[Carfreeliving] seattletimes.com: Gas tax is going up

Mon Apr 25 19:08:23 MDT 2005

So in short, the legislature COULD pass gas tax increases; but in
practice, the legislature has preferred to put their own initiative on
the state ballot instead.

-----Original Message-----
From: Carfreeliving-bounces at livablecity.org
[mailto:Carfreeliving-bounces at livablecity.org] On Behalf Of Jason
Henderson
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 5:49 PM
To: Bert Hill
Cc: carfreeliving at livablecity.org
Subject: Re: [Carfreeliving] seattletimes.com: Gas tax is going up

Would a gas tax increase be possible through the state legislature in 
CA? As I understand it (and please correct me if I am wrong), all tax 
increases have to be voted on through a ballot initiative. This stems 
from Prop 13 right? I am sure it is more complicated than that, this 
being California and all.

On first read of the article, I concur with Bert that this looks like a 
highway contracter- leveraged bill. In fact, many in the broader US 
highway lobby have supported raising the federal gas tax, and the debate

over raising it has been somewhat stimied by division over how much 
would go to transit vs. roads.

I had an interesting conversation with someone from Seattle a few weeks 
back about the Alaskan Viaduct (in the context of urban freeway 
removal). She was in favor of rebuilding the viaduct because it provides

spectaular views. She said this in a populist way - saying that the 
plans for the tunnel include massive luxury high-rise redevelopment that

would block views. We politely changed the subject to other daunting 
progressive causes after I let her know my views.

-jh

Bert Hill wrote:

