We haven’t had enough Tim Eyman.
I try to rotate the subjects of these Common Sense efforts, moving from freedom to democracy and back again, covering local and state issues as well as national and international ones.
But certain topics make regular returns. Like Tim Eyman. In Washington State, he’s evergreen.
He’s the citizen initiative guy. He keeps plugging away, writing initiatives, working to put them on the ballot, defending them against all comers.
His recurring theme? Lower taxes.
He recently filed an initiative to require a two-thirds majority in the Evergreen State’s legislature to raise taxes.
He’s done it before. And Washington State citizens have voted this in, before. Four times.
Trouble is, the legislature can repeal any state initiative two years after enactment, by simple majority. Within the first two years, it takes a two thirds super-majority.
So Eyman is back on the horse, whip in hand, and says he’ll keep putting these initiatives before the voters. As many times as it takes.
He’s working on the current effort in case the legislature takes down the recently enacted I‑1053, like they did the three previous citizen-enacted laws. If lawmakers don’t overturn this, he’ll wait until 2012 to reintroduce it. And he’ll keep this up until legislators at last understand: Citizens don’t have unlimited resources. Taxes come at a cost. Spending less is always an option.
You can’t keep a good man (or the voters) down.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.