
increases in individual's property taxes.
I-747 limits how much government can increase the amount it takes
without a vote of the people.
The "loophole" is that we voters routinely approve levies and lid lifts
that give government more, and then we complain about soaring taxes.
Predictable Tax addresses only one side of this multi-faceted and very confusing
issue--the property valuation side.
I-747 addressed the tax collection side. -END-
Okay? Okay!
*However, this still doesn't change the need to reform our property
tax system and the points I made in our previous update are just as valid.*
In other news, we have received the following announcement from the
Washington Policy Center:
Washington Policy Center to Conduct Statewide Property Tax Survey**
New research will assess whether tax limit has cost livesÓ
Seattle - Analysts at the Washington Policy Center will conduct a
statewide survey of the impact of the 1% property tax limit on counties
and major cities, Vice President for Research Paul Guppy announced today.
The announcement comes in wake of the state supreme courtÕs recent
decision to strike down Initiative 747, and as the legislature meets in
special session to debate the issue.
The survey will:
1) Measure the impact of the 1% limit on inflation-adjusted local public
spending between 2001 (when I-747 was enacted) and 2006 (the most
recently-completed fiscal year).
2)Ask county commissioners and city councilmembers how much of a
property tax increase, if any, they plan to adopt in 2008.
3) Report on counties and cities, if any, that plan to cut property
taxes in 2008.
The new survey will continue WPCÕs past research on property taxes, and
will provide policymakers and the public with solid data about whether
the tax limit has hurt core public functions.
Opponents of the 1% property tax limit said it would harm vital public
services and could cost lives,Ó Guppy said, We want to move beyond the
guessing and get at the actual facts.Ó
If limiting the rise in property taxes means cities and counties have
not had the money for police, fire and emergency medical services, the
numbers will show that,Ó he added. -END-
And, we received the following Press Release from the Evergreen Freedom
Foundation echoing our concerns about the election results concerning
the passage of 4204:
*For immediate release*
Commentary
November 19, 2007
*Memo to King County: This is not how to
restore confidence in elections*
OlympiaÜJonathan Bechtle, Director of Evergreen Freedom FoundationÕs
Citizenship and Governance Center, made the following comments in
response to the surprise passage of ESJR 4204, the simple-majority
school levy amendment.
I believe the incredibly slow vote counting process in King County,
combined with a lack of interest in transparency, has further eroded
votersÕ already-low confidence in the integrity of Washington state
elections.
The school levy amendment passed with the help of a late surge of
support in King County, a surge that featured an unusually high 5.5
point increase in late ballot tallies. Such a large change so late in
the process raises the possibility of vote tampering.
The King County elections department is notorious for slow responses to
public records requests, and continued this trend of delaying
transparency in this election. As reported by the Seattle P-I, the
county refused to provide precinct-level reports to media until after
certification. IÕm glad the elections office later compromised by
agreeing to provide legislative district-level reports, but the
auto-response should not be to deny records requests.
The combination of slow counting, unusual results and a lack of
transparency do nothing to improve votersÕ opinion of King CountyÕs
election process.
Two reforms could do much to address these problems. First, ballots
should be required to be turned in on Election Day, rather than merely
postmarked. This would both speed up counting and increase
accountability. Protections must be in place, however, to ensure no
ballots are counted prior to Election Day, and an exception should be
made for military and overseas voters.
Second, the law should require audits of a statistically significant
number of ballots throughout the receipt and tabulation process, giving
voters greater confidence in the results. Audit results should be posted
online immediately.
King County will be handling a much larger number of mail ballots
during the 2008 general election, and itÕs imperative they be counted
accurately and securely. A faster ballot count, better accounting and
more transparency will help accomplish that goal.Ó -END-
I am hoping that, when it comes time to elect our governor next year,
there will be some kind of mechanism to keep vote tallies on the up and up.
Meanwhile, I have just had the scare of my life: my computer which
stores nearly 140 gigabytes of information (for those of you computer
nerds you will understand that is AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF INFORMATION)
crashed! By something short of a miracle, my husband was able to
retrieve most of my "Predictable Tax" files, but right now I am unable
to update our website, so I will tell you this which appeared in The
Columbian. According to Rep. Deb Wallace, along with discussing the
reinstatement of I-747 at the November 29 Special Session, they will
also consider a 25% tax deferral:
"The bill, still being written this week, would allow any household with
income below the state median - currently $57,000 - to defer 25 percent
of its property taxes until the house is sold.
The median is the midpoint: Half of all households are above it and half
below. Washington has about 1.6 million owner-occupied houses, according
to 2006 U.S. Census data.
The current program, available only to property owners who are at least
60 years old or unable to work because of a disability, and who have
disposable household income of $40,000 or less, defers property taxes on
80 percent of a home's equity until it is sold.
Revenue lost to counties under the current program is made up by the
state general fund at a cost of about $3.5 million annually." -END of
excerpt-
I believe I read in another article that the interest charged for your
deferment is 5%.
Here is a copy of the email I sent to Rep. Wallace:
I have read The Columbian article in which it states you are eager to
vote on an expanded deferral program in this upcoming Special Session.
I am Co-Founder of Property Owners for Predictable Tax Now
(www.predictabletax.com). We have been working for property tax reform
since November of 2005 and were responsible for the submission of the
Predictable Tax Amendment in the 2006 Session.
Our supporters are hopeful that the Legislature is finally beginning to
see the need to address this growing problem.
However, a deferral program is a poor choice.
While it looks good "on paper," the majority of homeowners will rarely
take advantage of a deferral. Why you may ask? A deferral is a nice word
for attaching a "lien" to our properties. An assessor will tell you that
although there have been many opportunities for such deferrals for many
years, families rarely take advantage of them - parents especially are
loathe to leave this kind of burden to their heirs.
As you may know, in addition to deferrals, there are approximately 200
exemptions to our property tax system, which merely spreads the tax
burden onto everyone else. This is surely telling us the system is broken.
You are already aware of how our Ad Valorem system has affected - and
will continue to affect - Seniors, the Disabled, and our Veterans living
on fixed incomes who are, therefore, unable to increase their incomes to
keep up with appreciating property values (not to mention the affects to
low-income families which are not addressed in the contemplated deferral).
Contrary to what we have always been taught - to take care of what we
own - the current system penalizes us for pride in ownership. The better
we take care of our homes, the higher its value and the more we are taxed.
And last but not least, we are taxed year after year after year on
"profits" we cannot enjoy. If I were to buy stock at $10/share and were
lucky enough for it to now be valued at $100/share, the IRS would not
tax me on that income _until I sold my stock_. Not so with Washington's
draconian system of property tax. We are required to pay taxes on 100%
of fair market value */every single year/*. What a crushing burden on
families who only wish to live in their piece of the American Dream for
the remainder of their days.
I urge you and your colleagues to keep these facts in mind in your
discussions.
It certainly appears there is a looming (property) tax revolt. The time
has come to rethink our reliance on property tax.-END
As for our Property Tax Tea Party, organizing a charter bus to leave
from the Walmart parking lot in Sequim the morning of the event is
progressing and attendees are sending in their checks. Either refer to
our previous email or check our homepage for a link to the Proprty
Tax Tea Party Transportion details about the charter:
We're also hearing people are arranging
carpools and charter buses
in other counties.
November 22, 2007
Just received the following email which I am passing
along to you, however, before I do I want to explain a confusing component of this:
I-747 is about a 1% cap to LEVY INCREASES (something all voters vote on). And
I-747 up to this point is still in effect. So, realize that I-747, while extremely
important, still does nothing to address key flaws in our property tax system that
we've been complaining about all along:
1. We still have no way of predicting with any accuracy our future property
tax obligations - mainly due to increasing valuations (but also voter approved increases
(levies, lid lifts) - and that we will never have control over as everyone votes
on these but under our system, only property owners pay for).
2. For those worried about services and the rate of inflation: That's what
levies and lid lifts accomplish: when the people voted for I-747 which capped
LEVY INCREASES, they voted for more levies and lid lifts to make up the difference.
If I-747 is stuck down, the legislature and taxing districts in effect get to "double
dip" for taxes!
3. We still are penalized for pride in ownership. Any improvements we
make to our properties increases our property valuations.
4. We still are taxed year after year on appreciation of our homes (increase
in assessment value) but (unless we sell our home), we do not get to enjoy those
profits. That is taxing on unrealized gains and not even the IRS does this.
You buy stock @ $10/share, it goes to $100/share, you don't pay taxes on that income
unless you sell your stock...
Now, here is the email I'm passing along to you - and below is a very important
email from Tim Eyman to further explain what we're up against - and underscores
the imperative need for our Property Tax Tea Party - because our legislature is still
looking for ways around helping solve our property tax problems...
-BEGIN-
Take Action Now to Restore Tax Limits
The state Supreme Court has thrown out voter-approved limits on property tax increases,
saying the voters didnÕt understand what they were doing!
The Seattle Times reports that some local governments could cause property taxes
to skyrocket if the tax limit law is not immediately restored.
Bellevue has enough banked capacity that, coupled with the 6 percent allowable increase,
it could raise property-tax collections by nearly 50 percent, said King County Assessor
Scott Noble.
Seattle could increase tax collections by nearly 28 percent, while King County could
bring in 13 percent more tax revenue, Noble said. -- Seattle Times,
November 9, 2007
The Legislature will have a special session November 29 to deal with property tax
limits.
But some people want the Legislature to allow tax increases much higher than the
voter-approved limits.
We ALL need to tell the Governor and the Legislature:
1% means 1%!
Please act immediately to let them know that taxing and spending are out of control
and that they need to listen!
Go to the Washington
Farm Bureau Legislative Action Center to send
the message. There, you can easily locate your legislators and send a message
directly to them and the governor.
Let the politicians know youÕre watching -- and that 1% means 1%.
Tell them to restore the limits on taxes that the voters approved.
Act now, spread the word, and make sure Olympia gets the message.
4 Action Steps:
1. SEND
A MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE. Click
on Take Action.
2. SEND
A MESSAGE TO THE MEDIA. At the same action center,
you can select Media (in upper right corner) and choose the newspaper(s).
Then scroll to the bottom to Compose Message. Let the public know that people
are watching and want the tax limits restored immediately.
3. SHOW UP AND WATCH IN PERSON. The House Finance Committee will have a public
hearing at 8:15 AM November 29 in Hearing Room B of the OÕBrien Building.
The Senate Ways & Means Committee has not yet announced its hearing time. Hang
around and watch the House and Senate from the galleries. Let them know you
are watching! -END-
And here is Tim Eyman's message:
November 22, 2007
RE: KOMO 4's Bryan Johnson exposes Democrats' "1% fraud"
King County Assessor Scott Noble (Democrat) has repeatedly warned
lawmakers that the 1% doesn't fix the "disaster" (his words) that the
court's ruling created. Gregoire's bill promises a 1% property tax cap,
but it's not, it's 1% in name only because they're putting in a giant
gaping loophole by not repealing ALL unused taxing authority (banking
capacity). The Democrats clearly think the people and the press are
stupid and can't possibly understand something so complicated as banking
capacity. They're wrong.
KOMO 4's veteran reporter Bryan Johnson exposed the Democrats' 1%
fraud bill in Tuesday's broadcast:
Bryan Johnson: "The old warning: hold onto your wallet, the Legislature's
in session. Next week there's a difference. The Legislature is promising
to save you some bucks."
Democrat Lynn Kessler: "I think very quickly we'll pass 747 in its
original form."
Bryan Johnson: "747 is the initiative the state supreme court just threw
out. The one that limited property tax increases to 1% a year. Despite
the noise from Olympia, the Port of Seattle voted to increase its tax
collections 10.3%. The Port says without that money, trade couldn't grow
and there's more."
Port Commissioner Pat Davis (Democrat): "We couldn't probably do a lot of
the environmental investments we're making."
Bryan Johnson: "So how can a 10% boost fit within a 1% law? Because in
the past, some governments have not levied all the taxes they could have.
So they can use them now. And lawmakers won't stop them."
Democrat Lynn Kessler: "Not if it's within 747. If that's what the
people voted for, that's what they'll get."
Eyman: "And that's what's maddening. The voters voted for 1%, the
Legislature is promising 1%, but now they're telling everyone oh, we're
going to put a gaping loophole into this thing."
Bryan Johnson: "Whatever the Legislature does, whatever the Governor
does, prepare to reach for your wallet and pull out some money. After
all, all those new taxes by King County will remain in effect. The new
tax for ferries and the new tax to fight floods just passed last week will
remain in effect and add $62 to your tax bill. Lawmakers won't block
them. So when the Legislature meets next week, don't expect a 1% limit on
how much your property taxes might go up. Bryan Johnson, KOMO 4 news."
-- END --
As Governor Gregoire said to the AP: "Talk is cheap, but when you're
the one responsible to deliver results, you'd better do it right."
We agree. The Governor and the Legislature better do it right. And
it's a total fraud for the Governor and the Democrats to promise a 1% cap
and then pass a bill that isn't a 1% cap.
The governor continued: "I know local government has a compelling
argument, but we have citizens dealing with dramatic increases and I can't
see standing by and letting them get run out of their home."
We agree. The people are really struggling and the Governor is
promising to impose a 1% cap on property tax increases but her bill
doesn't do that. It's 1% in name only, it's not real, it's a fraud.
The governor also said: "Property taxpayers deserve consistency in
the administration and collection of taxes by all levels of government in
the state of Washington."
We agree. But her bill doesn't deliver consistency because it allows
governments to exceed the 1% by various amounts WITHOUT A VOTE OF THE
PEOPLE.
As Lynn Kessler said: "If that's what the people voted for, that's
what they'll get."
Yes, that's what should happen. The voters repealed banking capacity
in 2000 when they approved I-722's 2% cap. But then the voters went
further in 2001 and approved an even tighter 1% cap. The voters were
clear that 1% means 1% and that anything higher than 1% requires voter
approval. Gregoire's bill doesn't do that.
