October 17, 2004 in City

A look at city and state ballot measures

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City of Spokane, Proposition One: A $117 million bond measure to fix Spokane’s streets.

Tax impact: The measure would raise property taxes an estimated $68 a year on a $100,000 home. Bonds would be sold to raise the money, and the work would be paced out over 10 years.

The issue: Spokane has an estimated $200 million backlog of broken, rutted streets. The proposed bond issue would fix about half of the problem, including 37 miles of arterials, 52 miles of residential streets and other projects. In all, as many as 110 miles of streets would be rebuilt or paved.

Proponents said they had few other choices than to seek a property tax measure. The state Legislature allows local governments only a handful of choices for raising extra money to fix streets, they said.

But Spokane voters have been a tough sell on street issues in the past, and some critics say the city should find another way to pay for street repairs, rather than burdening only property taxpayers.

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State Initiative 297: A measure to require the U.S. Department of Energy to clean up waste at Hanford Nuclear Reservation before it is allowed to bury any more there.

The issue: This year, the Energy Department said it wants to bring approximately 70,000 additional truckloads of radioactive waste from other weapons sites to Hanford for burial. One of the transportation routes is Interstate 90 through Coeur d’Alene and Spokane.

In July, Washington Gov. Gary Locke and Attorney General Christine Gregoire sued the Bush administration over the import plan, obtaining a federal court injunction that blocks it for the moment. Although it’s still defending its waste import plan in court, the Energy Department has not taken a position on I-297.

So far, I-297 has no organized opposition, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission. However, a Tri-Cities congressman and a pro-nuclear business group are speaking out against it, and the Association of Washington Business has voted to oppose it.

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Initiative 892: Would allow more slot machines statewide as a way to lower property taxes. The initiative would allow as many as 18,000 electronic slot machines in restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, non-tribal casinos and card rooms. A 35 percent tax on the machines would pay for the property tax cuts.

Tax impact: Sponsor Tim Eyman says the revenue on the games will be $400 million, “the largest property tax cut in state history.” But state officials predict the tax relief would actually be only $252 million, or $32 on a $100,000 home.

The issue: Initiative supporters say it’s a no pain, all gain way to cut taxes. But opponents of the measure cite social problems associated with problem gambling and say the state should not expand access to gaming.

Right now in Washington, only tribal casinos can offer the popular and easy-to-use electronic slot machines.

Eyman, the man behind a string of popular tax-cutting initiatives, insists that I-892 won’t increase the number of gamblers in Washington state, only the number of choices for people who already gamble.

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State Initiative 884: Would increase the state’s 6.5 percent sales tax by a penny to fund education and create a trust fund for three areas of public education – preschool, K-12 and higher education – with oversight by a board of citizens.

Tax impact: Sales tax paid on a $100 purchase would rise from $8.50 to $9.50 in Spokane County, counting state and local sales taxes, including the recently passed public safety levy. If approved, the levy is expected to generate more than $1 billion a year starting in 2006.

The issue: Supporters of Initiative 884 see it as a chance to recharge education in Washington state. It’s not just about money, they say. Opponents are dubious about the benefits and fearful of the tax bite.

Businesses in border communities, such as Spokane and Vancouver, will lose customers to their rivals in Idaho and Oregon, critics predict.

I-884 supporters say 88 percent of new jobs require post-high-school training or college. They cite the state’s 71 percent high-school graduation rate.

“What’s different and where the urgency comes from is that the whole economy has changed,” said Lisa Macfarlane, spokeswoman for the League of Education Voters. “The ability to earn a living wage with just a high-school diploma or less … is evaporating.”

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State Referendum 55: The measure asks voters to decide whether Washington should have charter schools. It would also let school districts convert failing public schools into charter schools.

The issue: The Legislature authorized creation of 45 charter schools over the next six years. The law was to take effect in June, but it was put on hold when opponents collected enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot.

Opponents of the measure say state tax money shouldn’t be diverted from mainstream public schools to charter schools, particularly as the state’s share of education funding has declined in recent years. Supporters say charter schools allow for innovation and competition, and would be particularly helpful in improving education among low-income and struggling students.

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Initiative 872: Would throw out Washington’s partisan primary – which just had its initial run – and replace it with a nonpartisan primary in which the top two vote-getters would advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

The issue: The state Grange secured a spot on the statewide ballot for the “Top 2” primary election system. The Grange is the farm-based fraternal group that sponsored Washington’s popular blanket primary 70 years ago.

The courts threw out that system, which allows crossover voting, and Gov. Gary Locke used his veto pen to create a Montana-style system that requires voters to restrict themselves to one party’s primary. That system was used for the first time Sept. 14.

Supporters of the initiative argue that requiring voters to select one party’s ballot limits their freedom to vote as they choose, and that the new primary system allows political parties – who sued to overturn the state’s previous blanket primary – to limit voters’ choices.

Opponents say that the “top two” system will inevitably result in one-party choices in the general elections and that third parties and independent candidates would be disenfranchised.

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