The ‘dirty five’ -- and the vital two

By Will Parry

Each and every issue on our November ballot, if approved by voters, will affect the quality of life in our state for good or for evil, and for years to come. Here’s an effort to help our readers cast an informed vote on a very complicated ballot.

Five of the seven measures due to come before the electorate have this in common: They are the work of narrow special interests, designed to undermine existing institutions or programs and to increase private profit at public expense. None of the five deserve five cents worth of support.

Here are the “dirty five”:

Initiative 1082: The welfare of every injured worker is on the line here. The insurance industry and the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) want to privatize workers’ compensation, to open the door to domination of the system by insurance companies.

Long ago, Washington workers gave up the right to sue their employers in exchange for “sure and certain relief” – that is, for the right to receive pay and care and job retraining when job injury or job disease strike.

I-1082 would enable BIAW and the likes of AIG and Liberty Mutual to transform our nonprofit system, challenging, delaying and denying claims in the classic manner of health insurers. The measure would drive up employers’ costs by 25 percent or more, cost jobs, and compel taxpayers to bail out any insurer who became insolvent. Written by and for private insurance, it would wreck a program that has functioned well for decades.

Initiative 1107: The Office of Financial Management (OFM) says I-1107 will reduce revenue to the state by $352 million and to local governments by $83 million over the next five years. This during a deep, ongoing recession labeled by Governor Chris Gregoire “the worst in 80 years.”

But I-1107 will do wonders for the big national beverage companies by repealing small, mostly temporary taxes on soda pop, gum, candy and bottled water. That’s why the big soft drink companies have already poured $10 million into the campaign to enact the measure.

Revenue produced by I-1107’s small taxes on nonessential products helps to fund education, health care, senior services – or at the very least, to ward off cuts in those programs.

Initiatives 1100 and 1105: Both measures would end the carefully regulated sale of liquor in our state by privatizing the business. It’s estimated that passage of either would increase the number of outlets from the present 340 to as many as 5,000 – hard stuff in every corner drug store.

Privatization would cost the state. OFM estimates a reduction in state revenues from liquor sales of $277 million over five years under I-1100, and up to $730 million over five years under I-1105.

Either initiative would end Washington’s leadership in having the fewest illegal sales of any state. Either would increase illegal sales to underage persons, by up to 400 percent, according to the state auditor. And either would wipe out a thousand stable, family-wage jobs.

The liquor interests could care less. At our deadline, backers had poured $1.2 million into I-1100 and $2.2 million into I-1005. Booze bucks a-plenty to underwrite one big statewide binge.

Initiative 1053: Tim Eyman’s latest gridlock initiative would require a two-thirds vote to enact any revenue-raising legislation. Thus it would give a minority of legislators veto power over the majority. It would be our state’s counterpart to the 60-vote requirement that has tied the U.S. Senate in knots.

Passage of I-1053 would compel the 2011 legislature to deal with an anticipated $3 billion revenue shortfall with no recourse other than brutal cuts and drastic state employee layoffs.

Blood-soaked oil money is bankrolling the Eyman initiative. BP Corporation of North America, the architect of the Gulf oil disaster, and Tesoro Company, Inc., who gave us the Anacortes refinery explosion and fire, are the top donors to I-1053 at $65,000 each. BP killed 11 workers and Tesoro seven in their ghastly April dance of death.

So much for the “dirty five.” Let’s look now at two positive measures.

I-1098: It brings a long-overdue measure of equity to our state’s tax system. It establishes a limited income tax on the wealthiest 3 percent of Washingtonians. It helps thousands of small businesses by exempting them from the business and occupations tax. And it helps homeowners by reducing the state’s portion of the property tax by 20 percent.

I-1098’s tax on high incomes will generate about $2 billion a year, wholly dedicated to education and health care. And the money’s needed. Washington currently ranks 46th of the 50 states in the amount of our economy we invest in education. As for health care, there are 100,000 residents on the waiting list for the state’s Basic Health Plan right now.

(To volunteer for I-1098, use the form inserted with this issue of the Retiree Advocate.)

Referendum 52: A quality education also depends on the quality of the school buildings. Passage of Referendum 52 will enable the state to sell bonds to fund an energy refit of schools across the state. Nearly half our schools were built, or were last remodeled, 40 or more years ago. A retrofit will remove asbestos, mold, lead and other toxics. New energy-efficient systems will save money for years to come.

And the retrofit will create an estimated 30,000 jobs in a time of acute need, even as it gives our children the learning environment they deserve.

For our children, our health and our state’s future: YES on Initiative 1098 and on Referendum 52! NO on the ‘dirty five’ -- Initiatives 1082, 1107, 1100, 1105, and 1053!

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