Washington state's taxpayers have reached the tipping point

This year's legislative session proved that Olympia still doesn't get it when it comes to taxes. Voters approved Initiative 960 last November because they are sick and tired of politicians taking taxpayers for granted.

It is simply unsustainable for the families' tax burden to go higher and higher and higher — we just don't have bottomless wallets.

Whether it's next year or five years from now or 10 years from now, our system cannot withstand a tax burden that continually increases. There's a tipping point when there will be more people in the wagon than those pulling it. The voters' approval of our taxpayer protection initiatives year after year is proof positive that politicians still aren't listening.

I-960 clearly makes it tougher for politicians to take more of the people's money. I-960's message wasn't subtle: Through greater public disclosure, loophole closings, recorded legislative votes and good old-fashioned shame, taxpayers told Olympia that we're just plain tapped out.

But shame is a foreign concept in our state Capitol, so to avoid the we-just-don't-understand-what-the-voters-are-telling-us argument, here's the voters' clear message:

• The people don't want higher taxes — they just don't. In 1993, the voters approved I-601, which required tax increases receive at least two-thirds legislative approval. After functioning just fine for five years, the Legislature re-enacted the two-thirds requirement when lawmakers and the voters approved Referendum 49. In 2002, the Legislature re-enacted the two-thirds benchmark again, and in 2005 Olympia re-enacted it again.

Last November, the voters showed their continued support for the Legislature's self-imposed two-thirds vote threshold by approving I-960. Fifteen years of experience shows that Olympia can function just fine with this requirement.

Democrats' decision to sue the voters over the two-thirds-legislative-approval-for-tax-increases policy is maddening — it was megamajority votes by the House and Senate Democrats and Gov. Christine Gregoire that imposed this vote threshold. Why are Democrats suing the voters for supporting the Legislature's decision in 2005 to re-enact the two-thirds margin? Rather than suing the voters, Democrats should simply follow this voter-supported, Legislature-supported, 15-year law.

We're confident Attorney General Rob McKenna will aggressively defend the policy, but he shouldn't have to. Sen. Lisa Brown, point person for the Democrats' lawsuit, wrote recently: "Our constitution gives the people of this state the last word." Too bad the Democrats' actions don't match their words.

• On fee increases, Democratic lawmakers apparently can't read: "The people want to return the authority to impose or increase fees from unelected officials at state agencies to the duly elected representatives of the Legislature or to the people. The people find that fee increases should be debated openly and transparently and up-or-down votes taken by our elected representatives so the people are given the opportunity to hold them accountable at the next election."

Despite this clear language in I-960, the 2008 Legislature ignored it on several occasions and delegated its fee-raising authority to a few state agencies in the operating budget, in its mega-fee-increase bill, and tolling for Highway 167. That's illegal under I-960.

The decision to take more of the people's money is too important and too impactful to be made by unelected bureaucrats. County councils and city councils take recorded votes on fee increases; so, too, should the Legislature for fees and tolls.

The reason is obvious: Introducing fee increase or tolling bills, calculating their costs, holding hearings, listening to public testimony, taking recorded votes and receiving either a governor's signature or veto provide checks and balances. It gives the citizens greater confidence that the taxpayers' position was considered. It ensures better scrutiny and judgment on each increase.

Putting all fee hikes into one bill or tucking a bunch of them into the end-of-year budget or delegating fee-hiking authority to state agencies robs the people of the participation they're entitled to and the scrutiny these decisions deserve.

This year's initiative, I-985, gives voters another opportunity to hammer home this point: It reiterates that the Legislature must take a recorded vote to impose tolls. Olympia can't let unelected bureaucrats on the state Transportation Commission impose tolls. Under I-960 and I-985, the Legislature must set the toll amount and take a recorded vote on it. The Legislature must stop shirking its responsibility by sidestepping the law.

Olympia did an extremely poor job following I-960's policies this session. Its disregard and disrespect for the citizens are appalling. Instead of suing the voters, why don't the Democrats take to heart Sen. Brown's well-stated truth: "Our constitution gives the people of this state the last word." It's way past time for politicians to accept that.