RogerRabbit
Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined: 05 Sep 2004
Posts: 748
Location: Oregon
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 Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 3:56 pm Post subject: Effort to raise gas tax running out of energy |
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http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2002251446&zsection_id=2002111777&slug=leg24m&date=20050424
As if Washington State is not overtaxed now
| Quote: | By Andrew Garber and Ralph Thomas
Seattle Times Olympia Bureau
OLYMPIA — An $8 billion transportation tax package that would raise gasoline taxes 9.5 cents over four years and pour billions into Seattle-area projects such as the Alaskan Way Viaduct appeared on the verge of dying in the House yesterday.
The tax package, up for final approval, was voted down 53-45 yesterday afternoon in the biggest partisan brawl of this year's legislative session. Almost immediately after the vote, Democrats and Republicans retreated to their caucus rooms to see if either side would be willing to give more votes, essentially shutting down the House for several hours.
By evening, Democratic leaders said they would probably shelve the issue for the night and try for another vote today. The final deadline for the 105-day session is midnight tonight.
"It's not dead," said House Transportation Chairman Ed Murray, D-Seattle, "but it's definitely on life support."
Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire and House Speaker Frank Chopp met behind closed doors early in the evening to discuss strategy on getting the package passed.
Prospects for the transportation package looked dicey all day, despite intensive lobbying by big business to get Republican votes. Duke Schaub, lobbyist for Associated General Contractors of Washington, and Boeing lobbyist Al Ralston were part of an army of lobbyists who spent the day trying to round up votes.
Preoccupied with the gas tax, the Legislature had not yet approved a $26 billion, two-year, state operating budget, and the Senate still had not voted on a $3 billion state construction budget.
The parties blamed each other for the political jam. Democrats, who control the House and Senate, were counting on at least 14 of the 43 House Republicans to share the politically risky tax vote. They got eight.
"That's not a bipartisan vote," House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, said furiously.
Kessler said business leaders needed to step up the pressure on Republicans. "The business community promised us we would get a bipartisan vote," Kessler said. "This didn't turn out to be even close."
Democrats want a bipartisan vote to avoid taking a hit next election for supporting a gas tax. Last election, a Republican political group supported by some of the state's biggest companies sent out fliers attacking Democrats because they had voted for a nickel increase in the gas tax in 2003.
Republicans argued that Democrats, who control the House 55-43, should be able to deliver the extra votes needed. Eighteen Democrats voted against the package yesterday.
"We've heard [from Democrats] that it's the right of the majority to rule. Well, rule," said House Deputy Republican Leader Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee.
Republican leaders said their members were so angry at the Democrats that even fewer would probably vote yes if the bill comes back up for a second vote.
The package would raise the gas tax by 3 cents a gallon the first year, 3 cents the second year, 2 cents the third year and 1.5 cents in the fourth. It includes $2 billion for the viaduct, $972 million for Interstate 405 and $500 million toward replacing the Highway 520 bridge over Lake Washington.
The package would not fully pay for replacing the viaduct and 520 bridge. The central Puget Sound region would have to contribute billions of dollars as well.
Lawmakers from Eastern Washington complained the tax package was too heavily focused on the Puget Sound region.
"This is not a bill for one Washington," said Rep. John Serben, R-Spokane. "This is a bill for one area."
Republicans said they were worried Democrats simply wanted Republican votes so that vulnerable freshman Democrats could be off the hook.
"Why should I let off one of the [Democratic] freshmen members?" asked Rep. Rodney Tom, R-Bellevue, a second-term member who ended up voting yes.
Armstrong accused the Democrats of purposely letting the bill die on the first pass so they could see how many Republicans such as Tom were voting yes, then figure out how many Democrats would have to switch to pass it.
"This is all politics," he said. "If they're serious about a transportation package, why are they playing politics?"
Three Republicans who supported the bill in committee voted against it yesterday.
Democratic leaders said they didn't tell any of their members how to vote. But in the days leading up to yesterday's vote, Chopp did offer words of caution to some of his members, especially freshmen, whose re-election could be jeopardized by the gas-tax vote.
"He said, 'I'm not going to break your arm, but you have to look at the future, you have to look at your district,' " said Rep. Sherry Appleton, whose district includes much of Kitsap County and Bainbridge Island. "It really is difficult — the e-mails I'm getting are half and half," said Appleton, who voted no.
GOP leaders said members were free to vote as they wished but weren't shy about telling members how they viewed the tax package.
"It's always tough to take a tax vote," said Rep. Doug Erickson, R-Bellingham. "But sometimes they can be tough and good. This is just tough and bad."
Some Republicans, however, disputed that.
"I think we as Republicans have staked out our no-new-taxes mantra for so long, we've forgotten there's a reason for government and a reason for taxes," said Rep. Fred Jarrett, R-Mercer Island. |
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