>Being from Seattle, I'm really glad to see a gas tax going up, but
>Washington has no income tax.  On the other hand, it appears from the
>article to be going primarily for expansion of Seattle & King County
>freeways.  If the financing was to tear down the Alaskan Way Viaduct
(nearly
>identical to our Embarcadero Freeway, but longer), and replace it with
the
>tunnel proposal or transit-oriented transportation, it would be
beneficial.
>Otherwise, all these freeway projects will do is increase auto traffic
>volumes into and through downtown Seattle. 
>
>Bert
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Carfreeliving-bounces at livablecity.org
>[mailto:Carfreeliving-bounces at livablecity.org] On Behalf Of
>bicyclesf at yahoo.com
>Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 2:15 PM
>To: carfreeliving at livablecity.org
>Subject: [Carfreeliving] seattletimes.com: Gas tax is going up
>
>This message was sent to you by bicyclesf at yahoo.com, as a service of
The
>Seattle Times (http://www.seattletimes.com).
>
>Comments from sender: They did it in Washington!
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Gas tax is going up
>Full story:
>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002252220_leg25m.html
>
>By Andrew Garber and Ralph Thomas
>Seattle Times Olympia bureau
>
>
>
>OLYMPIA -- In a stunning turnaround, lawmakers ended the session
yesterday
>by passing an $8.5 billion transportation package that includes a
9.5-cent
>gas tax over four years -- the biggest increase in state history. 
>
>The legislation, which went through the Senate last week, passed the
House
>54 to 43, with 11 Republicans siding with the Democratic majority. Gov.
>Christine Gregoire said she'll sign the measure. 
>
>The package raises the gas tax by 3 cents a gallon the first year, 3
cents
>the second year, 2 cents the third year and 1.5 cents in the fourth. It
>includes $2 billion for the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle, $972
million for
>Interstate 405 on the Eastside, and $500 million toward replacing the
>Highway 520 bridge over Lake Washington. 
>
>"This is absolutely historic," said Duke Schaub, lobbyist for
Associated
>General Contractors of Washington and one of the most powerful figures
in
>Olympia. "This means thousands and thousands of new jobs." 
>
>The Legislature, which adjourned at 7:17 last evening, also passed a
$26
>billion operating budget that includes about $400 million in taxes, as
well
>as a $3 billion state construction budget yesterday. But those votes
were
>practically footnotes to the fight over transportation. 
>
>The transportation plan seemed all but dead in the morning after a
brutal
>partisan fight Saturday that saw the same plan defeated by a 54-43
vote.
>Both parties accused each other of dirty politics and preventing
members in
>politically vulnerable districts from taking a risky tax vote.
Democratic
>leaders early in the day were bemoaning a lack of bipartisan
cooperation on
>transportation, while Republicans were accusing the majority party of
>failing to lead. 
>
>
>
>Then, shortly after 11 a.m., Gregoire started hammering away at the
>legislative leadership, trying to break the stalemate. She stopped at
House
>Republican Leader Bruce Chandler's office, then visited House Speaker
Frank
>Chopp and the leaders of both parties in the Senate. 
>
>Gregoire said she told all of them, "I want to see a transportation
package
>come out. If that viaduct falls down and peoples' lives are lost, I'm
not
>going to stand here and say we lost it because we couldn't take the
vote to
>get it done." 
>
>The governor indicated to leaders in both parties she'd take the
Legislature
>into special session if they didn't pass a transportation plan. 
>
>The tactics apparently helped. A little later, Chopp, D-Seattle, and
>Chandler, R-Granger, met privately and came out agreeing to let all
their
>members vote on the plan without interference. 
>
>Minutes after that, the transportation plan came back up for another
try.
>With no debate, Chopp opened up the electronic vote machine and the
count
>quickly surged to 54 votes in favor. 
>
>As soon as Chopp locked in the vote, the House erupted in applause, and
the
>scene looked more like a church at the end of a big wedding. Teary-eyed
>Democratic members swarmed over to hug House Transportation Chairman Ed
>Murray, D-Seattle, and Republicans on the other side. 
>
>Senate Transportation Chairwoman Mary Margaret Haugen rushed to the
House
>floor, where she and Murray shared a long embrace. 
>
>"I can't believe we did it," said Haugen, D-Camano Island. "Oh Lord, I
can't
>believe we did it." 
>
>Within minutes, Gregoire came upstairs to make an impromptu victory
tour and
>to congratulate members in all four caucuses of the Legislature. 
>
>"I want you to know, I voted for something that isn't good for my
district,"
>Rep. Jim Clements, R-Selah, told Gregoire. He then asked Gregoire to
>remember that vote when he comes seeking millions of dollars for a
major
>reservoir project that's still in the planning stages in his district. 
>
>It was hard to believe the Democrats and Republicans had been at each
>others' throats a few hours earlier. 
>
>But that's not unusual in the Legislature. "Around this place, you need
to
>argue your point with all the vim and vigor you can," said Deputy House
>Republican Leader Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee. "But at the end of the
day,
>you should be able to go out to dinner with your opponent and enjoy
each
>other's company." 
>
>Armstrong gave Gregoire a lot of credit for breaking the logjam and
bringing
>about the transportation plan's passage. 
>
>The governor, he said, made it clear that Democrats needed and wanted
the
>Republicans' help. "She lighted a fire and reignited this issue when it
was
>waning," Armstrong said. "That's what leaders do." 
>
>Armstrong, who voted against the transportation package, said those
weren't
>easy words for him to say, given that he hopes Republican Dino Rossi
wins in
>court and can defeat Gregoire in a new election. Rossi lost the 2004
>election to Gregoire by 129 votes after two recounts and is challenging
the
>contest in court. 
>
>House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, said Gregoire had to
stick
>her neck out farther than anyone in supporting the gas-tax increase.
"She's
>taking a big political risk on this one," Kessler said, "because she's
>facing that challenge in court and may be facing a special election" if
>Rossi wins the case. 
>
>Gregoire, meanwhile, said she gives all the credit to the
transportation
>leaders and the lawmakers who voted for the bill. "It's courageous and
it's
>bold," said Gregoire. "We just did the right thing." 
>
>The package will not fully pay for replacing the viaduct and 520
bridge. The
>central Puget Sound region will have to contribute billions of dollars
as
>well. 
>
>The transportation plan puts the region on notice that it needs to come
up
>with its share of local money by January 2007 or risk losing funds for
>projects. 
>
>Not everyone was celebrating the gas-tax vote. 
>
>"It's a huge concern for us," said Carolyn Logue, a small-business
lobbyist.
>"There has been nothing done this session to relieve costs for small
>business. ... Some are going to be very hurt by this." 
>
>Opponents said it was a bad time to raise the gas tax, given rocketing
>prices at the pump. 
>
>"This package is just too much for the people of Washington state, when
you
>consider the price of gas and what's going on in Washington state with
the
>economy," Rep. Doug Ericksen, R-Bellingham, said during floor debate
>Saturday. He voted no again yesterday. 
>
>Rep. Beverly Woods, R-Kingston, a key transportation negotiator for the
>House Republicans, said 11 votes was a good number for her party. Much
of
>her caucus comes from rural and Eastern Washington districts where gas
taxes
>are an anathema. 
>
>But she felt yesterday's vote bodes well for future cooperation between
the
>parties on transportation issues. 
>
>"I think this is a turning point in transportation," she said. "My
parents
>helped pay for the roads we drive on now. We have to continue to make
that
>investment." 
>
>Andrew Garber: 360-943-9882 or agarber at seattletimes.com 
>
>The Associated Press contributed to this report. 
>
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-- 
Jason Henderson 
San Francisco CA 
(415)-255-8136
jhenders at sbcglobal.net 