As Speaker Chopp said: "I believe the voters knew what they were
doing. The voters were clear about their decision. We should respect
that."
Then prove it. Voters repealed banking authority when they approved
I-722 - as he said, the voters were clear about their decision. The
voters approved a 1% cap - as he said, the Legislature should respect
that. The voters expect a 1% cap because the Governor and Legislature are
promising a 1% cap, but the bill they're pushing isn't a 1% cap. They're
putting a giant gaping loophole in it that allows governments to go over
1% WITHOUT A VOTE OF THE PEOPLE.
The voters deserve and expect Governor Gregoire and the Legislature
to pass a bill that delivers what they're promising. The voters deserve
and expect politicians' actions to match their words. Unless their bill
repeals ALL unused taxing authority (banked capacity) and wipes the slate
clean so 1% means 1%, then they deserve nothing but the voters' contempt
and disgust.
-- END --
November 19, 2007
There is a lot of information to get to you in this update as things are heating
up for our Property Tax Tea Party on the capital steps, January 14 @ 11 a.m.
This email will direct you to audio podcasts of the Dori Monson Radio Talk Show (KIRO
710) which aired on November 8 & 9, right after the I-747 strikedown. Go
to our website homepage and click on
the top link to the Dori Monson show. That will take you to Dori Monson's website.
Look for the "Podcasts" link on the left hand side of your screen.
(Note: you may have to refresh/reload our homepage to find this new link). Each of
the four shows lasts about 35 minutes because commercials have been removed.
I urge you to listen to all four shows.
Dori was overwhelmed by callers and interviewed legislators (Rep. Lynn Kessler),
the King County Assessor - Scott Noble, Tim Eyman, and the VP of Research of the
Washington Policy Center, among others, about the "disastrous" effects
of the strikedown of Initiative 747 and what it means to our upcoming property tax
obligations. The repercussions of this Supreme Court ruling have far reaching
effects.
According to King County Assessor Scott Noble, the day the Supreme Court made their
ruling, he was already receiving calls from taxing districts saying, "I want
it all and I want to be first in line. This decision is a disaster."
In some cases, taxing districts want to raise property taxes 20% in 2008!
Our government has made a practice of ignoring the will of the people (i.e. reversing
I-747, authorizing a baseball stadium the voters turned down, ignoring 3 votes for
a $30 car tab) and this (should be) the last straw!
Our legislature could have fixed the problem created by the Supreme Court decision
last session and they DID NOT!
This same Supreme Court is the same court that recently ruled it lawful to outright
lie about your political opponent!
This legislature has just had the biggest spending increase in state history.
The strikedown of I-747 in essence lets tax revenue districts "double dip"
for taxes. Voters approved property tax increases (always a right of the people)
to "make up" for lost revenue due to the I-747 levy cap. NOW, they
will keep those voter approved increases AND can invoke their right to banked capacity
tax dollars (already approved but uncollected tax dollars that will greatly increase
our property taxes) - if this strikedown stands. Even a change to a 2%
cap is a 100% increase!
The ripple effect of this ruling is incalculable! People will lose their homes
and the increase of supply on the real estate market will negatively affect the value
of our homes. Those who must sell will become renters (who have even less rights
than property owners), the demand for apartments will increase and thus the cost
of rents will rise!
Added to this outrage: this legislative session is a short one and we're already
hearing from legislators that they may not have enough time to address property taxes!
NOW MORE THAN EVER: WE MUST TELL OUR LEGISLATORS: "NO MORE - THIS
GRAVY TRAIN IS STOPPING."
Do all you can to get to Olympia for our Property Tax Tea Party beginning at 11 a.m.
on January 14. More details will follow in future updates. This will
be a general property tax protest (for those who aren't fans of the predictable tax
approach). Send this email to every one in the state you know!
The Dori Monson radio show was filled with calls from homeowners who will now lose
their homes, their piece of the American Dream. How can we not take a stand?
In the meantime, send an e-mail to your Representatives, Senators and the Governor
(even better to call! The Governor's office phone number is 360.902.4111) to
demand a special session in support of the voter's intent of I-747. This reinstatement
must be made by November 30! For general representative contact info, go to
our website home page and click on the link, "How do I contact my representatives."
The governor has shown interest and sympathy in words to fix the problem in January...after
local authorities impose their greedy tax measures.
November 19, 2007
There is a lot of information to get to you in this update
as things are heating up for our Property Tax Tea Party on the capital steps, January
14 @ 11 a.m.
This email will direct you to audio podcasts of the Dori Monson Radio Talk Show (KIRO
710) which aired on November 8 & 9, right after the I-747 strikedown. Go
to our website homepage and click on the top link to the Dori Monson show.
That will take you to Dori Monson's website. Look for the "Podcasts"
link on the left hand side of your screen. (Note: you may have to refresh/reload
our homepage to find this new link). Each of the four shows lasts about 35 minutes
because commercials have been removed.
I urge you to listen to all four shows.
Dori was overwhelmed by callers and interviewed legislators (Rep. Lynn Kessler),
the King County Assessor - Scott Noble, Tim Eyman, and the VP of Research of the
Washington Policy Center, among others, about the "disastrous" effects
of the strikedown of Initiative 747 and what it means to our upcoming property tax
obligations. The repercussions of this Supreme Court ruling have far reaching
effects.
According to King County Assessor Scott Noble, the day the Supreme Court made their
ruling, he was already receiving calls from taxing districts saying, "I want
it all and I want to be first in line. This decision is a disaster."
In some cases, taxing districts want to raise property taxes 20% in 2008!
Our government has made a practice of ignoring the will of the people (i.e. reversing
I-747, authorizing a baseball stadium the voters turned down, ignoring 3 votes for
a $30 car tab) and this (should be) the last straw!
Our legislature could have fixed the problem created by the Supreme Court decision
last session and they DID NOT!
This same Supreme Court is the same court that recently ruled it lawful to outright
lie about your political opponent!
This legislature has just had the biggest spending increase in state history.
The strikedown of I-747 in essence lets tax revenue districts "double dip"
for taxes. Voters approved property tax increases (always a right of the people)
to "make up" for lost revenue due to the I-747 levy cap. NOW, they
will keep those voter approved increases AND can invoke their right to banked capacity
tax dollars (already approved but uncollected tax dollars that will greatly increase
our property taxes) - if this strikedown stands. Even a change to a 2%
cap is a 100% increase!
The ripple effect of this ruling is incalculable! People will lose their homes
and the increase of supply on the real estate market will negatively affect the value
of our homes. Those who must sell will become renters (who have even less rights
than property owners), the demand for apartments will increase and thus the cost
of rents will rise!
Added to this outrage: this legislative session is a short one and we're already
hearing from legislators that they may not have enough time to address property
taxes!
NOW MORE THAN EVER: WE MUST TELL OUR LEGISLATORS: "NO MORE - THIS
GRAVY TRAIN IS STOPPING."
Do all you can to get to Olympia for our Property Tax Tea Party beginning at 11 a.m.
on January 14. More details will follow in future updates. This will
be a general property tax protest (for those who aren't fans of the predictable tax
approach). Send this email to every one in the state you know!
The Dori Monson radio show was filled with calls from homeowners who will now lose
their homes, their piece of the American Dream. How can we not take a stand?
In the meantime, send an e-mail to your Representatives, Senators and the Governor
(even better to call! The Governor's office phone number is 360.902.4111) to
demand a special session in support of the voter's intent of I-747. This reinstatement
must be made by November 30! For general representative contact info, go to
our website home page and click on the link, "How do I contact my representatives."
The governor has shown interest and sympathy in words to fix the problem in
January...after local authorities impose their greedy tax measures.
Now, about our protest on the capital steps:
Does anyone out there know of a PA system we could borrow for this event? We
need one desperately.
Transportation to the event:
For those who are unable to drive or cannot organize a car pool, we are organizing
a charter bus for people on the Olympic Peninsula......
The most highly recommended charter bus company is:
Silver City Tours & Charters out of Bremerton WA
47 passengers $950.00 + tip ( approx $22.00 per person including tip)
59 passengers $1100.00 + tip
This price is round trip from Sequim
Payment in full is required 2 weeks in advance.
Unfortunately, Jill and I do not have funds to "pre buy" the charter.
So, please contact us immediately and/or send your check to our post office box:
Predictable Tax, P. O. Box 1835, Sequim 98382.
We would need deposits immediately to hold this bus (and can't do that until checks
have cleared). If we do not have enough reservations to fill the bus, we will
be making notes of those who have paid and will arrange to return your money to you
- or give you the option of dividing the total cost between fewer people. You
can make your checks payable to Jill Willauer.
And for those in all other areas other than the Peninsula, here are some charter
bus companies you and your neighbors, friends, and families can contact to arrange
your own charter::
US Coachways 1-800-359-5991 Michelle ext 223 - Deluxe motor coach
Journey Lines- Lynnwood WA - 425-771-8336- Deluxe motor coach
Seattle Portland Express -Seattle WA - 206-526-6841 -Deluxe motor coach
Seattle Charter Express- Seattle WA- 206-525-1111-Deluxe motor coach
NA Charters- Snohomish WA -866-840-0757- Deluxe motor coach
Royal Granite Van Service - Anacortes Wa - 360-299-8371- Deluxe motor coach
Chinook Charter Service- Everett Wa - 425-259-3262 - Deluxe motor coach
All Star Transportation - Everett Wa - 425-742-2320 - Deluxe motor coach
I'm sure there are other companies that service all corners of the state. A
Google search should be helpful.
*****
November 17, 2007
So much to pass along to you. The newspapers all over the state are brimming
with stories on property tax, I-747, I-960, 4204 (school levy amendment), special
sessions, you name it. Talk radio has weighed in also.
I have been doing a lot of preliminary work on our capital steps event. We're
looking for a catchy name and so far I've come up with: Property Tax Tea Party.
If you think you have a better one (it must be short, sweet, something the media
can grab onto), please send your suggestions along.
Already I've received word that our legislators are playing the "short session"
card. As in 2006, the 2008 session is, I believe, about a month shorter.
So I've gotten word that "they may not have time to get to the property tax
issue!" So despite lip service to the contrary, that's another reason
we need to be there on the capital steps on January 14!
I've also heard there is talk amongst the legislators of instituting a state income
tax to take some of the pressure off homeowners. I don't know about you, but
personally, I'd rather see a sales tax increase than an income tax and here's why:
We have to work, so we have no choice on taxes to our incomes. But we do have
a choice on what we buy, when we buy, and where we buy it. Increasing the sales
tax seems more equitable to me. Plus, sales tax would include dollars spent
by tourists and visitors and I don't see that as negatively affecting tourism.
Added costs for visitors and tourists rarely stops people from having a good time,
as evidenced by the last few summer's huge increase in gasoline prices. Ever
been to Disneyland? It costs a small fortune. Ever hear people there
complain about the cost? Well, maybe they do - but they still visit the
Magic Kingdom....
But sales tax and income tax are in the early stages of being discussed by the legislature,
so who knows where that would or could go. Although I have been told that the
people of Washington have voted on instituting income tax in the past and the voters
said: NO!
Regarding the passage of 4204, the simplemajority amendment for school levy increases,
this was definitely NOT a landslide victory. It barely squeaked through, narrowly
avoiding a recount and was defeated in Clallam County. I've been doing some
research and here are a few of the things I've found out:
*Washington is mandated by the state to FULLY FUND education - but over the years
the legislature has continually shifted more of their responsibility to property
owners. To read the full constitutional text: Washington State Constitution then scroll down to Article IX.
*By making school levies easier to pass, it is now easier for the state to further
abrogate their constitutional responsibility for funding to property owners.
(Perhaps the Board of Education should be pressuring the legislature for answers
regarding this abrogation.)
*The legislature determines the percentage the revenue districts (property taxes)
must "make up" for m&o. Currently it's around 24%.
*It is my opinion that the legislators knew this would be the result of 4204 - they
were the ones who made sure it reached the ballot, and perhaps they intended this
to free up funds for pet projects (instead of following constitutional requirements
for funding education).
*Maintenance & operations levies fund: hiring teachers, purchasing equipment,
books, desks etc.
*They do not fund construction (which still requires a 60% supermajority to pass).
*What about the Washington Lottery? Visit their website: Washington State Lottery.
I especially found the second paragraph under "Bonds and Levies: What's the
difference" interesting.
Regarding the strikedown of I-747:
My sources tell me the mechanism for the Supreme Court overturning this initiative
was making their decision based solely on the legal aspect of the text of the
initiative versus a justice standpoint because the voter pamphlet description
was absolutely clear and, therefore, voters understood exactly what they were voting
for. So the letter of the law gets in the way of justice being created.
Due to this decision, it is possible for taxing districts to invoke the use of "banked
capacity" (funds not yet used and not yet collected from property owners) -
especially if they fear loss of funds in the next go round. Several districts
are already lining up to ask for 6%.
I have just posted several recent articles on the In The News page of this
website.
As I've said recently, this is NOT a partisan issue, it is an American Dream issue. But
I cannot be held responsible for any slant in reporting - I'm just the messenger.
One organization you may find chock full of useful information: The Washington
Policy Center. Here is their mission statement:
"The Washington Policy Center (WPC) is a nonpartisan, free-market, state-based
think tank in Seattle, Washington, that publishes studies, sponsors events and conferences,
and educates citizens on public policy issues facing Washington state. The mission
of the CGR is to partner with stakeholders and citizens to work toward a government
focused on its core functions while improving its transparency, accountability, performance,
and effectiveness for taxpayers."
In the WPC email, they link to resources "to help Washingtonians stay up to
date on the hot topics facing the state.... By staying actively informed, citizens
will be well equipped to make informed decisions and hold our elected officials accountable
for their actions."
A popular Government without popular information or the means of acquiring it,
is but a prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever
govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves
with the power knowledge gives.Ó ~ James Madison
We are on their email list. You may want to visit their website and request to be
added. I am reprinting below the info in their latest email, unfortunately I cannot
provide links, so if a particular article seems interesting to you, other than contacting
the WPC, you could probably find it with a Google search.
