A long time ago, when BD first started out... Well, things were different. A lot has changed, but one of the first things BD did was call for the elimination of the Supermajority. We talked about it a lot.

Hopefully, it helped get other people talking. And then they told two people, and they told two people... blah blah blah. And, a little over a week ago, Washington State, a state in which education is the constitutionally mandated first priority of government, finally put school funding on the same footing as politicians, propositions, presidents (well, most of them) and stadiums (oopss... again, most of them).

I always thought that ending the supermajority was one of the biggest steps that Washington State could take in making real, structural change towards a more equatable and prosperous future.

And, I always thought that the bigger issue, and the one that should be tackled next, is the elimination of the sales tax and the implementation of a progressively indexed income tax. Once again, it means a change to the state consitution. And, once again, the fight will have to be waged over several years to convince people that this is the direction the state needs to go in.

And don't think that this can't be done... the Supermajority was never suppose to be eliminated. Horsesass.org talked about it yesterday while presenting a link from a Spokesman Review editorial. Although the description of the link is a bit misleading in my opinion (the editorial is really about how to structure a more progressive property tax system with the legislature running back into session to reinstate the 1% cap from Eyman's recently-ruled unconstitutional I-747, not about the income tax), the rumblings are starting. The Spokesman Review editorial says only this about a state-wide income tax:

Spokesman Review : Another Way (Nov 20, 2007)
Washington state's tax system... the nation's most burdensome for low-income people... An income tax would also help, but that isn't popular with voters or lawmakers.

They're right. It isn't... yet. But that's because people don't necessarily understand it. Just like they didn't understand the Supermajority. In my mind, one thing is for sure - any talk of implimenting an income tax must be in combination with the elimination of the sales tax. People of this state will never agree to a reduction of the sales tax in concert with the implementation of an income tax - nor should they. They will, rightfully, see that a reduction of the sales tax will mean that it can always go back up.

The sales tax must die and in its place, a more equitable, fair and easier income tax must replace it to keep moving Washington forward.

And, never fear - facts, wonky-ness, and ramblings about the income tax are going to be coming from me until it gets done.

Or... What's Weak this Week?

Old school Puget Sound folks will remember Almost Live! a local sketch comedy show that was great until Joel McHale showed up and ruined it. Seriously. There aren't enough words in the English dictionary to talk about how horrible he was.

In honor of The Kingdome, The Twin Teepees, The Hat & Boots, The Toe Truck, and The Husky Stadium Collapse, I'm bringing back The Lame List with a BetterDonkey.org twist.

YOU MUST DO THIS TODAY... APRIL 15th!

This will literally take 5 seconds of your day, and it's really, really, easy!

End the supermajority with one easy 5 second form!

Click here:

http://capwiz.com/wastatepta/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=7341391

Don't know anything about the Supermajority?

The Supermajority for education funding has created crisis conditions in the Washington state education system for many years.

Requiring school levies to pass as a supermajority, a 60% yes vote, is undemocratic. Look at it this way: Reagan's 58% "landslide" would have been a loss if the result had been for a school levy.

Right now, our Democratic-controlled Legislature is working to pass a long overdue Simple Majority for Bonds and Levies bill. Friday, April 15, is "do or die" time for Simple Majority. If this issue is of concern to you, contact your Senator at:

The Seattle PI has a nice little article about the ill fated school levy super-majority legislation.

Does the Democratic leadership really want to pass the legislation this session? It’s an issue that can cut both ways in some suburban swing districts, where broad support for schools tussles with deep opposition to tax increases. Which do Democrats judge more valuable – passing the measure, at a potential political price or retaining the political hammer of blaming Republicans for yet again blocking its passage?

Regardless of the political calculus, Education is a special case is too important an issue to be vetoed by 40%

The School Levy Supermajority Must Go!

You can elect a president in this country who loses the popular vote, and you can build a stadium in this city that fails to get the approval of 50% of the population. But you can’t properly fund education in this state without 60% of the voters saying yes. Reasonable people know that this is ridiculous, wrong-headed, and outright anti-democratic.

What are the consequences? Look at the Rochester School district. In 2004 a school levy won not once, but twice, and by margins of 58.4% and 59.4%. But that isn’t enough by our state’s standards. Rochester's levy still failed, and the district had to cut 11 teachers, a counselor and a district administrator. Students were forced to pay to participate in athletic programs, and all music, art, physical education, library and enrichment programs were eliminated at Rochester's primary and elementary schools.

Unfortunately, the Rochester School District isn’t alone in this plight. We’ve seen the state of our education system first hand; most of us are recent products of Washington State schools. We’ve sat in the crumbling classrooms, we’ve read out of decade-old textbooks, we’ve suffered through cuts in music programs and watched our best teachers quit in frustration. After all of that, we want a different future for the next generation of children in this state.

The Supermajority blows Super-majorly!
Perhaps state Rep. Schual-Berke said it best: "We should end the tyranny of the minority, stop thwarting the will of the majority, and victimizing our children. Let's pass school levies with a simple majority vote. It's fair; it's simple."

It looks like one member of BetterDonkey.org's pipe dream might finally be picking up some steam. According to James at the Northwest Progressive Institute,

A series of bills have been introduced in both houses of the Washington State Legislature which would amend the state constitution and or modify RCW to lower the bar on requirements for school levies and bonds (which currently require a 60% supermajority to pass).

Thanks Democrats.