June 13, 2005
BELLEVUE — On Saturday, the Libertarian Party of Washington State (LPWS) endorsed I-912, the measure to repeal the 9.5 cent gas tax increase. LPWS member Cary Thomas requested the endorsement at the regularly scheduled meeting of the party’s State Executive Committee. After some discussion, the committee unanimously passed a resolution endorsing I-912. The ballot measure is sponsored by the non-partisan group NoNewGasTax.com.
“As Libertarians, we generally favor user fees instead of taxes to fund public projects,” said LPWS Vice-Chair Brett Wilhelm. “Gas taxes are very similar to user fees as long as the proceeds are used to build and maintain roads. But, the last gas tax increase should be repealed because it diverts funds to politicians’ pet projects instead of improving roads.”
Several issues regarding the tax hike were raised by those in attendance. First, according to NoNewGasTax.com, the Attorney General’s office has said that revenue from the gas tax increase is not absolutely committed to any particular project. Without such guarantees, LPWS members are concerned that the money will not be used wisely.
Second, it was pointed out that the money raised by the tax doesn’t come close to funding the myriad of projects included in the package. “Basically, this bill got passed because the legislators were each promised a little piece for their district,” stated Penelope Wright, LPWS Representative for Congressional District 7, “but no one is getting enough to actually complete the major projects that need attention.”
Finally, many felt that by attaching an “emergency clause” to this bill, the legislature demonstrated particular disdain for the voters. “Clearly,” said one LPWS member, “they knew the tax hike would be unpopular, so they attached the [emergency] clause to avoid a citizen referendum.”
“By endorsing I-912,” explained LPWS Chair, Ruth Bennett, “we are encouraging everyone to support to the initiative.” Bennett, the 2004 Libertarian Party gubernatorial candidate, was elected LPWS Chair at the party’s annual convention in April.
Bennett added, “Since the election in November we’ve had a lot of people coming forward who want to get involved with the Libertarian Party. Supporting the No New Gas Tax initiative is a great place to direct that energy.”
The Libertarian Party of Washington State can be found online at www.lpws.org and can be reached at (425) 641-8247.