As reported here, the Seattle City Council passed the Mayor's transportation tax package, after "trimming" it from a whopping $1.8 billion dollar levy to a "mere" $1.6 billion dollar levy. This means that the 10% tax on parking spaces and the $25.00 per-employee tax will go onto effect in July of 2007, while the property tax hike will go on the November ballot.
While this is extremely disappointing, it is not unexpected, since the Seattle City Council has a Democrat majority, and the Mayor of course is also a Democrat, and as I've said before, Democrats have yet to meet a tax they don't like.
Now, to put this in perspective. The Mayor has said that this tax package will pay for a $500 million dollar backlog in transportation infrastructure repairs and improvements, and I will grant that many of our streets and sidewalks here in Seattle do need work (as anyone who drives or walks through town will attest). But, how does a $500 million dollar backlog translate into a $1.8 billion dollar package, now "trimmed" to a "mere" $1.6 billion dollar package? And what has happened to the money that the Seattle Department of Transportation has already been getting?
As Council member Peter Steinbrueck said, ""It is a $500 million backlog -- not a $1.6 billion backlog. So who are we fooling here?""
Well, not me for one, and hopefully, come November, not the voters either.
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