a piece of
legislation in
washington state that sets the price of all
motor vehicle tabs at $30. also states that any
new taxes must be voted on by citizens. currently before the washington
supreme court so that they can decide its
constitutionality.
an initiative pushed onto the
ballot by
the rich and greedy, people who didn't like the fact that after buying a new $40,000
suv, they had to pay an
excise tax of $1,000 every year. some people thought that was unfair. after all, their
dispensible income ought to go toward their own amusement, not toward repairing the roads they drive their brand new suvs on or toward
public transportation for those who can't afford brand new suvs (or even 20-year-old
honda civics).
the stupidest part is that it wasn't only the wealthy who voted this
initiative into effect. the
middle class and the
lower class did their part, as well,
short sighted as that was. so now people who went out and bought cars they couldn't afford in january (when i-695 went into effect) because the excise tax was only $30 have had to sell the car and find someone to take over the payments. but because of their decision, they can't depend on
riding the bus since most
bus service was at least halved, due to
lack of funding.
sigh.