Tax initiative 864 falls short of names
OLYMPIA – It had all the makings of a victory lap.
With his usual showmanship, initiative promoter Tim Eyman hauled thousands of petitions for his Initiative 864 to the Secretary of State’s office on Friday.
News cameras zoomed in. Eyman critics – some of whom had been saying for weeks that he’d fail – looked perplexed. Anti-Eyman protesters silently stared.
Eyman sat down. He took out a piece of paper. And he announced, in effect, that he’d failed.
“Thanks to the support, hard work and junkyard-dog determination of our thousands of extraordinary supporters throughout the state,” he said, “we’re submitting to the Secretary of State’s office the signatures of 156,160 citizens.”
The problem: That’s 41,574 signatures short of what it takes to get a spot on the ballot.
Over the past several months, Eyman had repeatedly exhorted his supporters to send more cash. A total of 4,376 people, he said, sent $263,233. He wouldn’t say Friday how much of that money was spent hiring signature-gatherers.
I-864 would have cut by 25 percent all local property tax levies not approved by voters, saving taxpayers over $500 million a year. Critics, including public employee unions, feared it would force drastic cuts in city and county government.
“The failure of I-864 underscores the value people place on critical local services,” said Chris Dugovich, president of the 16,000-member Washington State Council of County and City Employees. He said the union had hundreds of volunteers out on the streets, trying to dissuade people from signing the petitions.
Along with allies, Dugovich said, the union also made nearly a million phone calls, warning people that those who sign petitions run the risk of becoming victims of fraud or forgery. State officials earlier this year said they’ve never heard of any such case.
Trying to put a good face on the news, Eyman on Friday called the 156,000 signatures “an amazing vote of confidence for this first attempt.” He vowed to file a similar measure next January.
“You only lose if you quit,” he said. “And we ain’t quitting. We’re coming right back.”
Eyman said he’s confident that his second tax-cutting initiative this year, I-892, will make it to the ballot this year.
I-892 would allow non-tribal businesses – such as bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and cardrooms – to have the slot-style gambling machines now allowed only at Indian casinos. Taxes on the thousands of new machines, Eyman says, would generate about $400 million a year, which would then be used to cut Washingtonians’ property taxes. The measure is backed mostly by gambling interests.
Eyman’s critics said the failure of I-864 and success of I-892 show that he’s abandoning his conservative base to work on behalf of the gambling industry, which was paying him $3,100 a week to work on I-892.
“He abandoned them for a for-profit campaign,” said David Goldstein, a Seattle software writer who is one of Eyman’s chief critics. “Every time he fails it erodes his support.”
Another frequent Eyman critic, Steve Zemke, said Eyman is overestimating the appeal of his tax-rebel message.
“If people were really concerned with this (Initiative 864), they would have jumped out and done it on their own,” Zemke said.
Eyman blamed the failure of I-864 on a tough economy and competing demands on people’s wallets in this busy campaign year. Numerous initiative campaigns, he said, also bid up the price of signatures.
“Naturally, we’re disappointed,” said Jack Fagan, a Spokane man who helps run Eyman’s initiatives. “The money’s out there, but there are so many campaigns out there, too.”
Eyman said I-864 would have been “wildly popular” with voters if he’d gotten it on the ballot.
“It’ll be even more popular next year,” he said. “After all, the need for relief will only increase after local governments recklessly gorge themselves on tax increases this fall.”
Goldstein said he was surprised by the way Eyman announced the demise of I-864 Friday.
“I’m a little baffled why he would highlight his failure,” he said.