Rivers becomes despicable: blames county assessor for HER massive property tax increases.

Back in the day when I was literally stupid enough to believe this woman, she used to have a catchy little phrase to show her moral superiority that went something like this:

"I'm not going to tear my opponent's house down to make mine look better."

Or something like that.

Well, that person has long since died and has been replaced by this leftist hack masquerading as a Republican.

She lied to us to get elected by telling us she would oppose both gas tax and tab fee increases, only to vote for the largest of both in this state's history, personally costing Clark County and her own legislative district $700 million, $500 million of which goes to King And Spokane County for their transportation projects while we get, effectively, nothing.

And then, the morons running the Senate Caucus in Olympia put her in charge of negotiating the McCleary sell-out... she gets hired by a DEMOCRAT campaign firm during the middle of these "negotiations" and we wind up $5.5 BILLION poorer... as the GOP-controlled Senate betrays us by dumping this money down the WEA money sewer... and all without accountability measure one.

As a result, our property taxes exploded.

The blame for this rest squarely on the shoulders of Sen. Ann "Gas Tax" Rivers (D-Strategies 360), who subsequently went on a dog and pony show where she and her democrat colleague, Sen. Lynda "Property Tax" Wilson (D-Tracy) proceeded to lie through their collective tooth, telling us... in fact, guaranteeing us, that as a result of their brilliant legislation, our property taxes were actually going to go down.

That was an outright lie, of course.

The Legislative Office of Program Research, the legislative agency which is in charge of actually writing the bills considered in committee and on the floor, published a chart which laid out projected property taxes as a result of Rivers' betrayal... and it spelled out Rivers' betrayal in all of its graphic clarity:  As a direct result of Rivers selling us out... The property taxes of every school district in Clark County were going to skyrocket.

And skyrocket they did.

My own taxes went up roughly $900, and $700 of that amount went to pay for Rivers' sell out.

And Rivers is taking heat for it.

So what does she do instead of taking responsibility for her stupidity?  For her leftist sell out?

She blames the County Assessor, Peter Van Nortwick.

Rivers, in her Battle Ground dog and pony show, HAD to blame SOMEBODY for her betrayal... so who gets the nod?

Looks like time is taking its toll.  Rivers tap-dancing at last town hall.
Photo by Mike Schultz

Peter Van Nortwick.

On the bright side, Rivers noted, lawmakers will provide a 30 percent rebate on 2018 property taxes next year. Additionally, after 2018, all local school levy rates will be dropped to a flat $4.20 per $1,000 in assessed value, bringing relief to taxpayers while providing more fairness when comparing rural and urban school districts.  

She called the combination of factors leading to increased burdens for taxpayers a “perfect storm” and said that solutions must be as big and complex as the problem itself.  

Rivers said the county assessor’s office poorly valued homes for a long period of time and that the correction to those numbers came at an unfortunate juncture.  

“The correction has happened but unfortunately it came at a time when other bills were coming due,” she said.

There are lies, damned lies, and Rivers' lies.

OPR laid it all out last year.  Rivers' tax increase was going to hammer us.  How could she not know?

And the alleged "tax relief" she's babbling about is only temporary, and she doesn't seem to discuss the fact that most of the massive increase will remain in place. For instance, even presuming her figures are accurate, and given her demonstrated ability to lie, how can anyone count on anything she says, That will drop the MASSIVE tax increase she authored... in my case... $210.  That will STILL leave an almost $500 tax increase that she's responsible for.  Are we supposed to be happy with that?

The chart OPR cranked out last year indicated that, in fact, the education portion of taxes would go down 10% or so next year.. and then go back up roughly the same amount in 2020 and continue to rise in the follow-on years.

Folks, that $5.5 billion Rivers dumped into the WEA's pockets doesn't magically disappear in the next budget cycle.  That money is going to CONTINUE to be collected... forever.  It wasn't a one-time thing, and the GOP Senate was so moronic they included nothing in that money that will make any difference.

No increased standards.  No measuring the impacts.  Nothing to show where that money made any difference in anything that matters... like outcomes.

And when we discover... as we will... that these wasted billions made no difference at all...

... then what?

Further, Van Nortwick's shop bears no blame in this: in fact, shortly after Rivers' horrific tax increase passed, he began to warn anyone who would listen what was going to happen as a result.

How is it that HE knew we were going to get screwed... but Rivers claims she DIDN'T?

Yeah, it's been many years since Rivers used to babble how she wasn't going to tear anyone else's house down to make her's look better.  Those days are long gone.  And there is no blaming anyone else for the pain she's inflicted on Clark County families... that's all on her.

That she'd even TRY to blame someone else?

Well, that's the Ann "Gas Tax" Rivers we've all come to know and despise.