Washington Votes for Fiscal Discipline,
against Tax Increases, 11/9/07, WPC
Gregoire puts a number on it, 11/9/07, Spokesman Review Blog
Hearing Dino's footsteps, 11/9/07, Tacoma News Tribune Blog
One percent back from the dead, 11/9/07, WPC Blog
Sounds like the Governor heard the
voters, 11/8/07, WPC Blog
Are voters stupid?, 11/8/07, WPC Blog
Save today or pay tomorrow, 11/6/07, WPC Blog
Tax principles,
11/5/07, WPC Blog
I-960's effects on taxes argued, 11/2/07, Everett Herald
Washingtonians Getting Results from
State Government, 11/1/07, Governor Gregoire
It's the great pumpkin tax, 10/31/07, Olympian
Carving or eating?, 10/31/07, WPC Blog
Washington flunks public records
test, 10/30/07, WPC Blog
Supreme Court shatters the people's
will, 11/13/07, Seattle Times
Despite courts, voters will get
their tax cap, 11/13/07, Tacoma News Tribune
Democrats say they'll reinstate
1% tax cap, 11/10/07, Seattle Times
Don't even think about ignoring
voters on I-747, 11/9/07, Everett Herald
State Supreme Court blew it on I-747, 11/9/07, KOMO 4
Higher taxes? Court clears way, 11/9/07, Seattle Times
A disastrous ruling on Initiative
747, 11/9/07, Tacoma News Tribune
Court tosses I-747, but 1 percent
cap should stick, 11/9/07, Yakima Herald
Republic
State Supreme Court rules I-747
unconstitutional, 11/9/07, Tacoma News Tribune
Lawmakers can only blame selves
for I-960, 11/9/07, Tacoma News Tribune
State shows conservative side, 11/8/07, Everett Herald
Olympia braces for effect of Eyman's
I-960, 11/8/07, Seattle PI
Reading the election's tea leaves, 11/8/07, Seattle Times
The sales pitch didn't work, 11/8/08, Wenatchee World
Property tax limit rejected, 11/8/07, Seattle PI
Voters advise no increase in car
tab fee, 11/7/07, Yakima Herald Republic
Huge roads-transit plan gets trounced, 11/7/07, Seattle Times
Voters favor insurance bill, rainy-day
fund; Eyman's anti-tax measure passing, 11/7/07,
Seattle Times
ItÕs their task to put a
price tag on education, 11/6/07, Tacoma News
Tribune
Port could raise taxes for rail
corridor, 11/3/07, Seattle PI
Be fair and tax them all, 11/2/07, Wenatchee World
A little disclosure now or a lot
of explaining later, 11/5/07, Tacoma News Tribune
National study gives Washington
a big, fat "F" in easing access to government information, 11/4/07, Seattle Times
Councilmen seek better disclosure, 11/2/07, Tacoma News Tribune
'Dropout factory' at some state
schools, 10/29/07, Seattle PI
State Supreme Court (11/9/07): Wash.
Citizens Action of Wash. v. State (1 percent property
tax cap); Dissent
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm also reprinting excepts from the latest newsletter from the Tim Eyman group (and
again, I am not intending the inclusion of this information as a political statement
in either direction, simply passing along information):
"The majority party always sets the agenda" -- that pearl of wisdom came
from a long-time observer of Olympia....Senator Don Benton is circulating a petition
to get the Legislature to call a one-day special session. He recognizes that legislators
will be in Olympia anyway for a pre-scheduled 'committee assembly' on November 28th,
29th, and 30th and so it won't cost taxpayers one additional dollar to do it then.
Democrat Christopher Hurst and Republican Ed Orcutt are co-sponsoring the bill reinstating
the people's 1% property tax cap, without loopholes, and repealing the 'unused banked
capacity' crisis that's been repeatedly highlighted by King County Assessor Scott
Noble (a Democrat). They're joining hands on behalf of the people and they don't
care who gets the credit.
Our state's crushing property tax problem isn't a Democrat problem or a Republican
problem -- it's a problem every taxpayer faces and they want their representatives
to solve it. Even with I-747's protections, taxpayers are really, really struggling
right now. Reinstating the people's 1% property tax cap, without loopholes, and repealing
the accumulated taxing capacity created by the court's ruling will go a long way
in helping the taxpayers. And taxpayers/voters reward representatives who can set
aside their egos to do what's right for the people.
As Assessor Scott Noble warned in yesterday's Seattle Times, January is too late
- unless taken care of by November 30th, all 2008 property tax hikes are irreversible.
There are over 1700 local governments in Washington and none of them could care less
what the Governor has asked them to do - they've been screwed over by state government
for years and they owe them nothing. Local governments know this window is closing
fast and they've gotta get while the gettin's good.
The people want this resolved now. There's no good reason to delay; there's not a
single excuse for not doing a special session. Legislators are being paid to be in
Olympia anyway -- before legislators take care of their priorities at 'committee
assembly', they need to resolve the people's priority: reinstating the 1% cap, without
loopholes, no later than November 30th to protect the taxpayers.
Governor, ... You promised a special session if local governments ignored your plea.
King County, Port of Seattle, City
of Shoreline, and City of Olympia (and no doubt others) ignored you. Keep your promise
-- call a special session...do what the people want. -END of reprint-
******
November 8, 2007
First, the good news: if the numbers hold, it looks like the school levy amendment,
4204 has gone down in defeat. And the Eyman Initiative 960, which prevents legislators
from using the emergency clause to pass tax increases without approval from voters,
has been approved. That's the good news.
This morning, the state supreme court struck down Eyman's Initiative 747.
This initiative capped /levy/ increases to 1% per year and it was due to this Initiative
that our proposed "Predictable Tax" Amendment was benign. As long as I-747
is in play, capping property tax assessments does not take one penny out of revenue
district coffers which fund services and schools. I am sure there will be a continued
fight to reinstate I-747, but a favorable outcome is not assured. And that is why
property owners from all over the state must tell our legislators, "We aren't
made of money, so spend our tax dollars frugally and wisely." Simply put, voters
are fed up with rampant tax increases!
So, as you will see after reading the newspaper articles reprinted for you below,
*now more than ever*, our capital steps protest on January 14 has got to be a success!
Failure is not an option!
After Thanksgiving, my dialing fingers will go into overtime, attempting to get coverage
on major radio talk shows and interviews with the press to promote the event for
protesters and press. I have already secured the capital steps as required.
November 5, 2007
The following letter was written in response to a letter to the editor which apeared
in the Peninsula Daily News on October 29 (see below). To date it has not been published,
so it is being published here:
Mr. Marsh's attempted game of "Gotcha" to cloud the facts is based on not
listening: I answered his same question at the PABA meeting.
Yes, our approach to solving our property tax problems is also a constitutional change
- which is indeed practically irreversible. The difference: 4204 is a virtual guarantee
of raising property taxes while ours would give some degree of predictability so
you can budget (and retire!). Our consistent stance is reining in runaway property
taxes.
Most property taxes are voter approved. A simple majority for police, fire, and emergency
service directly benefits us all, while education taxes do not.
The schools are certainly well-funded: $13 billion for only 1 million students. We're
spending more money on education and more per student than ever in state history.
But we're educating fewer students than 30 years ago! With all that money, our children
are still deficient in math - ask an employer. Lowering the bar by making it easier
to raise our taxes removes incentive for accountability and most importantly improvement.
This amendment makes no guarantees for improvement.
I am certainly not anti-tax. I would simply like some guarantee that our taxes go
directly to the classroom, not perpetuating the decline of the state's constitutional
responsibility of funding education - which has been the case. While local funding
has doubled.
Emerson also said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know!" Mary Mary
Quite Contrary Mr. Marsh, but instead of writing comedy, speak to the facts.
Peninsula Daily News
Anti-Tax Group Critic
Monday, October 29
You gotta love the humor that the Property Owners for Predictable Tax Now folk bring
to the political process.
First, they propose to amend our state constitution to make people whose houses are
not going up in value very fast pay taxes for people whose houses are moving them
toward being millionaires.
This would happen because they want to amend the constitution to limit property tax
assessments to 1 percent yearly increases.
After all, if your taxes are thousands of dollars less than they would have been
under the current system, you might want to take an extra
vacation in Hawaii.
Now group spokeswoman Shelley Taylor is speaking out opposing the simple majority
for school levies because it would require us to make an "irreversible"
change to our state constitution, according to their website, www.predictabletax.com.
She seems to be citing the changes as a major if not the major reason for opposing
the change to a simple majority.
Emerson said that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
Maybe Halloween is just the right time for foolishness and inconsistency.
Bill Marsh
Port Angeles
*****
October 23, 2007
The following is a speech I delivered today at the Port Angeles Business Association
meeting regarding EHJR 4204, the amendment which would change school levy passage
requirements from a supermajority to a simplemajority:
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. IÕM GLAD TO HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE - BECAUSE
THIS AFFECTS EVERY ONE OF US WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE CHILDREN.
ALL OF US PAY PROPERTY TAXES, EITHER ON OUR HOMES OR BUSINESSES, EITHER AS THE OWNER
OF PROPERTY OR AS A RENTER WHOSE LANDLORD PASSES ALONG PROPERTY TAXES.
AS BUSINESS OWNERS, CONCERN FOR PERFORMANCE AND BUDGET IS AN IMPERATIVE. SOMETIMES
INVESTING ADDITIONAL FUNDS INTO YOUR BUSINESS BEARS FRUIT.
BUT IF ALL YOUÕRE DOING IS SPENDING MORE AND MORE CAPITAL, AND STILL
YOUR BUSINESS IS UNDERPERFORMING, THEN, ITÕS ONLY GOOD BUSINESS TO
STEP BACK AND ASSESS YOUR APPROACH.
AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS LACKING IN OUR STATEÕS EDUCATION SYSTEM: WE NEED
TO REASSESS OUR APPROACHES. WE NEED A MECHANISM FOR ASSESSING PERFORMANCE - AND
A PROTOCOL FOR IMPLEMENTING IMPROVEMENTS.
IN ADDITION, TAXING DISTRICTS MUST LEARN TO CONTROL THEIR RATE OF GROWTH, AND LAWMAKERS
HAVE THAT POWER.
TAKING THE MOMENTOUS STEP OF ALTERING OUR STATE CONSTITUTION TO FIX THE PROBLEM OF
THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION OUR STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING IS UNWISE. UNWISE BECAUSE,
NOT ONLY IS THIS DRASTIC MEASURE PREMATURE, BUT CHANGING THE CONSTITUTION IS A PERMANENT
CHANGE - FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES THERE WILL BE NO GOING BACK.
AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS AMENDMENT DOES NOTHING TO GUARANTEE IMPROVEMENT
IN THE SYSTEM.
BUT IT IS A VIRTUAL GUARANTEE OF HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES - WHICH HAS A DETRIMENTAL
EFFECT ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING. AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A HOT TOPIC AND NECESSARILY SO.
THIS LAW WILL FURTHER PUT HOME OWNERSHIP OUT OF REACH FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES AND
WILL JEOPARDIZE HOME OWNERSHIP FOR SENIORS WHO ARE PAST THEIR HIGH EARNING YEARS
AND LIVING ON FIXED INCOMES.
CURRENTLY, THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF OUR PAYCHECKS GO ENTIRELY TO TAXES.
PROPERTY TAX CARES NOT ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO PAY. THE WIDOW WITH TWO CHILDREN
MUST PAY THE SAME AS WHEN HER HUSBAND WAS ALIVE AND WORKING.
A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IS FUNDED BY BABY BOOMERS.
THERE IS A TREND IN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW: SENIORS ARE SELLING OFF THEIR
LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES TO INVESTORS - IN ORDER TO PAY FOR PROPERTY TAXES AND MEDICATIONS.
78 MILLION BABY BOOMERS ARE BEGINNING TO RETIRE AND WILL BE EXISTING ON FIXED INCOMES.
BECAUSE OF THE SUBPRIME CRISIS, THOUSANDS OF BORROWERS ARE EXPECTED TO LOSE THEIR
HOMES DURING THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT THE REVENUE GENERATED BY PROPERTY TAXES.
THE TIME IS COMING WHERE THE PIPER MUST BE PAID.
AS CO-FOUNDER OF PROPERTY OWNERS FOR PREDICTABLE TAX NOW, MY MAIL IS FILLED WITH
SAD STORIES OF FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES AND
ARE NOW BEING FORCED TO LEAVE THOSE COMMUNITIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE LITERALLY BEEN
TAXED OUT OF THEIR HOMES. THEY SIMPLY CAN NO LONGER COME UP WITH THE FUNDS TO PAY
THEIR PROPERTY TAXES.
SITUATIONS SUCH AS THESE ARE EXACTLY WHY OUR CONSTITUTION STIPULATES A SUPERMAJORITY.
IT WAS ADDED TO OUR CONSTITUTION IN THE 1930S BECAUSE IT WAS FELT THAT SCHOOL LEVIES
BENEFITED A NARROW SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION - WHILE UNFAIRLY SPREADING THE BURDEN
TO MANY.
THAT CONCERN IS EVEN MORE VALID TODAY.
AND I TAKE EXCEPTION TO THE STATEMENT THAT A SUPERMAJORITY REQUIREMENT UNDEMOCRATIC.
THERE ARE SEVERAL INSTANCES IN OUR COUNTRYÕS CONSTITUTION THAT REQUIRE A SUPERMAJORITY
VOTE. AND THOSE REQUIREMENTS HAVE NEVER BEEN ALTERED.
THIS AMENDMENT WOULD MAKE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THE EXCEPTION TO A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL
PROVISION THAT REQUIRES GOVERNMENTS TO LIMIT THEIR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS LEVIES
TO 1 PERCENT OF ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUES -UNLESS 60% OR MORE OF VOTERS APPROVE.
