Honorable Gary Gridlocke,

Although you do not remember me, I remember you well when I personally asked you about your intentions to preserve Washington's fisheries. I asked about traffic, I asked about taxes, I asked about your vision for Washington's future... I think Fred Astaire placed a close second to your tap routine to my questioning.

By chance, have you played Sim City?

Concerned Citizen (...and searching for fish),
Downriggin'

Don't get me wrong, Vic. I'm not a bleeding-heart liberal type, although I do tend to look for middle of the road candidates, and I find more of them listed under (D) than (R). I didn't vote for Gary Locke because he's a completely ineffective Governor. I wouldn't vote for Ellen Craswell because she was a fundamentalist-type conservative.

It's like I said. If a Republican congress gives you a tax cut, while Dick Cheney and his defense contractor friends are fleecing us with the Navy stealth bomber programs, then we see the national debt become an issue. How responsible is it to pass OUR tax burden on to our kids? Someone earlier said "It's our money". True, but in bad years it's also our debt. If we expect a tax rebate in budget surplus years, then wouldn't you expect a tax increase in budget deficit years?

In any case, I think we can all agree that this trailer tab thing is a fargin' joke. If people make calls to Mary Margaret Haugens office until she can't take it any more, then maybe we can get a change.

Man, politics is such a cesspool. It's become a business in which politicians and votes are bought and sold, corruption is rampant, and the one constant is we're getting screwed. Just vote for your candidate......but you really ought to base your decision on more than just TV ads and sound bites........something both parties spend millions of dollars producing.

Feeling sore yet?

Anyone wanna guess what Washington's next tax (or increase) will be?

How 'bout this? After the toll for the Narrows Bridge goes into effect, I speculate that I-5 from Olympia to Everett will have tolls between the counties. Now this is the answer for traffic congestion huh?

So, I got a response from each of the Representatives for District 1, but my senator has yet to respond.

Here's the deal: it don't matter if it's a car, trailer, truck, SUV, motorcycle or motorhome - the state charges $30 for the annual registration. County and local fees are added to get your final bill.

Here's what Rep. Edwards had to say:

"Before the passage of I-695, all trailers were
charged a license fee. With implementation of I-695 by the Legislature, the
fee was dropped and it basically became $3 (plus some local fees).

Last session, SSB 6814 was passed and that reinstalled the licensing fee to
$30 plus local county fees. The jump from $3 to $30 was very drastic,
especially when you add the local fees!

Sec. 7. RCW 46.16.0621 and 2000 1st sp.s. c 1 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) License tab fees shall be thirty dollars per year for (({-
motor -})) {+ all +} vehicles(({- , regardless of year, value, make, or
model, beginning January 1, 2000 -})).
(2) For the purposes of this section, "license tab fees" are
defined as the general fees paid annually for licensing motor
vehicles(({- , including cars, sport utility vehicles, motorcycles, and
motor homes -})) {+ and trailers as defined in RCW 46.04.620 and
46.04.623.

The rationale behind this reinstatement of the $30 basic fee (plus local
fees) is that trailers should be expected to pay for maintenance of the
roads since their use also causes wear and tear on our highways.

You made a good point about a trailer being used only one or two times a
week. That is probably true in many cases, but there could be instances
when a trailer is used on a daily basis. Monitoring usage in the name of
fairness would be costly and not a good use of taxpayer money."

Please take the time to send a note to your reps, letting them know how you feel about these fees.

Thats good information but where does my camper fit into this at ? I know they charge me plenty to license it. It does add weight to the truck so more wear and tear. But I also pay for tonage on my truck. I dont mind paying taxes but I want them to spent with out waste. Get tired of hearing about no money when they get more than enough allready. I have an idea instead of making every school different and looking like some super nice place to be why dont they get one enginnering design and make them all the same. Instead of paying to have everyone designed individually.

hi cd, i know this is not your reasoning, but if trailers cause wear and tear which i agree they do why are we still paying full price as a car when half the time were not allowed to drive in the far 2 lanes ? just something to ponder

ok, so how many of you have actually taken the time to call. And if you use the 800 # be sure to tell them you want copies to go to the governor. When I left my message it started that " you are fired." The people voted no new taxes without a vote of the people..This is a new tax and since you don't know how to follow our will, I will vote for someone who will.

