Tim Eyman's Initiative 1033 is so bad that even Oregonians are urging us to vote it down

The Daily Astorian, Clatsop County's newspaper of record, published a great editorial today urging Washingtonians to vote down I-1033:

Oregon's southern neighbor has become a textbook example of how not to operate state finances. Now our northern neighbor is wading into the same quicksand.

Washington state just went through the pain of filling a $9 billion budget deficit. The impacts still ripple through its classrooms, justice system and everything else paid for by taxes. School children, seniors, families protected by the Washington Basic Health plan have paid the price, along with other state citizens in every walk of life.

And now, we're voting on Tim Eyman's latest scheme, which masquerades as a solution to our woes, but in reality, just makes things worse.

Eyman, a professional initiative campaigner, has enjoyed considerable success pushing through similar proposals.

But the Evergreen state will have plenty of other troubles to sort out without tying its own hands. I-1033 is like a family trying to make a budget by arbitrarily limiting its own income. Better not get sick. The kids better not lose a coat. Better hope you don't come across an unexpected opportunity for an investment in the future.

Good analogy. No family would put together a budget under the absurd and unworkable scheme that Tim Eyman has come up with.

The Astorian concludes:

It may be tempting for Washington citizens to vote for I-1033 because it promises to keep more money in their own pockets. But this is no time to hamstring the efforts that must be made to keep schools strong and people healthy. What hope is there for a strong and lasting recovery if Washington locks itself into these stingy times?

Washington should say no to I-1033 and preserve all its options for the future

Well said. We would add that Initiative 1033 is not destructive by accident. Its sponsor, Tim Eyman, made it that way on purpose. Why? Because his objective is to wreck government so it can't work. He doesn't want to make government better or more effective. He just pays lip service to that idea.

Eyman and his cronies can bluster endlessly and deny their true aim all they want, but unfortunately, actions speak louder than words, no matter how many megaphones Tim happens to be wielding.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer cartoonist David Horsey yesterday published a brilliant depiction of Eyman as a Medieval army general leading an attack on universities, colleges, and public schools, complete with an unindentified minion sniggering that Eyman-like schemes have already inflicted havoc on California and Colorado. The cartoon truly is a must-see.

Let's take the advice from our southerly neighbors down in Astoria and keep Washington State from turning into the Evergreen Chaos.

Vote NO on Initiative 1033.