EXEMPTING SCHOOLS WOULD MAKE HIGHER TAXES MUCH MORE LIKELY.
THIS AMENDMENT WOULD ALSO OVERTURN ANOTHER REQUIREMENT OF OUR CONSTITUTION:
SCHOOL DISTRICT LEVIES REQUIRE PARTICIPATION FROM AT LEAST 40% OF VOTERS WHO CAST
A BALLOT IN THE PREVIOUS GENERAL ELECTION, MEANING ONLY 24% OF THE NUMBER
OF THOSE VOTERS ARE REQUIRED TO APPROVE A LEVY THAT IMPACTS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT AND
ITS PROPERTY OWNERS.
IF THE SCHOOLS GET THIS CHANGE, IT OPENS THE DOOR FOR OTHER TAXING
DISTRICTS TO DO THE SAME.
A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF OUR PROPERTY TAX BILLS ARE A RESULT OF VOTER APPROVED TAX
INCREASES. PROPERTY TAX REVENUES ALREADY INCREASED BY $414 MILLION IN 2007, MORE
THAN THE 1% LIMIT IMPOSED BY INITIATIVE 747.
THE MISCONCEPTION IS THAT MOST LEVIES FAIL.
AND NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
IN 2006, 271 OUT OF 279 DISTRICTS PASSED LEVIES.
AND THERE IS A REASON FOR THAT: THE SCHOOL BOARDS ARE SAVVY.
THE SCHOOL BOARDS KNOW THAT FEBRUARY ELECTIONS HAVE A LOW VOTER TURNOUT - SO IT IS
BY DELIBERATE DESIGN SCHOOLS LEVIES ARE TYPICALLY PLACED ON THE FEBRUARY BALLOT -
WHEN PASSAGE IS VIRTUALLY GUARANTEED.
SINCE 2000 THERE HAS BEEN A LEVY SUCCESS RATE OF 98.2%. HARDLY A CRISIS THAT NECESSITATES
A CHANGE IN OUR CONSTITUTION.
EVEN WITH SUCH A PHENOMENAL RATE OF SUCCESS, THE SCHOOLS AND THE LABOR UNIONS
ARE PUSHING THIS AMENDMENT WITH A WELL-FUNDED AD CAMPAIGN.
OUR CONSTITUTION REQUIRES THE STATE TO PROVIDE FOR OUR SCHOOLÕS BASIC
NEEDS.
HOWEVER, SINCE 1986 THE STATE HAS BEEN PUSHING MORE AND MORE SCHOOL FUNDING RESPONSIBILITY
ONTO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS - AND ITÕS DOUBLED - WHILE THE STATEÕS
FUNDING HAS DECLINED.
CHANGING THE CONSTITUTION TO A SIMPLE MAJORITY SIMPLY FURTHER WIDENS DISPARITIES
IN PER-PUPIL FUNDING BASED ON LOCAL PROPERTY WEALTH.
PASSING THIS AMENDMENT WILL ACCELERATE THAT TREND.
WHAT IS NEEDED IS A SYSTEM THAT REQUIRES ACCOUNTABILITY AND MEASURES THE QUALITY
OF EDUCATION OUR CHILDREN ARE RECEIVING.
THERE IS NONE IN THE CURRENT SYSTEM. CHANGING THE CONSTITUTION TO A SIMPLE MAJORITY
FURTHER REMOVES ANY HOPE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY.
AS HAS BEEN THE RESULT OF THE PASS/FAIL APPROACH TO GRADES, IF YOU DO NOT RAISE THE
BAR, IF YOU REMOVE ALL INCENTIVES FOR EXCELLENCE.....THERE IS NOTHING PUSHING YOU
TO IMPROVE. MORE DOLLARS DOES NOT TRANSLATE TO BETTER RESULTS.
ANOTHER CONCERN: THERE IS NO WORDING IN THIS AMENDMENT THAT GUARANTEES INCREASED
FUNDING WILL GO TO THE CLASSROOM.
WHEN VOTERS APPROVE A LEVY INCREASE, THEY ARE APPROVING THE EXACT WORDING OF THAT
LEGISLATION, NOT SOUND BITES AND CAMPAIGN SLOGANS. THE CURRENT AD CAMPAIGN IN FAVOR
OF THIS AMENDMENT STATES: MORE TEACHERS, SMALLER CLASSROOMS, BETTER TECHNOLOGY, UPDATED
BOOKS. BUT IF NOT SPECIFICALLY STATED IN THE TEXT, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE OF
THIS. AND THOSE STATEMENTS ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY STATED IN THE TEXT OF THIS
AMENDMENT, NOR ARE THEY TYPICALLY STATED IN THE TEXT OF LEVY INCREASES.
WASHINGTON SCHOOLS ALREADY RECEIVE AMPLE FUNDING: $13 BILLION DOLLARS IN A BUDGET
CYCLE FOR ONLY ONE MILLION STUDENTS.
WE ARE SPENDING MORE MONEY PER STUDENT (ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION) THAN ANY TIME
IN STATE HISTORY.
WE ARE SPENDING MORE OF OUR TAX DOLLARS ON EDUCATION THAN ANY TIME IN STATE
HISTORY.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE EDUCATING FEWER CHILDREN THAN 30 YEARS AGO.
BARELY HALF OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ARE TEACHERS.
WE ALL KNOW WE HAVE A TREMENDOUSLY HIGH DROP OUT RATE.
UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM:
LESS THAN 60% OF ALL EDUCATION DOLLARS GO TO CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.
THERE ARE BUILT-IN ROADBLOCKS FOR INNOVATION AND INGENUITY.
IT IS ILLEGAL TO HIRE AN EXPERT, BILL GATES OR FORMER GOV GARY LOCK, FOR INSTANCE,
AS A TEACHER.
SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, WHO WOULD BE THE LOGICAL FINAL WORD, DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO
HIRE OR FIRE.
SCHOOL PRINCIPALS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CONTROL 95% OF THEIR BUDGETS.
UNDER THE CURRENT SYSTEM:
IT IS ILLEGAL TO PAY AN OUTSTANDING TEACHER A BONUS.
THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO APPROACH THE QUALITY OF OUR SCHOOLS.
MORE IMPORTANT THAN MORE TAX DOLLARS IS TAKING CARE OF THE LARGER PROBLEM:
MANAGEMENT OF THE SYSTEM.
A RECENT WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE ENTITLED MONEY FOR NOTHINGÓ DISCUSSED
THE FOLLY OF BLINDLY THROWING GOOD MONEY AFTER BAD.
ACCORDING TO THE ORGANIZATION FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT, THE
UNITED STATES (AND ITALY) HAVE THE DUBIOUS DISTINCTION OF HAVING THE MOST INEFFICIENT
SCHOOLS SYSTEMS OUT OF THE WORLDÕS INDUSTRIAL COUNTRIES.
WE HAVE EXCESSIVE LAYERS OF MANAGEMENT.
COMPARED TO SAY, JAPAN, WE HAVE SO FEW SCHOOL DAYS THAT BY THE END OF THEIR
EDUCATION, JAPANESE CHILDREN RECEIVE AN IMPRESSIVE 4.2 MORE YEARS OF EDUCATION PER
STUDENT.
RECENTLY A COUNTRYWIDE STUDY WAS DONE BY THE NEW COMMISSION ON THE SKILLS OF THE
AMERICAN WORKFORCE. THEY ARE PROPOSING A BETTER WAY - ONE THAT WOULD SAVE
$60 BILLION DOLLARS BUT AT THE SAME TIME ATTRACT TOP TEACHERS BY OFFERING GOOD
SALARIES. AND ALL THIS WITHOUT FUNDS FROM PROPERTY TAXES.
THIS COMMISSION IS READY, WILLING, AND ABLE TO CONSULT, AND IN SOME INSTANCES, ASSIST
WITH FUNDING - TO MAKE CHANGES TO IMPROVE OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM.
AT THE VERY LEAST, ITÕS WORTHY OF INVESTIGATION.
I HAVE PERSONALLY INQUIRED IF ANYONE, GOVERNOR GREGOIRE, HER WASHINGTON LEARNS COMMISSION,
ANYONE - HAS REACHED OUT TO THIS RESOURCE. THEY HAVE NOT.
THE REAL ISSUE HERE IS THE QUALITY EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN. NOT AMENDING OUR CONSTITUTION.
WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THEIR PLACE IN THE WORLD. OUR CURRENT SYSTEM
IS SHAMEFULLY FAILING THAT.
PUTTING MORE AND MORE PRESSURE ON BUSINESS AND HOMEOWNERS IS NOT THE ANSWER.
BEFORE WE MAKE THE IRREVERSIBLE CHOICE TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION - FIRST INVESTIGATE
EVERY OTHER ALTERNATIVE. I BELIEVE LOOKING ANEW AT THE EDUCATION SYSTEM - ESPECIALLY
WHEN THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPLEMENTING CHANGE IF WE SIMPLY REACH OUT FOR IT
- SHOULD BE OUR FIRST PRIORITY.
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IS AN OPTION, BUT NOT NOW - NOT WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH
MORE WE CAN EXPLORE.
WE MUST TAKE THE TIME TO SEE IF WE CANÕT MAKE IT RIGHT BY FIRST MAKING BETTER
USE OF OUR CURRENT RESOURCES.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT. THE STATUS QUO KEEPS THAT PRESSURE
TO IMPROVE ON OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM.
CHILDREN ARE INDEED OUR FUTURE. AND THEY DESERVE OUR ABSOLUTE BEST EFFORTS.
CHANGING OUR STATE CONSTITUTION IS NOT THE ANSWER.
*****
October 17, 2007
Hello Fellow Homeowners & Renters,
You will be receiving your mail-in ballot any day now. One of the issues you will
be voting on (EHIR 4204) would amend our state constitution to change the school
levy passage requirement from a super majority to a simple majority.
Passage of this permanent change to our state constitution is a guarantee of high
property taxes.
The Sequim Gazette just ran an article on the 7.1% increase in property tax revenue,
an increase of almost $415 million. They go on to state, "Taxes on existing
properties increased more than the 1 percent limit imposed by Initiative 747 - chiefly
due to a large number of voter-approved tax increases."
Levy increases, as well as other voter-approved taxes, are a major portion of your
property tax bill.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, http://www.oecdwash.org/ABOUT/aboutmain.html,
American schools have the most inefficient school systems of the world's industrial
countries. They report our schools have excessive layers of management, instructional
time per pupil is less than other countries, nonteaching staff consume 10.2% more
resources than comparable countries. Please visit their website to learn more.
More money is NOT the answer to better education. Parents and schools must work together
before running to homeowners to fix their problems.
Case in point: a couple of weeks ago a local grammar school held a sale to liquidate
surplus equipment. These items were practically given away. These items were purchased
with your tax dollars. A quick search on Ebay found in many cases these items could
have brought ten times the amount they were sold for. At the very least, the school
could have turned these items over to an Ebay consignment store. This is only one
example of the waste of our hard-earned tax dollars. Schools as well as parents must
be proactive to insure their children's quality education and spend the funds they
receive wisely and frugally. It is not the responsibility of homeowners and renters.
We are working to make our Capital Steps Event a success. Please do what you can
to get yourself and everyone you know to Olympia on January 14, the first day of
session. We will keep you updated.
In the meantime, we will need you to bring placards with short catchy phrases about
unfair property taxes. Suggestions:
NO TAX ON UNREALIZED VALUE
UNFAIR TO SENIORS & LOW-INCOME
78 MILLION BOOMERS ON FIXED INCOME
WHO WILL FUND SERVICES WHEN GOLDEN GOOSE IS GONE
I'm sure you can be more clever and creative with wording than I, so go ahead and
express yourself.
We know this is a difficult time for citizens to travel to Olympia, especially with
concerns about travel conditions (makes one wonder if this were taken into consideration
by our elected officials). But the punishment for a failure of this event is death
to property tax reform. The press will have a field day if there aren't enough bodies
to make a visual statement.
We have added several articles to our "In the News" page. Go to our website,
www.predictabletax.com and click on the "In the News" link. There you will
find articles on appealing your property tax assessment, on the state of our schools
and education, and the coming revenue crisis when tens of thousands of baby boomers
retire (Retiring Baby Boomers Hasten Search for New Tax Revenue),
I'll leave you with this little ditty:
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries, then
Tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers,
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin ,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.
Put these words
upon his tomb,
" Taxes drove me to my doom..."
When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Sales Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge
Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous
in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle income group
in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
*****
September 1, 2007
Just who do these people think they're working for? And it could happen here in Washington
state - in fact it is: Washington state voters have been denied, by their elected
officials, a say in how their property taxes are assessed for forty years...and counting.
This Side of Paradise
The Wall Street Journal
By MALIA ZIMMERMAN
KAUAI, Hawaii -- The island of Kauai has long been a magnet for visitors from the
mainland as well as the main island. With white sand beaches and turquoise blue water,
the island on the northern edge of the Hawaiian chain looks like a picture-perfect
Hollywood set.
But there is trouble brewing on this island paradise. Last month, the state's Supreme
Court declared that voters do not have the power to
amend Kauai's County Charter to bring soaring property taxes down to a manageable
level. That power is to be reserved for the county's mayor and governing council.
The ruling serves as a warning for anyone, fresh from the beach, who is tempted to
buy that vacation home or retire to that ocean-front
property. In Kauai, owning a slice of heaven can be a tax hell.
The nightmare for Kauai's homeowners began innocently enough in the late 1990s --
as the island was beginning to enjoy the fruits of the
nationwide housing boom and the local economy finally recovered from Iniki, a devastating
Category 4 hurricane that struck on Sept. 11, 1992.
Iniki inflicted some $2.5 billion in damages, and it left many residents without
municipal water or electricity for weeks -- some went without
these government services for months.
By 1997, with little help from the outside world, residents had rebuilt their island
and the local real-estate market had begun to turn around.