We need to ban together and let them know that we will not take it as sportspeople. Seldom use 2 of the trailers and the other two are not used more than a couple of times a week.

After you call, let us know. Just don't post here without calling otherwise nothing will get done. Have you spouse and friends call.

Let us take our government back and show them we will not be silent when they do things that the people have told them not to do.

Fire the incumbents and elect all new representatives. This will get their attention.

Tell them that that is what you are going to do....

Giz...

Here is who voted for and against.
SSB 6814
Description: FINAL PASSAGE AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
Item No.: 13
Transcript No.: 59 Date: 03-13-2002
Yeas: 56 Nays: 41 Absent: 00 Excused: 01
Voting yea: Representatives Anderson, Ballasiotes, Berkey, Chase, Cody, Conway, Cooper, Darneille, Dickerson, Doumit, Dunshee, Edwards, Eickmeyer, Fisher, Fromhold, Gombosky, Grant, Haigh, Hankins, Hatfield, Hunt, Hurst, Jackley, Jarrett, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Kirby, Lantz, Linville, Lovick, Lysen, McDermott, McIntire, Miloscia, Mitchell, Morris, Murray, O'Brien, Ogden, Quall, Reardon, Rockefeller, Romero, Ruderman, Santos, Schual-Berke, Simpson, Sommers, Sullivan, Tokuda, Upthegrove, Veloria, Wood, Woods, and Speaker Chopp
Voting nay: Representatives Ahern, Alexander, Armstrong, Speaker Ballard, Barlean, Benson, Boldt, Buck, Bush, Cairnes, Campbell, Carrell, Casada, Chandler, Clements, Cox, Crouse, DeBolt, Delvin, Dunn, Ericksen, Esser, Holmquist, Lisk, Mastin, McMorris, Mielke, Morell, Mulliken, Nixon, Orcutt, Pearson, Pflug, Roach, Schindler, Schmidt, Schoesler, Sehlin, Sump, Talcott, Van Luven
Excused: Representative Skinner

Six republicans voted for it in the house.

Here is Senate
Bill No.: SSB 6814
Description: FINAL PASSAGE AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
Item No.: 55
Transcript No.: 59 Date: 03-13-2002
Yeas: 41 Nays: 05 Absent: 02 Excused: 01
Voting yea: Senators Brown, Carlson, Costa, Deccio, Eide, Fairley, Finkbeiner, Franklin, Fraser, Gardner, Hale, Hargrove, Haugen, Hewitt, Hochstatter, Horn, Jacobsen, Johnson, Kastama, Keiser, Kline, Kohl-Welles, McAuliffe, McDonald, Oke, Parlette, Prentice, Rasmussen, Regala, Rossi, Sheahan, Sheldon, B., Sheldon, T., Shin, Snyder, Spanel, Stevens, Swecker, Thibaudeau, West, Winsley
Voting nay: Senators Honeyford, Long, Morton, Roach, Zarelli
Absent: Senators Benton, Poulsen
Excused: Senator McCaslin
Sixteen republicans voted for it in the senate.

Kinda seems like time for a new senate and fewer democrats to me.

"Bottom line is that out of the 50 states, WA is in the top 10 (#7?) for the amount of $$ per capita that it extracts from it's citizens."

Yup,think I'll move to South Dakota. Maybe I can get a job at Microsoft down ther.

http://www.census.gov/govs/statetax/01staxrank.html

Big Jim & Keta,

You guys are alright! You burn the nidnite oil to bring us the hard facts.

Keta. I am going off memory here, so please bear with me. My original statement was about total $$ extracted by the state per capita. I believe the list I was referring to included fees (the subject of this thread) and whatever else the state has concocted the raise revenues (lottery?).

Anyway I think it was gross revenue from within the state divided by citizens - and we were in the top 10.

