The PI Blows It: Gas Tax Repeal: Pennies or projects?

Some newspapers are blinded by their own biases. Our local fish wrapper is, for example, completely wrapped around the axle (or is it, totally off track?) about loot rail.

In that same vein, the Seattle PI is totally whacked over jacking up our gas tax (or, come to think of it, any other tax.) In today’s editorial, they take a swing at rhetoric used by the pro-I 912 types.

That’s all well and good. But failing to hold the anti-types up to the same level of scrutiny… well, that’s sheer hypocrisy, Leftist style.

There is no lie they won’t tell, no misinformation they won’t provide to get people to see this thing their way. And here’s a sample:

Well, here is an explanation as to why they took that particular tact. http://www.soundpolitics.com/archives/004705.html

Shameless lying weasels

Wait. There's more ... The pro-gas-taxers who are desperately defending their self-serving gas tax with hysterical propaganda and First-Amendment-trashing lawsuits are not merely shameless weasels they are shameless lying weasels. Their website listed several organizations that supposedly opposed I-912, including the Ports of Seattle, Everett and Tacoma, which are all governmental agencies. The always alert Richard Pope observed that such an endorsement by a government agency would be illegal without a board vote taken at a public meeting. Pope sent public records requests to these agencies asking for documentation of such board votes. He forwarded me the Ports' responses -- NONE OF THESE PORT AGENCIES EVER TOOK A POSITION AGAINST I-912. The "Keep Washington Rolling" campaign simply lied.

The shameless weasel website has since been updated to remove the names of these Ports. But the google cache shows what the list used to look like -- until alert citizen Richard Pope called them on their illegal campaign tactics. This sort of sleaze from these well-heeled boondoggle promoters only inspires me to go out and collect more signatures this weekend to ensure that the No New Gas Tax initiative makes it on the ballot.

UPDATE: oh dear. The always alert Richard Pope tells me I understated the deceit of the shameless lying weasels. See the comments section for details

Now, I have no problem with an allegedly responsible publication holding BOTH sides up to this high standard. But when you only hold up the side you oppose?

Where’s that Judge who nailed Carlson and Wilbur for their alleged “in-kind contributions” for I 912 when you need him?

The PI editorial, if you care enough to read it, is here:





Sunday, July 10, 2005
Gas Tax Repeal: Pennies or projects?

Proponents of Initiative 912 have enough signatures to put their attempt to repeal the gas tax increase on the November ballot. Now it's time to debate the merits and we hope the group's efforts to sway voters will be more accurate than the promotional material they used to garner petition signatures.

Perhaps they're counting on Washington voters being sufficiently shortsighted and selfish to go along with any tax cut. We have more confidence in the electorate. They know many roads and bridges are in bad shape and that it takes real money to make real improvements. Their legislators passed the gas tax increase, as part of a 16-year transportation improvement package.

Voters also recognize the inherent fairness in such a user tax, and that the state constitution permits the gas tax to be used only for roads and auto ferries.

The I-912 Web site proclaims: "The gas tax increase costs us $8.5 billion and helps no one." No, the gas tax increase is not $8.5 billion; it is just over $5.5 billion.

Helps no one?

More…