With the reconstruction, new residents began moving in -- and Hollywood took notice.
Recognizing Kauai's raw beauty, producers shot movies here and celebrities bought
homes on the island's world-class beaches and emerald valleys. By the close of the
'90s, Kauai was becoming a major hot spot and local real estate was in high demand.
Not surprisingly, Kauai's real-estate prices skyrocketed, outstripping even the most
competitive mainland markets. Today, the subprime crisis
notwithstanding, the average price of a home on Kauai is $635,000. That's up sharply
from $299,000 in 2001. With this meteoric rise came a
similar rise in property taxes -- homeowners here, as elsewhere, pay a percentage
of their home's value in annual property taxes.
Many residents have seen their property taxes double or even triple since 2000. Arnold
Nurock, a local pediatrician who worked for decades
in the island's public health clinics, is one of them. In 2000, he paid $6,000. Three
years later, the bill grew to a staggering $18,000. So he
decided, like many of his neighbors, to do something about it.
Kauai County derives two-thirds of its income from property taxes. By 2005 -- with
only a modest increase in population -- the county
collected some $67 million in property taxes, up from $31 million in 1999. Mr. Nurock
and other residents formed an advocacy group called
Ohana Kauai (Ohana is Hawaiian for "family") and began pushing tax reform.
It's not been easy. In 2004, they collected 3,000 signatures and put on the ballot
an amendment to the county's charter that would do two
things. First it would roll property taxes back to what residents paid in 1998. Second,
it would limit future property tax increases to 2% a year.
The mayor of Kauai, Republican Bryan Baptiste, and Democratic council members, immediately
opposed the amendment and campaigned against it. They lost. Two out of every three
voters on the island voted for the amendment.
Kauai officials responded by trying to kill the amendment, spending $250,000 in tax
dollars to hire a lawyer from the main island and suing
to have the election overturned. And here, they won starting in 2005 when state Judge
George Masuoko ruled in County of Kauai ex rel.
Nakazawa v. Baptiste, that the amendment was actually a ballot initiative that repealed
a tax, something not permitted by the County Charter.
The Pacific Legal Foundation's Robert Thomas stepped in, arguing the case before
the Hawaii Supreme Court on Feb. 15, 2007, on behalf of four property owners. Honolulu
attorney Gary Slovin, for the county, countered that allowing people to vote on taxes
would create "chaos." A
few members of the County Council publicly agreed. The Hawaii Government Employees
Association, fearing government jobs held by union members might be cut, issued a
statement to say that giving residents power over taxes was an "absurd proposition."
Last month, despite Mr. Thomas's valiant efforts, Hawaii's state Supreme Court ruled
against Kauai taxpayers, 3-2. To support his 70-page
majority decision, Chief Justice Ronald Moon argued that property taxpayers have
no right to determine how much they are taxed. In
dissent, Justices Simeon Acoba and James Duffy said Mr. Moon's "manipulation"
created an "unwise and dangerous precedent." Mr. Acoba
wrote, "with all due respect, our role is to protect the judicial process, not
to subvert it."
There's little doubt here that the Supreme Court's decision is a blow to citizens
who want to hold our state's elected officials accountable. But
with a major victory at the ballot box blocked by the courts, the only recourse is
a constitutional convention. Hawaii is the only state that
reviews its state constitution periodically, and in next year's general election
Hawaiian voters must decide whether to hold a convention within the next decade.
But things don't bode well for this option either. Hawaii's last constitutional convention
was held in 1978, a landmark event which laid
the groundwork for today's modern Hawaiian state. There was almost another in 1998,
when voters approved holding a convention only to be
over-ruled by -- you guessed it -- the state Supreme Court. It decided that ballots
left "blank" on the question of a constitutional convention
should be counted as "no."
Is it any wonder then that Hawaii has the dubious distinction of having the nation's
highest overall tax burden? The national Small Business
Survival Index has rated Hawaii the "worst" place to operate a business.
Some here joke that state officials no longer agree with the Founding
Fathers when it comes to "taxation without representation." Still, many
understand that, even in paradise, power to the people, not the
government, is worth the fight.
*****
August 30, 2007
The Wall Street Journal
Property Tax Flood
The real battle of New Orleans.
The second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina arrived yesterday, with the White House
disclosing that U.S. taxpayers have chipped in no less than $127 billion (including
$13 billion in tax relief) to rebuild the Gulf region. That's more than the GDP of
most nations. But we thought we'd draw attention to a little-discussed issue in New
Orleans that may well determine how many residents ever return to their homes--to
wit, rising property taxes due to cleaner government, of all things.
Property taxes in the city are suddenly rising by hundreds and, in some cases, thousands
of dollars above what they were last year. As the Times-Picayune reported three years
ago, the city's system of assessing property values through seven different tax assessment
offices allowed city officials to play favorites. The homes of longtime residents
were assessed below homes that were recently sold. The proof was in the tax rolls:
Neighbors with similar homes often paid very different amounts in property taxes.
Following the Times-Picayune's series, the state ordered New Orleans to re-assess
property values throughout the city, and voters in one of the seven districts elected
reformer Nancy Marshall to be their tax assessor. Ms. Marshall has since taken the
lead in assessing homes at their fair market value--no more special favors.
The new tax assessments started coming out in late July, and, lo, they are up an
average 55% across the city. In Ms. Marshall's district they are up 68%. With higher
assessments come higher tax bills, something homeowners are learning to their dismay.
Since the beginning of the month, hundreds of homeowners have shown up at City Hall
to complain. Many have attempted to lower their tax bills the old-fashioned way--by
asking their tax assessor for special handling. Others are lobbying the City Council
to lower tax rates.
As it happens, the latter is also mandated by the Louisiana constitution. To stop
local governments from collecting tax windfalls when property values spike, the state
requires local governments to roll back property tax rates in hot housing markets.
But this being New Orleans, the city has followed the law in the past by cutting
property tax rates only to immediately raise them again. Mayor Ray Nagin refuses
to rule out playing the same game this year. His office wouldn't answer our questions
on the issue, referring us instead to the city's tax assessors.
Notwithstanding Mr. Nagin, there is an opportunity for leadership here. The biggest
threat facing New Orleans beyond another hurricane is that too few people will return
to the city. The city's population is about 60% of what it was pre-Katrina, and many
former residents still seem to prefer living in FEMA trailers to returning home.
High property taxes don't help. Or as former Governor Huey Long once quipped, "one
day the people of Louisiana are going to get good government--and they aren't going
to like it."
The City Council will likely cut property taxes and Council President Arnie Fielkow
is taking the lead in meeting with homeowners to discuss the issue. What the Council
must now decide is whether to give homeowners a strong reason not to flee the city
before their property tax bills come due later this year.
*****
August 28, 2007
SEQUIM RESIDENT URGES TAX CHANGE
Property Owners' Group Seeks 'Predictable' Cap on Assessments
Peninsula Daily News
By Evan Cael
PORT TOWNSEND - A group of about 10 people upset about their recent property reassessments
circled around Sequim resident Shelley Taylor during intermission at Monday's Jefferson
County commissioners meeting.
Taylor, speaking quickly and loudly, urged those dissatisfied with having their properties
revalued once every four years at 100 percent fair market value, to join her effort
to change the system.
Taylor is a leader of a group called Property Owners for Predictable Tax, which seeks
a change in state law to place a 1 percent annual cap on the increase in a home's
assessed value.
Instead of county assessors across the state valuing properties at market value -
called an ad valorem system - Taylor believes an acquisition-based system is fairer
to long-term property owners and provides more predictable property tax bills.
In an acquisition-based tax system, properties are revalued at market value only
when they are sold, she said.
Taylor showed up at Monday's commissioners meeting because she caught wind there
would be a turnout of people living in the Chimacum School District who received
reassessment statements from the Jefferson County Assessor's Office this month with
news of double, triple - and in some cases 10-fold - valuation increases over four
years earlier.
A letter to the editor in last week's Port Townsend Leader weekly and a front-page
article Sunday in the Peninsula Daily News said property owners would air
their concerns to county commissioners.
That's exactly what happened.
Assessor challenged
Only instead of talking about the system, some residents questioned Assessor Jack
Westerman and his staff in revaluing properties fairly and consistently.
"My contention is that the Assessor's Office is not doing their job," said
Port Ludlow resident Paula McAvoy, who went on Jefferson County's Web site to look
at some of her neighbor's properties for comparison.
She said she found inconsistencies, and suggested all property owners do the same.
"You'll be very rudely surprised," McAvoy said.
An adjoining property to McAvoy's overlooking Mats Mats Bay was undervalued, she
said.
When it was brought to Westerman's attention, he agreed and adjusted the value.
"What I would encourage everyone to do is to do exactly what Mrs. McAvoy has
done," Westerman said at the commissioners' meeting.
He said although his office is not perfect, some of the apparent mistakes and inconsistencies
are actually correct.
Other comparisons
That's because some people who believe there are inconsistencies look at per-square-foot
comparisons, which doesn't work, Westerman said.
Regardless if a parcel is a half-acre or two acres, if only one house can be built
on them both, the value won't be that much different, he said.
With about 11,000 properties to revalue every year, Westerman stood by the work of
his staff.
"We do a pretty darn good job with the limited staff we have," Westerman
said.
"You're fight isn't with the Assessor," Taylor told the taxpayers outside
the commissioners' meeting.
"You're fight is with the system."
Taylor's effort to change the system is outlined on the Web site, www.predictabletax.com.
Friday is the final day to appeal property reassessments to the Board of Equalization.
Almost 80 appeals had been received as of Monday.
******
August 26, 2007
PORT LUDLOW STICKER SHOCK
Reassessment causes Property Owners to appeal
Peninsula Daily News
By Evan Cael
PORT LUDLOW - Paula McAvoy, like many property owners in the Chimacum School District,
is not happy about her recent property revaluation.
McAvoy has lived in her home overlooking Mats Mats Bay since 1978, when she purchased
the 1,100-square-foot house nestled on almost half an acre for $42,000.
When she received her revaluation statement in the mail on Aug. 2, she learned her
property value had swelled to $186,760.
That's up from $90,470 when it was last revalued in 2002, more than doubling the
amount in a four-year period.
The land value alone - not including the house - jumped from $23,750 to $85,000,
a 358 percent increase.
It's not so much the amount or the increase that bothers McAvoy, but rather that
she feels all the properties in her neighborhood were not revalued consistently.
"I don't mind paying my taxes," said McAvoy, 50. "I just want it to
be consistent with what everyone else is paying or should be paying."
She researched other evaluations the Jefferson County Web site - www.co.jefferson.wa.us/
- that shows each parcel's new revaluation as well as historical information.
She points to one property she found as an example of an inconsistent revaluation.
It's an adjoining property that has no house on it but that is equipped with utility
hook-ups.
That property is 1.48 acres and was revalued at $60,810, almost $25,000 less than
the Assessor's Office said her land is worth, and it's more than an acre larger,
with better views.
"This one - in my opinion - is undervalued," said Jefferson County Assessor
Jack Westerman when asked about it on Friday.
"I think she's right."
At first glance, Westerman said that perhaps a more accurate assessment of the value
of that parcel would be at least $90,000, and it could be much more, depending on
the view it offers.
"You're not going to get them all right," he added.
Appeals through Friday
For that reason, residents who disagree with their revaluations can appeal to the
Jefferson County Board of Equalization to state their case.
The deadline to do so is Friday.
Appeal forms can be picked up in either the Assessor's Office or the County Commissioner's
Office in the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.
As of Friday, 70 appeals had been received, and Westerman expects there will be hundreds
before the end of the week.
His office has had 280 calls or face-to-face meetings asking for justification for
the revaluation amounts.
But some people are taking a different approach.
Go to commissioners
A letter to the editor in the Aug. 22 Port Townsend Leader written by Chimacum
resident Natalia Eickmeyer requests that those outraged by the spike in property
values attend the public comment period of Monday's commissioner meeting on the ground
floor of the county courthouse to plead with the commissioners to support a change
in the property revaluation policy.
Per state law, all properties in the state are assessed at 100 percent market value.
Jefferson county is splint into quadrants, and each quadrant is revalued once every
four years.
McAvoy said she will not likely appeal to the Board of Equalization but that she
will attend Monday's commissioner meeting.
When it comes right down to it, though, it's not simply apparent inconsistencies
that sometimes bring tears of frustration to McAvoy's eyes when she talks about the
property values in her neighborhood.
Driving up values
For the past three decades, she's seen houses purchased by former Seattle residents
or Californians who consider the prices cheap, or by property speculators, which,
she said, drives up the values for existing residents.
She agrees she probably could easily sell her home for the $186,760 it was recently
revalued at, but that's not the point, she said.
"Any Microsoft millionaire is going to plunk down $180,000, but this has been
my home for 30 years, and its going to be for 30 more years," McAvoy said.
Westerman said McAvoy's situation is a prime example of why he's been crusading to
try to change the current state law that mandates 100 percent market value assessments,
called an ad valorem tax system.
"I don't think the current system is fair to long-term property owners,"
Westerman said.
He believes property taxes on an acquisition basis would be fairer to property owners.
In that system, properties are revalued at fair market value only when they are sold.
Otherwise, the taxable amount remains at the amount the house was purchased at, with
an increase of 1 or 2 percent annually.
"It would take care of my long-term property owners, and to be honest, those
are the ones I'm most concerned with," Westerman said.
To change the state property tax law, two-thirds of both houses of the state Legislature
would have to sign off, as well as the governor, to put the issue on the ballot.
Then voters would have to approve it by a simple majority.
"I believe it would pass by 80 percent," Westerman said.
"If you don't like the way the state law is written, screaming about it is not
going to do any good. You've got to work to change it."
*****
August 27, 2007
This morning I attended a Commissioner's meeting
in Port Townsend. Most of the attendees were worried property owners experiencing
major sticker shock after receiving their revaluation notices. Port Ludlow was hit
especially hard and many saw their properties increase in value by 300%!