And it seems to me that we don't have much to show for it - relatively speaking.

I really try not to get pulled into these political threads on fishing boards anymore, but sometimes I can't resist. My point is that just dividing the population by the tax paid is an over simplification. If you have a higher percentage of rich people and a good economy you are bound to pay more taxes per capita than a poor state with a lousy economy. Do I think it's right to pay more tax for a boat trailer than a 80g Mercedes? Hell no. I think our tax collection system in this state sucks. What I get tired of hearing is people wanting more roads, more jails,state to pay for moms and dads nursing home for 20years, help abused children, fix the boat launch, build and maintain hatcheries, maintain parks, have the best schools and teachers,pay medical bills, subsidies the port of Seattle,build new stadiums and on and on,then turn around and say" I earned my damned money I should be able to spend it on what I want." Sounds quite hypocritical to me. Everyone wants all the benefits without paying for them.

Hey Keta:

If WA State would simply account for the money they spend and would show that they need the additional revenue I don't think I would have a problem paying a little more. Heck an extra 20 nor 30 bucks a year doesn't mean that much. But the truth of the mater is that the state doesn't have any idea how much money they are taking in, spending, or where it is going in many of the departments that they run. That leads me to believe that there are areas where they are wasting massive aomounts of money. The State ferry system is a perfect example. They don't know how much money they take in at the toll booths, or where it goes.

I would guess that if all state run departments had to account for all of the money they take in along with what they spend, then cut the fat, there would be enough money to take care of all the items you mentioned, and then some.

I might also add that the democrats in the state legislature have blocked the attempts of the republicans to create a department that would audit the other departments and find out where the money is going. Guess they are afraid of what will be found. Just another of many reason to be P.O.ed at those dorks

" But the truth of the mater is that the state doesn't have any idea how much money they are taking in, spending, or where it is going in many of the departments that they run."

What makes this the truth.Do you have documentation?

"That leads me to believe that there are areas where they are wasting massive aomounts of money."

You can believe whatever you want, that doesn't make it a fact.

"The State ferry system is a perfect example. They don't know how much money they take in at the toll booths, or where it goes."

Have you ever taken a ferry? Every time I do I get a receipt. If everyone gets a receipt,how cold they not know how much they take in?

" I might also add that the democrats in the state legislature have blocked the attempts of the republicans to create a department that would audit the other departments and find out where the money is going."

I thought Republicans were against creating more bureaucracy,not for it. I have no doubt there is waste in the government. There is waste in all large organizations. I don't think either party has a monopoly on waste and unaccountability. I think the amount of waste is exaggerated by some who have an ideological agenda and cutting off funding for government,as 695 was all about, until every dollar is accounted for and all waste cut is not in our best interest. O.K., this relapse from not getting into political treads on fishing BB's is over. I'm back on the wagon.

Keta

I'm not lettin you off that easily.

I was listening to the radio while they were discussing a report that stated the the Washington State Ferry System hadn't accounted for the money takin in at the toll their booth's for the past 14 years. This isn't something I just made up. I will find the report/newspaper article so you can take a look.

In the mean time lets discuss Sound Transit (how many millions have they spent and not even moved a shovel full of dirt ), or DSHS (overstafed by how many people???), or...

The bottom line is our state officials (most of them are democrats) are inneffective, waste too much money, and go to the well far too often.

You are right we do want the best roads, schools, mass transit system, help for the elderly... The point I have tried to make through out this thread is.... THEY KEEP TAKING MORE AND MORE OF OUR MONEY AND NOT GIVING US ANYTHING MORE FOR IT!!!! If you are happy giving them more of your hard earned cash, while having to live in a state that has the second worst traffic in the country (maybe if we are lucky we can be #1 soon), in a state where teachers are being lured away to other states because our teacher compensation packages can't compete (after Govenor Locke promised to improve our education system and teacher pay). Then fine... I am not!!! If they are gonna tax us like we have/are building the best education system, best transit sytems... Then they darn well better provide us with them.