I-1631 puts burden on working people

I am writing in my capacity as President of the Iron Workers District Council of the Pacific Northwest to soundly oppose Washington state Initiative I-1631. I am seriously concerned that I-1631 will cost hard-working people good paying jobs that provide quality benefits to Washington state families, both in the building trades and other industries.

Beyond jobs, it’s also clear that working people will be expected to pick up the tab for this initiative at the gas pump and through increased utility bills, with the price of gas rising an estimated 14 cents per gallon in the first year alone. In an area where the cost of living continues to rise, we cannot support an initiative that will make it more expensive to drive, work and live in Washington state.

I am also troubled by the initiative’s lack of accountability for how the collected funds will be spent. Us Washingtonians have all grown tired and skeptical of excessive taxes and fees, of governmental waste and needless bureaucracy.

This initiative falls short of its admirable goals, and places an undue burden on the working people of Washington. The Iron Workers District Council of the Pacific Northwest opposes I-1631 and urges a better way forward.