Eyman’s initiatives leave much to be desired

George Le Masurier

of the Gateway

We have direct democracy in Washington state. Citizens just like you and me can directly engage our government through a trio of rights: initiative, referendum and recall.

That makes us special, because only 24 states have initiative and referendum, and even fewer add the right of recall.

Like any other privilege, these three rights lose their luster when people abuse and overuse them. Which prompts some to wonder if it isn’t time for Tim Eyman to retire and find a real job?

Year after year, this champion of the overtaxed Washingtonian brings forth yet another ballot measure that he claims will control the crazed state legislators in Olympia who just want to suck up all of your money and spend it on foolish things like health care, education and public safety.

For all the attention he gets, a person might mistakenly believe that Eyman’s band of renegade tax saviors appeal to the majority of voters. That person would be wrong. Since he launched Initiative 695 in 1999, Eyman has brought 15 statewide initiatives to the general election.

How has he fared? Well, put it this way: if Eyman was a college football coach, he would have been fired.

Of his 15 initiatives, three have been declared unconstitutional; four have been rejected by voters; five failed to qualify for the ballot, and just three measures were passed into law.

That’s a 3-12 record, dismal even by recent Washington football standards.

Here’s the record since 2003:

A 2003: Initiative 807 to require a two-thirds vote for all tax increases — failed to qualify.

A 2003: Initiative 864 to cut property taxes by 25 percent — failed to qualify.

A 2004: Initiative 892 to legalize slot machines off tribal reservations — rejected by voters.

A 2004: Initiative 900 to begin a state performance audit program — passed by voters.

A 2006: Referendum 65, which would have to repealed the state’s new civil rights protections for gays and lesbians — failed to qualify for the ballot.

A 2006: Initiative 917 to cap motor vehicle registration fees at $30 a year — failed to qualify.

A 2007: Initiative 960, which required lawmakers or voters to reach a two-thirds majority to raise taxes — passed by voters.

A 2008: Initiative 985 to reduce traffic congestion by opening up high occupancy vehicle lanes during off-peak hours and making other transportation improvements — rejected by voters.

A 2009: Initiative 1033 to cap tax revenue generated through property taxes — rejected by voters.

It’s clear that a majority of voters in this state haven’t fallen for the Eyman hype. But given such a poor performance review by voters, you would think those who fund his campaigns, and line his pockets, would shut off the money flow. Not so far.

And Eyman himself craves the spotlight too much to give it up.

“We’re kind of like rain in Seattle,” Eyman said recently. “You might not like it, but you might as well get used to it, because we’re not going anywhere.”

As a proponent of free speech, Eyman has every right to propose initiatives. But it’s a shame when the process is abused because reasonable opponents to his often poorly thought-out measures have to expend so much time and energy defeating them, resources that could be put to much better use.

As one editorial writer put it, “Voters have come down with a case of ‘Eyman Fatigue.’ ”