UPDATED: Foes organize coalition against Eyman traffic measure

• Published July 21, 2008

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Opponents are lining up against Tim Eyman’s transportation measure, Initiative 985, which formally qualified for the Nov. 4 ballot Friday.

The No! on I-985 campaign at this point is a collection of environmental groups and progressive political organizations. They include FUSE Washington, The Transportation Choices Coalition, Futurewise, WashPIRG, and Washington Environmental Council, according to this news release issued by the No! campaign.

But spokesman Bill LaBorde, who also directs the state chapter of Environment Washington (the environmental arm of WashPIRG), says he thinks business and labor groups might join the coalition in the coming weeks. For now, he said this morning, the coalition is working through the various boards of organizations to secure support.

Fundraising for a campaign is still a ways off.

Meanwhile, LaBorde offered a message that we’ve heard before about an Eyman proposal: “It’s like a lot of his other proposals. It promises a lot for little sacrifice.’’ LaBorde points out that I-985 would shift at least $127 million a year from the state’s general fund (that’s about what Eyman says it would do, too). In effect, it diverts money that now supports school and prison operations into a transportation congestion-relief account.

“With most of the general fund dedicated to education (52%), and health care and social services (30.5%), $127 million a year is a hit that the people of our state can ill afford to take at this moment of economic uncertainty,” LaBorde wrote.

Eyman has a different take. He points out the funds he’d take from the general fund are just 15 percent of the taxes collected on auto sales and similar transactions, far less than the $1 billion shift that could result under a proposal put forth by Republican candidate for governor Dino Rossi.

Many voters may well assume those car-sales taxes already go into transportation.

Eyman also wants to open carpool lanes during off-peak periods from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., but LaBorde says that could make congestion worse.

LaBorde says the measure also limits tolling to the facility being built, so it could, he argues, interfere with financing for replacement of the Route 520 floating bridge. The state treasurer, according to LaBorde, doesn’t want to float bonds for a bridge unless 520 and alternate route I-90 are tolled.

If LaBorde’s group can get labor and business into its coalition, we can expect a major ballot fight this fall.

UPDATE at 2 p.m.: Eyman put out an email to supporters today that, in part, claimed Washington is the No. 5 highest taxed state. “I-985 keeps us from hitting #1. It's easy for politicians to say that taxpayers aren't paying enough: they're the ones TAKING the money, not the ones PAYING it,” he wrote.