This meeting for property owners was called by a letter writer in the Port Townsend
Leader. The writer asked "If you are horrified as I am with your property
assessment increase, please join me at the county courthouse for public comment with
the county commissioners on Monday, Aug. 27 at 9 a.m. Let us change this policy to
so we can keep our homes and not be run out."
Unbelievably, that woman was a no show!
Jefferson County Assessor Jack Westerman did attend and when he got the chance to
speak, told the group that I was spearheading a reform campaign and that interested
parties could meet with me in the hallway.
I explained that the only chance we have to fix this is to get the attention of the
major media (nightly news as well as The Seattle Post
Intelligencer and The Seattle Times). Coverage by these large institutions would
put visible public pressure on our elected officials
to finally address this issue. I am convinced after two years pounding the pavement
for property tax reform that anything less than this approach is just spinning our
wheels. You may feel better having written a letter or calling your representative,
but it's not getting us anywhere.
The only way to get the major media to cover this story *is to give them something
of value to cover*. And that would be a mass protest on the Capital steps on the
first day of the Legislative Session, January 14.
As I explained in my previous update, we need enough people to fill the television
screen. From every corner of the state, especially King County which is an important
demographic to politicians.
If we don't get enough voters to make that long and inconvenient trip to the Capital,
then the major news media will have a story of another kind to report: visible proof
to the legislature that the people of Washington state are not serious about property
tax reform and are willing to accept the status quo.
And we won't be able to go to the well again...at least not for several years. That's
because these institutions do not want property tax
reform (which is why they haven't covered it) and would be only too happy to report
our failure and please the big business machine.
We do have one other avenue of approach, but it's expensive...$250,000 would be a
fair estimate. We could begin the process for an
initiative. This would require hiring an attorney because part of the initiative
process is reporting on all the statutes that would be
affected by it. And it would require in the neighborhood of 450,000 signatures in
order to make sure we end up with more than enough to qualify.
Now, as I've explained in the past, passing an initiative to solve our property tax
woes may very likely not stand up to constitutional muster - but by law the legislature
must address it. So that is something to think about.
I must tell you though that, as we all do, I have strengths and weaknesses. Fundraising
is not my strong suit.
For my money, I'd rather spend the gas and my time to drive to Olympia and raise
my placard for the cameras to see.
We are not set up for donations but individuals could place classified ads in these
papers - when the time comes - to pump up the numbers.
Please do all you can to be there and to get others to attend as well.
Our comfort and peace of mind are the stakes.
*****
August 25, 2007
Below is a Tri-City Herald article on the
very real possibility that all levy increases and lid lifts now on the books (and
those in the future) will become permanent increases to your property taxes.
This, unfortunately, is a great example of what can happen if voters are uninformed
about the process of property valuations, their county reassessment schedules, and
the voters' "power" to increase taxes by approving levies and lid lifts.
(Remember, everyone votes for levies and lid lifts. But only property owners
pay for them.) Case in point: recently the folks in Port Ludlow got a
real shocker. Their new assessments came out and a majority of their property
valuations increased three fold!!! Unfortunately, earlier in the year these
voters approved tax increases for various services. The voters did not realize
(nor did the people asking for the levies and lid lifts tell them) that with the
upcoming re-evaluations, those service providers were about to get a windfall anyway
- which made the levy increases unnecessary (and much more expensive).
For those of you who want a chance to rant in person, there will be a commissioner's
meeting this Monday, August 27 at the Port Townsend Courthouse at 9 a.m. I
plan to attend. This would be an excellent opportunity to network and push
forward our planned "Capital Steps Event" in Olympia on the first day of
Legislative session, January 14. I now have a few wonderful people who have
stepped forward to assist in planning this protest. One thing we cannot afford
to happen is that too few people show up. This event will be staged not only
for our legislators to see, but also to get the television and print media on board
- which is mandatory to put pressure on our representatives. If we don't have
a big enough turn out, this will be a very public message to our elected officials
that the people don't really care about property tax reform.
Quote for the day: "And I thought, "Somebody ought to to something
about this!" And then I realized, I am somebody.
Tri-City Herald
CHRIS MULICK
Legislative slip may allow higher taxes
OLYMPIA -- A new law designed to allow fire, hospital and other
junior taxing districts to ask voters for multi-year tax increases may have inadvertently
allowed normally temporary increases to become permanent.
County assessors recently were made aware of the new policy in a letter from the
state Department of Revenue, and some are alarmed.
"Voters need to be more careful," Benton County Assessor Barbara Wagner
said of the new policy, which could allow a fire district to campaign for a new fire
truck, then end up continuing to collect the additional tax after it's paid off.
"That's like a permanent levy lid lift. It's like a huge increase," she
said.
The sponsor of the bill says that was never the intent, and that the Legislature
may need to step in next year and clarify the law.
"There might be a possibility it could technically be interpreted that way,"
said Sen. Debbie Regala, D-Tacoma. "In the next session we'll fix it."
In the meantime, the Department of Revenue is to meet with the governor's office
Monday to decide how it should proceed. It may ask for a formal opinion from the
Attorney General's office.
Local governments are limited by state law to collecting only 1 percent more per
year plus new construction from their property tax base, though they are allowed
to ask voters for more in an action commonly called a levy "lid lift."
Cities, towns and counties are allowed to ask voters to approve a multi-year lid
lift for as long as six consecutive years with a single vote rather than going to
voters each year.
Senate Bill 5498 approved by the Legislature and signed into law this year allowed
special purpose taxing districts the same authority.
But by deleting some language in existing laws and by referring to other language,
the Department of Revenue believes the bill changed a key assumption.
Under the old law such increases were assumed to be temporary unless specified as
permanent in the ballot measures.
Under the new law, the agency believes those increases are assumed to be permanent
unless the ballot declares them to be temporary by outlining when those new taxes
will expire.
That was not how legislators read it during this year's session.
The bill passed 46-0 in the Senate and 74-23 in the House.
"This never came up in any of the discussions of the bill," said Sen. Jim
Honeyford, a Sunnyside Republican who sits on a committee that reviewed the bill
before it went to a floor vote. "I don't think anyone I know would have voted
to make these taxes permanent. I don't know of anyone who was aware of this impact."
The agency analyzed and tracked the bill -- and some 160 others dealing with property
taxes -- during this year's session, looking for problems.
"Occasionally, we miss them," said Brad Flaherty, assistant director for
the agency's property tax division.
Both Benton County Fire District 2 measures that voters approved last week were written
to make the tax increases temporary.
The same goes for a measure that will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot to boost taxes
in the Kennewick Hospital District to build a new hospital.
But Wagner said she would expect special purpose taxing districts would eventually
take advantage of the new law, if allowed to stand, by pushing measures for similar
projects without specifying when those taxes would expire.
******
August 22, 2007
Change property tax laws
Letter to the Editor of the Port Townsend Leader
Jefferson county government is paving the way for our county to become just like
Clallam County, where only the independently wealthy can afford to own property.
My young family has worked hard the last seven years to finally achieve our dream
recently to own a small farm in Jefferson County.
Last week the bomb arrived in the mail. My property assessment for our new land has
increased 300 percent. No improvements were even recorded.
Apparently the property assessment reflects 100 percent of the property's market
value. However, with the area's property values skyrocketing, this policy will push
working families, farmers and retired people to other counties and states. I watched
this happen to my grandparents, who had to finally move to Idaho, fragmenting my
family.
Policy has to change. Property taxes must somehow reflect income. Cost of living
increases for working families do not keep up.
If you are horrified as I am with your property assessment increase, please join
me at the county courthouse for public comment with the county commissioners on Monday,
Aug. 27 at 9 a.m. Let us change this policy to so we can keep our homes and not be
run out.
NATALIA EICKMEYER
Chimacum
*****
August 21, 2007
Yesterday, I forwarded to you a Seattle Times editorial regarding our Legislature's
change to property tax law that makes any property tax increase permanent.
This excerpt from the editorial capsulizes the gist of the law:
Under SB 5498 - a governor's-request bill passed by large majorities in both houses
- unless a tax levy says it is temporary, its authority is permanent. So says the
Department of Revenue in an official memo to county assessors.
Here is what the Tim Eyman group, behind Initiative 960, has to say:
RE: Permanent property taxes were purposely passed
Sunday's Seattle Times editorial reprinted below leaves open the possibility and
posits the unbelievable notion that Olympia's politicians didn't know they were passing
a law that would permanently increase property tax increases. It is the overriding
priority of Olympia's politicians to extract the maximum amount of money from taxpayers
-- no trick is too low, no sleight of hand too devious, no scheme too sleazy. With
politicians, anything goes in the pursuit of the taxpayers' paycheck. The Seattle
Times implies Olympia's politicians were simply ignorant; that gives them too much
credit. This was a planned, purposeful plot to pass permanent property tax hikes
under the false claim the increases would be temporary.
This editorial only mentions the fraudulent tax hikes going on in King County; there
are over 1700 local governments or "taxing districts" in Washington state.
How much fraud is being perpetrated on taxpayers throughout the state?
This is a despicable act by the Governor and the Legislature to extract tax dollars
they're not entitled to.
This is just another reason why I-960 is so important. I-960 will protect taxpayers
by requiring dramatically more public disclosure/exposure of any effort to raise
taxes. I-960 also closes loopholes the Governor and the Legislature have put in I-601
and our state Constitution over the years. I-960's passage will send a message to
Olympia that the people won't tolerate politicians' underhanded efforts, like this
latest one, to raise taxes.
-END-
I sincerely hope you recognize the seriousness of our property tax situation and
that you will become "physically" involved in making property taxes more
equitable for everyone.
Without your involvement, the lack of which tells our Legislatures that the voters
do not find this objectionable, we can only expect the situation to deteriorate.
*****
August 20, 2007
This just in...this was forwarded to me just as I hit the send button. Hold on to
your hats...and your wallets!
The Seattle Times Company
Editorial
Warning: New taxes will be permanent
A change in the state law regarding property taxes has silently transformed what
have been temporary tax increases into permanent ones.
We say "silently" because the Legislature, which made the change, did not
name what it was doing in the bill title or the bill reports. The change is something
every voter should keep in mind as the election arrives Tuesday and more new taxes
are proposed in November.
On the surface, Senate Bill 5498 allows fire districts and other special-purpose
taxing districts to ask voters for multiyear tax increases. It is the same authority
cities and counties already had.
The nonobvious part of the bill changed the old rule that unless a tax levy said
specifically it was permanent, it wasn't. Under the old rule, after a levy expired,
Washington's 1-percent property-tax limit would be set as if the levy had never happened.
If voters didn't renew the levy, their taxes would go down.
Under SB 5498 Ü a governor's-request bill passed by large majorities in both
houses Ü unless a tax levy says it is temporary, its authority is permanent.
So says the Department of Revenue in an official memo to county assessors.
To be deemed temporary, a measure has to say when the tax expires, and it has to
limit itself to specific purchases. Otherwise, in the year after the last tax increase
authorized by voters, the new tax limit is 1 percent higher/./ Even if voters don't
renew the levy, the taxing authority can keep pushing taxes up Ü at a slower
rate, but still up.
King County Assessor Scott Noble, who drew our attention to this, has looked over
the 11 property-tax measures that will be on county ballots Tuesday: two for King
County parks, two for Redmond, one for a hospital district and six for fire districts.
"All of them are permanent increases in new levy capacity," he says.
More are coming. The Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety District has announced a ballot
measure to raise taxes in 2008 by the increase in property values, and again (but
no more than 15 percent per year) from 2009 to 2013.
"It's permanent," Noble says. "In 15 years in this office, I have
never seen anything like it."
Noble wonders if legislators who voted for this knew what they were doing. So do
we.
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
*****
Aug 20, 2007
I am passing this along because...although it's not about "property" taxes,
it's still affecting our wallets. And it can't hurt to be exposed to all we can about
issues we'll be voting on - and this is a biggie.
All is quiet on the property tax front. We'll have to wait and see what gets going
when the Legislative session begins on January 14. It's a short session again this
year which means....it's all the more difficult to be heard on this issue. So please
think about attending a massive protest on the capital steps. Would love to have
help in organizing this...to begin planning it between the holidays.
Citizens Guide to Initiative 960, The Taxpayer
Protection Act Part 2: Comparison of Initiative 601 and Initiative 960
In 1993, voters adopted Initiative 601, The Taxpayer Protection Act, creating a spending
limit for state government and a two-thirds vote requirement for tax increases.
Since then the legislature has amended it 12 times and suspended the two-thirds vote
requirement twice (2002 and 2005). The legislature has also changed the spending limit calculation
4 times (1998, 2000, 2005 and 2006) to raise the limit and pass bigger spending increases.
These changes greatly added to state spending and the tax burden. For example,
in 2005 the legislature enacted $400 million in higher taxes without using the two-thirds
votes requirement and without seeking voter approval.
Now fast forward to this November. Voters are being asked to approve Initiative
960, a new Taxpayer Protection Act. I-960 would re-affirm the two-thirds vote
requirement to raise taxes, require the legislature to approve all fee increases,
require a non-binding public advisory vote on all tax increases the legislature does
not send to the voters, and provide the public with detailed information on all proposed
tax and fee increases.
*****
July 29, 2007
My recent emails have told you about the property tax revolt in Indianapolis. There
are dozens such protests around the country, but this particular one caught my eye
because the citizens have come together to make a statement. They have created a
"photo opportunity" for the press and it has worked - both local and national
newspapers as well as television reportage has resulted. The following article appeared
in the Wall Street Journal.
My dream is that Washington voters get as incensed about property tax as those in
Indiana. Their latest protest is exactly what I've been talking about: a "Boston"
Tea Party. Indiana voters used a huge tea bag filled with property tax bills to make
their point. (If you want to know more about what's happening in Indiana, do a Google
Search: Indiana property tax protest Or do a general Google Search on property tax
protests to see what's happening around the country.)
*****
July 28, 2007
Wall Street Journal
By D. Eric Schansberg
Indiana Tax Fight
INDIANAPOLIS -- On July 4, hundreds of tax protestors showed up in front of the governor's
mansion here. They've been back several times since. As a result, Gov. Mitch Daniels
has been scrambling and the city's mayor has ordered a hiring freeze and a 10% cut
in his budget. There have even been calls for a special session for the legislature
and even a state constitutional convention.
Runaway property taxes are an issue wherever property values have shot up in recent
years. But now Indiana may be at the forefront of a homeowner rebellion against a
tax system that has come to be seen as arbitrary, unfair and unpredictable. What's
driving this angst is the first reassessment of property values in six years. In
Marion County (the city of Indianapolis), average property taxes increased by 34%.
Across the state, the average increase is 24%. Many homeowners' bills have increased
much more.
One thing that is really stirring anger: Marion County businesses mostly avoided
an increase this year, while almost all homeowners got nicked. To cool tempers, Mr.
Daniels, a Republican, ordered another reassessment. In the meantime, there will
be a property tax freeze in Marion County, delaying increases for at least six months.
He has also given counties a few months to rethink whether they'd like to increase
local income taxes to offset the need for higher property tax revenues. And taxpayers
will now be able to pay their property taxes on an installment plan.
All of this is a nice start. But none of what the governor has done so far gets at
the underlying problem: Taxing property at a value that periodically increases can
stick homeowners with a surprisingly high bill. The system punishes those who made
smart (or lucky) decisions with their home purchases and can force people out of
the neighborhoods they've raised their families in.
Property taxes also, at the margin, lower property values. Retired Indiana University
economist Morton Marcus calculates that for every $1,000 increase in property taxes,
the value of a home falls by almost $12,000. Moreover, high and uncertain property
taxes make it more difficult to attract workers and capital investment to the state.
Gov. Daniels should not be singled out for hoping that a quick fix will do the trick.
House Speaker Patrick Bauer, a Democrat from South Bend, wants to use some of the
state's budget surplus to issue qualified homeowners a tax rebate. But the state
is already scheduled to implement another band-aid (thanks to Mr. Bauer's leadership
last year): paying out some $300 million in property tax abatement. Indy Mayor Bart
Peterson, also a Democrat, wants to borrow $75 million to pay for cutting property
tax increases. And he has proposed to hike local income taxes by 65%.
Perhaps the most promising short-term fix being considered would accelerate a "circuit
breaker" to cap a total property tax bill at 2% of a property's assessed value.
The legislature passed this last year, but didn't schedule it to go into effect until
next year. Implementing it a year early could mitigate the current crisis.
But politicians may not be able to finesse their way out this time. They've been
tinkering with the system since 1973, when lawmakers faced similar problems with
property taxes and tried to fix them by, for example, allowing local governments
to impose income taxes and doubling the state's sales tax. Indiana's property tax
may be so flawed -- and the public sufficiently cynical -- that changes to the system
may not gain necessary public support. The best option might be to toss the property
tax out the window and replace it with higher income, sales or consumption taxes.
This would dismantle an unwieldy system where some 1,008 town assessors evaluate
property values and pass their assessments on to 92 county assessors, who then pass
their assessments to state officials. Property taxes are, of course, useful in that
they provide a stable and independent revenue source for local government. They are
also highly visible, and remind homeowners how big a bite they take, because they
are paid only once or twice a year -- unlike income taxes, which are automatically
deducted from regular paychecks.
Nevertheless, the public backlash is producing some interesting political results.
Mayor Peterson faces voters in the fall, which may explain why he has reacted so
swiftly. Speaker Bauer wants to protect a slim majority in the House after next year's
elections, which may explain why he's eager to put his name on tax rebates for homeowners.
For his part, Mr. Daniels has called on his staff to brainstorm for ideas, has encouraged
them to meet with affected people, and is weighing whether to call the legislature
back into town to enact reforms. He has expressed interest in eliminating the property
tax. And he seems quite interested in another significant issue -- reducing the number
of local governments in the state. Indiana has 2,730 local taxing authorities. Eliminating
some of these may improve efficiency and therefore reduce property taxes, but the
history of government consolidation is not encouraging.
Mr. Daniels is favored to win a second term as governor next year. But if he's not
careful, he could stumble. Eric Miller, Mr. Daniels's 2004 primary opponent and a
vociferous property tax opponent, might be tempted to challenge him again. And a
set of seemingly weak Democratic challengers could suddenly become competitive against
a governor unable to handle such a thorny issue.
Will Mr. Daniels play it safe on property taxes or work for significant change? Now
that the public has spoken, will Mr. Daniels listen?
Mr. Schansberg is a professor of economics at Indiana University (New Albany), an
adjunct scholar for the Indiana Policy Review and the author of "Turn Neither
to the Right nor to the Left: A Thinking Christian's Guide to Politics and Public
Policy" (Alertness Books, 2003).
Copyright 2007 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
*****
I am also reprinting the most recent email from
the Tim Eyman group as it pertains directly to property taxes. In it, he reproduces
the recent column by Adele Ferguson:
Property taxes prompt columnist to endorse
I-960
What's not to love about Adele Ferguson's latest column:
HEADLINE: EYMAN SAYS I-960'S OPPONENTS ARE IN DISARRAY
Well, what now? I asked Tim Eyman, when he called me after he got word from the Secretary
of State's office that the signatures he turned in for Initiative 960 added up to
314,504. His previous initiative, I recall, was tossed out because he had insufficient
signatures, which he disputed, but that's the way it turned out. The requirement
for validation of an initiative is 8 percent of the votes cast for the office of
governor in the most recent election, which is currently 224,880.
Eyman took no chances this time, amassing what he reported as 314,566. What happened
to the unacknowledged 62 votes I don't know. Maybe they got the King County elections
office to help them count.
"It's very exciting!" he said. "I just think the opponents of I-960
are in disarray. I think they're shell shocked. Their campaign strategy was to get
a judge to interfere with the initiative process by taking it off the ballot. Instead,
she yanked the rug out from under them by ruling the people had a right to vote and
she wasn't going to take that away. Now they have to convince the voters."
I-960, in case you've forgotten, requires a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate
or voter approval for all tax increases. New or increased fees require legislative
approval. If the Legislature uses an emergency clause which shortstops a referendum
and keeps a bill off the ballot, it still must have an advisory vote of the people.
The state budget office would be required to do a 10-year cost projection on tax
and fee increases, and inform the voters on hearing dates, legislative votes and
how to contact sponsors.
Yes, it is a bit complicated, but its intent is to close loopholes in I-601, passed
13 years ago setting spending limitations and which lawmakers have found ways to
get around by claiming expenses are "off budget" so don't count as a violation
of those limitations. The main thing to remember about I-960 is that it does make
it harder to raise taxes.
"Taxpayers worked hard to earn their money so it ought to be really hard for
the government to take it away from them," Eyman said. "The opponents say
it takes away their flexibility. Well, their flexibility is lawbreaking, saying spending
is outside the General Fund. They are violating the law by shifting money among accounts
so they can spend the same money twice. Under I-960, you can only spend it once."
Who exactly are these opponents? I'm sure the Legislature is at the head of the list,
since Eyman is invading its turf in requiring a two thirds vote to raise taxes. I
also usually see the name of Christian Sinderman in news stories as spokesman for
the campaign against I-960, just as he has been for some previous Eyman initiatives.
Sinderman is the official consultant for the House Democratic Caucus, and has worked
for Gov. Christine Gregoire, Sen. Maria Cantwell and numerous greenie organizations,
labor unions, Indian tribes, etc. Liberals all.
I haven't seen any campaign against I-960 by the press yet but I expect it. The press
in general is disinclined to support initiatives, although it fully supports the
right of initiative. Most editors supported the initiative for performance audits
which the Legislature had opposed for many years. Unfortunately, the media out there
on the Left Coast, is not disinclined toward tax increases and big government.
At the pace taxes and employee salaries are being raised by governments, I think
it's a good thing to make it tougher to increase taxes where we can. Some of my property
tripled in value this year for tax purposes. My income did not. I will vote for I-960.
Adele Ferguson can be reached at PO Box 69, Hansville, WA 98340
-- END --
Tim Eyman responds:
Like I said, what's not to love about that?
I-960 was officially certified for the ballot last week. Of the 29 measures that
have qualified for the ballot since 1999, the percentage of 'bad signatures' has
averaged 19.4%. They determined that I-960's invalid rate was 17.1% which is really,
really good. We needed 224,880 valid signatures and they figured we turned in over
260,723 valid signatures, nearly 40,000 more than necessary. We're on the ballot
with I-960 because everyone worked really hard. Great job!!
*****
And lastly, I am reprinting yet another Wall
Street Journal article about voter fraud.
July 27, 2007
Wall Street Journal
by John Fund
Cleaning Up Seattle
Washington State became a poster child for the most mishandled election in the country
in 2004, when its photo-finish governor's race required three recounts before Democrat
Christine Gregoire was declared the winner over Republican Dino Rossi by 139 votes.
The election was rife with irregularities, including felons illegally voting, absentee
ballots mishandled and new ballots constantly being "discovered" during
the process.
Since then, the Democratic legislature and Ms. Gregoire have only made matters worse
by expanding the vote-by-mail balloting that was at the heart of many of the 2004
election problems. But yesterday voters in Washington State were reminded why it
might be a better idea to tighten up their election laws. King County (Seattle) election
officials were forced to remove 1,762 voter registrations from the rolls, finding
they had been fraudulently submitted by employees of the Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). ACORN employees, it turned out, had gone to
a local library and filled out bogus registration forms with names from the phonebook.
At the same, the King County prosecutor announced criminal charges against seven
ACORN employees for vote fraud. He also announced that ACORN had signed a settlement
agreeing to establish certain internal controls in exchange for the organization
not being prosecuted. The move highlights the need for ACORN's dubious registration
activities in other states to be scrutinized.
In a separate move, Washington State's Supreme Court voted 6 to 3 that a suit brought
by several felons who were seeking to have their voting rights restored on equal
protection grounds was invalid and that Washington's felon disenfranchisement laws
were constitutional.
All in all, it was a good day for the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, which had actively
publicized the need to clean up the state's spongy voter rolls. The next question
is whether the state's voters will become engaged. A good signal will come this November
when King County residents vote on a proposal to make the county clerk, who oversees
elections, an elected position rather than a political appointment of the partisan
county executive. Having the county's top election official directly accountable
to the voters may help prevent a repeat of 2004's nightmarish governor's race in
2008, when Governor Gregoire will likely face off against Mr. Rossi again.
*****
July 15, 2007
In an effort to generate enthusiasm for what is needed to get the major media to
pay attention to the people of Washington's need for property tax reform, we are
continuing to cover the hue and cry from the citizens of Indianapolis who are fed
up with wild property tax increases and the deaf ears of their elected officials
(see entry for July 5). The following is a reprint of the local Indianapolis
television news story available on their website (The INDYChannel.com). The website link also includes television news coverage
and a slideshow of the story:
'Black Sunday' Tax Protest Attracts Hundreds
Property Owners Livid About Tax Increase
TheIndyChannel.com
See Video Related To Story
via website link (The INDYChannel.com) : Angry Taxpayers Crowd Monument Circle In Protest
INDIANAPOLIS -- Anger continued to boil at a protest, called "Black Sunday,"
involving Marion County homeowners who are livid about the huge increase in property
taxes.
Hundreds of vocal protesters, wearing black clothing or carrying black umbrellas,
crowded Monument Circle downtown to vent their frustration again in the third large,
organized protest since property tax bills arrived in the mail.
At the rally, which lasted four hours, protesters said they won't quiet down until
politicians listen up, 6News' Tanya Spencer reported.
In Marion County, residential property taxes jumped significantly more than the projected
24 percent increase.
"I think what it comes down to is accountability. We have none," said one
protester. "(We have) zero accountability in government."
"I think the number of people standing out here today demonstrates in spades
that our Legislature has done plenty of harm to all of us," said another protester.
Jenny Elkins said her property tax went up 850 percent. She was paying about $600
a year. Now, she owes $5,800, Spencer reported.
"We took a chance three years ago to move to an urban setting, and never in
a million years did we think we'd have this to face," Elkins said.
Some protesters used the sounding board to promote eliminating property tax entirely
and replacing it with a sales tax of 11 or 12 percent that everyone would pay.
"I'd like sales tax. I think there are a lot of people who aren't paying any
taxes on property, places where there are multiple families living in homes, and
it's landing on the shoulders of the rest of us," said Laura Hile, who lives
in Washington Township.
Speakers at the protest urged taxpayers to continue to wear black on Sundays until
there is change.
Copyright 2007 by TheIndyChannel.com All
rights reserved.
*****
July 14, 2007
I am reprinting the following opinion piece from the Washsington Policy Center (according
to their website: a non-profit, non-partisan, 501(c)3 public policy research and
education organization) because it has to do with our homes. I am also reprinting
two of the latest emails from the Tim Eyman group regarding Initiative 960, also
because it ultimately affects our homes via use of taxes.
Shelley
Kelo decision means your home is no longer
your castle
Washington Policy Center
by Paul Guppy
Vice President for Research
A little over two years ago, the Supreme Court handed down one of the most far-reaching
decisions in a generation. In June 2005, five of the nine justices ruled in Kelo
v. City of New London that an elderly citizen, Suzzette Kelo, had to sell her home
of 55 years to the city, which in turn handed it over to a private developer to build
shopping malls and upscale condominiums. New London officials said taking the home
by force was justified because they would receive higher tax revenues, and the community
would benefit from expected new jobs and economic development. Whether Suzzette Kelo
would benefit was not considered.
Kelo represents an important change in constitutional law. Previously, the Fifth
AmendmentÕs limit on government power, ...nor shall private property be taken
for public use without just compensation,Ó was understood to mean peopleÕs
land could only be taken for something that would be used by the public: a park,
a road, a library, a school. With Kelo, the Court changed public useÓ to mean
public purpose.Ó Now municipal officials can use Kelo to stretch any vaguely
public goal, like boosting taxes, creating jobs or ending so-called blight, into
a reason for taking land away from private citizens.
Older people are particularly at risk, because their homes have often increased greatly
in value over time, and are therefore prime targets for the redevelopment schemes
of tax-hungry mayors and town councils.
Local officials in Washington are making creative use of Kelo and existing economic
development laws to leverage new projects, boost tax revenue and increase their own
power. Even homes in middle-class neighborhoods have been declared blightedÓ
and subjected to eminent domain takings. In Renton, Mayor Kathy Koelker said she
envisioned the next generationÕs new single-family housing,Ó and attempted
to take away the homes of working class families. Public outcry ended the scheme,
for now.
Another tactic is to devote a few square feet of a personÕs property to public
use, like an off ramp or a bus stop, which is enough for local planners to seize
the whole parcel. In Burien, the city council greedily eyed a popular family restaurant
owned by the Strobel sisters for an ambitious Town Square development of luxury condos,
high-end shops and private offices. To get the land, city planners were instructed
to make damn sureÓ a new access road ran through the StrobelÕs building.
The courts backed the city, and the sisters lost their business.
The bottom line: Kelo lets municipal officials become real estate speculators, with
little or no risk to themselves.
We are naturally upset when we hear about someone losing a home or business, but
the threat posed by Kelo goes much deeper than that. Private property is the ultimate
civil right, because it is the only thing that gives people the resources to defend
all their other rights. In the days of the Soviet Union, the first thing communist
leaders did was eliminate the right to property ownership. That made it easier to
impose the rest of their program. The United States is a long way from becoming a
dictatorship, but the principle remains consistent. Each time the civil right to
own property is weakened, citizens lose a little bit of their ability to resist pressure
from local governments.
There is a joke that people are sharply divided over the Kelo decision Ü 80%
donÕt like it, and 20% hate it. That is only a slight exaggeration; polls
show that up to 90% of Americans disagree with government seizing land and giving
it to private developers, and public opposition is as strong today as it was two
years ago.
As happened in the years following the Dred Scott and Roe v. Wade decisions, the
five justices in the majority are shocked the public has not quietly accepted their
final word on a fundamental civil right. Americans may not know much about the obscure
intricacies of Supreme Court proceedings, but we do know when our basic rights are
being eroded. Somehow, the peremptory phrase printed at the end of the majorityÕs
Kelo ruling, It is so ordered,Ó just isnÕt convincing in this case.
Kelo does allow state legislatures to curb the eminent domain power of local officials,
and bills will be introduced in the next session in Olympia to do just that. Until
then, your home is your castle, unless local officials decide they need it to fulfill
their grand vision for economic development.
Paul Guppy is the Vice President of Research at Washington Policy Center, a non-profit,
non-partisan, 501(c)3 public policy research and education organization. Contact
WPC at www.washingtonpolicy.org or by calling 206-937-9691. Nothing in this document
should be construed as an attempt to aid or hinder any legislation before any legislative
body.
***
Re: Reprint of Eyman Email #1, describing The Taxpayer Protection
Initiative, I-960
I-960 is appropriately called the Taxpayer Protection Initiative because
it will do just that. Over 13 years ago, the voters of Washington
overwhelmingly approved Initiative 601 which put reasonable limits on
Olympia's out-of-control fiscal policies. Despite repeated Chicken
Little, sky-is-falling predictions by opponents and many in the media,
I-601 has worked well at stopping the boom-and-bust, roller coaster ride
of fiscal chaos that was common in previous decades. But during the past
13 years, the Legislature has punched loophole after loophole into it.
I-960 closes those loopholes and expands the transparency, broadens the
public's participation, and increases the accountability for any tax
increase. It puts Olympia on a much shorter leash. As everyone knows by
now, I-960 will:
Allow either two-thirds legislative approval or voter approval at
an election for any tax increase,
Ensure a public vote on any tax increase that the Legislature
blocks by declaring it an "emergency," and
Require public press releases by the state budget office for any
bills proposing higher taxes (identifying their long-term costs and the
bill's sponsors, voting records, and contact information) to be promptly
and broadly disseminated to the people and the press at every stage of the
legislative process.
>From I-960's intent section: "With this measure, the people intend to
protect taxpayers by creating a series of accountability procedures to
ensure greater legislative transparency, broader public participation, and
wider agreement before state government takes more of the people's money."
I-960's policies will protect taxpayers once and for all.
Governor Gregoire has already come out against I-960 saying quote "the
extra handcuffs aren't needed." That she and the Legislature have been
shown self-restraint. But Washington's crushing tax burden has never been
worse. Huge sales taxes, massive property taxes, highest in the nation
gas taxes, oppressive business taxes. And despite all these revenues, all
we hear in Olympia is non-stop whining and complaining about how tough
their job is because of their lack of courage to take even more. You'd
think with multi-billion dollar surpluses, politicians would simply say
"thank you very much, taxpayers, for your hard work and generosity."
Instead, we get nothing but ungrateful comments and schemes for even
higher taxes.
Governor Gregoire says the extra handcuffs aren't needed. If she's
telling the truth, then I-960's provisions won't kick in. But if Olympia
can't restrain itself, I-960 will be there to protect the taxpayers.
The voters' message to Olympia with I-960 is "that ought to be more than
enough" -- and if it's not, then we, the taxpayers, deserve to know about
your plans to take even more. And before you take more, we deserve a
voice in the decision. Only the elitists find this objectionable.
For many years now, Jack, Mike, and I have worked really hard with all of
you. Of the 15 initiatives we've pushed over the years, 10 have qualified
for the ballot, and 7, so far, have been approved by the voters. I-960
will the 8th. We've provided common sense solutions to our most vexing
public policy problems -- and we've let the voters decide. Most of the
time, the voters have endorsed our ideas and we believe that as a state,
we're better for it. By working together, we've dramatically lowered
vehicle tab taxes twice, capped property tax increases twice, instituted
performance audits of state and local governments, shrunk the size of the
King County Council, required government to treat everyone the same,
without regard to race or gender, protected the initiative process, and
repeatedly spotlighted politicians' efforts to take more of the people's
money.
We've helped give the average taxpayer an equal voice in the process.
We don't win every battle, but we feel extremely gratified by the progress
we've made so far. The snakepit of politics is the dirtiest, meanest,
nastiest arena ever conceived. Political activism is very difficult but
also very necessary. No one can be successful at it without facing
scathing, virulent attacks. We're accustomed to that. In fact, we wear
it as a badge of honor. If we were ineffective, the powers-that-be would
ignore us -- our initiatives are never ignored.
Jack, Mike, and I are very proud of our effort, very proud of our
supporters, and very hopeful the voters of Washington will support I-960
in November.
Email #2
RE: Result of first I-960 debate - I-960's opponents say I-601 is working
as long as the Legislature can circumvent it -- huh?
Yesterday was the first official debate over Initiative 960, the
Taxpayer Protection Initiative. It was me versus Lauren Moughon, the
"Advocacy Director" for the AARP, the American Association of Retired
Persons (on KTTH 770 AM).
In my introduction, I simply recounted the history of I-601 and its
approval by voters in 1993. I said it's worked well at protecting
taxpayers but that the Legislature has put loopholes in it over the years
and that I-960 closes them.
In response, AARP Moughon agreed that I-601 was working and that
I-960 wasn't necessary because it would remove the "flexibility" the
Legislature has exercised. What do you think? Are these legislative
actions "flexibility" or "lawbreaking"?:
* The Legislature spends the same money twice. In 2005, the
Legislature was sued and a Snohomish County Superior Court agreed that
Olympia broke the law by shifting funds among accounts and spent the same
money twice. During oral arguments before the state supreme court,
Justice Susan Owens called it a "shell game." But the Legislature
defended themselves by saying I-601 DID NOT SPECIFICALLY SAY THEY COULDN'T
SPEND THE SAME MONEY TWICE. We're waiting for the High Court's decision,
but regardless of their ruling, I-960 explicitly says that shifted funds
do not count as "new revenue" (section 5, subsection 5) and thus, if
voters approve I-960, the Legislature will only be able to spend money
once. Spending the same money twice -- "flexibility" or "lawbreaking"?
* The 1998 Legislature and the 2005 Legislature reenacted I-601's
requirement that tax increases be approved with two-thirds legislative
approval. Yet, whenever Olympia can't garner two-thirds support for a tax
increase, they simply say their proposed tax increase is not really a tax
increase and adopt the tax increase "off-budget." By doing so, they
circumvent the law they imposed on themselves. I-960 says that whether
it's on-budget or off-budget, a tax increase is a tax increase and the
Legislature should abide by the laws they've imposed on themselves.
Off-budget tax increases -- "flexibility" or "lawbreaking"?
* Our state Constitution guarantees the citizens' the right to
referendum - if the voters disagree with a law passed by the Legislature,
we're allowed to gather voter signatures and put the final decision to a
vote of the people. Olympia has repeatedly blocked this constitutional
right by declaring "emergencies" (they even said building a sports stadium
was an "emergency"). Our constitutional rights are being violated by all
these "emergencies." The people have the right to know when Olympia is
abusing the emergency clause. So I-960 requires that whenever Olympia
blocks a citizen referendum by declaring a tax increase an emergency, two
pages in the general election voters pamphlet will tell voters how much
the "emergency" tax increase will cost the taxpayers over ten years,
identify legislators by name who voted for and against the "emergency"
tax
increase, and provide legislators with constituent feedback by letting
voters vote on a non-binding advisory vote on the "emergency" tax
increase. The people have a right to know what Olympia is doing.
Emergencies -- "flexibility" or "lawbreaking"?
As to who won the debate yesterday, it depends. If you think the
Legislature should be above the law, then the "No on I-960" folks won.
If
you think the Legislature should follow the law, then the pro-Initiative
960 side won.
*****
July 5, 2007
Hundreds protest tax bills Outside governor's residence,
about 400 voice disapproval
INDY STAR
By Jon Murray
jon.murray@indystar.comjon.murray@indystar.com
VIEW A VIDEO OF THE PROTEST
Hundreds of people pinched by soaring property tax bills boosted turnout Wednesday
at a holiday tax protest.
The same demonstration might have drawn a trickle of demonstrators last week. But
that was before Marion County residents began receiving property tax bills with increases
averaging 34 percent, with some doubling or tripling.
"All the hard work and credit we've got is going to vanish," said Ronda
Staten, who lives in the 2200 block of East Vermont Street.
She was among about 400 protesters who spilled into Meridian Street in front of the
governor's residence on Indianapolis' Northside.
Andy Horning, a volunteer with Americans for Fair Taxation, organized the protest
to lobby for the substitution of a statewide sales tax for property and income taxes.
He has found little traction for the idea, however, and Wednesday's protest served
more to channel frustrations.
Tax bills haven't arrived yet for seven homes owned by Staten and her husband on
Indianapolis' Near Eastside. The couple renovates abandoned homes there.
But the properties have been hit by tax hikes again and again. Staten said the families
living in them can't afford higher rents.
Horning, 49, tapped into Marion County's growing tax fatigue. He drew cheers and
applause when he outlined the sales tax idea, though some said lobbying state and
local leaders would take too much time.
Some urged a class-action lawsuit.
"Kill the property tax," Horning said. "It's a dumb tax. It's outdated."
Horning also referred to a plan announced last week by Mayor Bart Peterson to increase
the city's income tax from 1 percent to 1.65 percent to pay for pensions and crime-fighting
initiatives. Under that plan, a person earning $50,000 in taxable income would pay
$325 more each year.
Plenty brought signs to the demonstration. "How can daddy pay for my school
now? Stop taxing," said one held by a 2-year-old boy. Another: "Failing
school + bad government = 97% increase? Who did this math?"
Property taxes increased because of the elimination of a business inventory tax,
more spending by local government and schools, a homestead credit reduction and the
first update in assessments in six years.
Later this year, most taxpayers should receive a rebate created by the General Assembly
to offset some of the increase.
Horning, a health-care consultant, is a father of five who lives on a farm in Owen
County, west of Bloomington. He has crunched numbers and lobbied state leaders on
the sales tax idea for several years, he said.
Indiana has a 6 percent sales tax. Horning's replacement tax would range from 6 percent
to 13 percent on all new purchases, he said, depending on whether rebates would be
included for those below the poverty level.
Americans for Fair Taxation is pushing a 23 percent national sales tax to replace
the income tax and other federal taxes.
"What's been missing is the public will to make it happen," Horning said
before addressing the crowd.
Gov. Mitch Daniels' spokeswoman, Jane Jankowski, declined to comment on the protest,
The Associated Press said.
William Wells, 78, is waiting on his tax bill. He has been stung by large increases
in the past.
"Taxes are too high," said Wells, who is retired from the U.S. Postal Service
and lives near the governor's residence. "You can't pay that amount of money
on fixed income."
Call Star reporter Jon Murray at (317) 444-2752.
*****
June 30, 2007
Yankee Ingenuity
By LEWIS M. ANDREWS and DANIEL GRESSEL
June 30, 2007
HARTFORD, Conn. -- New England is supposed to be liberal territory. Massachusetts
recently elected a Democratic governor; Democrats control both houses of the legislature
in New Hampshire for the first time in more than 100 years. Overall in the region
there is only one Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives -- Chris
Shays of Connecticut.
So what chance does an anti-tax ad campaign have in the Nutmeg State?
It turns out quite a lot. In April the Yankee Institute launched an ad campaign explaining
that Connecticut only enacted its income tax in 1991, but that job creation in the
state has since been at a virtual standstill. And that anyone interested in learning
more should log onto our Web site (www.YankeeInstitute.org).
Our ads went up in two places. First we rented a digital billboard facing the state
capitol. (We wanted legislators to see it.) Second, we put up posters in rail stations
serving commuters headed to New York City. We know