Critics take shots at Washington initiative

Rebecca Cook

Thursday, July 1, 2004 | 8:58 a.m.

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Tim Eyman hadn't even finished delivering his signatures for Initiative 892 before people started taking shots at the proposal to expand gambling in the state.

Eyman said he submitted 238,411 signatures supporting I-892, which would use the extra tax revenue from gambling to lower property taxes. The initiative promises to be one of the most contentious issues this election season.

As the anti-tax activist hauled 10 boxes of signed petitions into the secretary of state's office Monday, Gov. Gary Locke criticized the measure at a news conference a few blocks away.

"Under this initiative, we will have wide-open gambling," Locke said. "I do not think the people of Washington want to become another Nevada or Las Vegas."

At the secretary of state's office, a heckler interrupted Eyman as he pointed at a chart showing the growth of property taxes in Washington state.

"Those figures are inaccurate," complained Steve Zemke, director of Taxpayers for Washington's Future. He noted the chart didn't account for population growth. "It's not right."

Eyman said opponents who quibble with his statistics are missing the point.

"Even when you factor in (population trends), the growth of property taxes is extremely high," he said. "Voters recognize that our initiatives are their only opportunity to limit their tremendous tax burden, because politicians never will."

Eyman said Washington ranks seventh among the highest-taxed states, according to the Washington, D.C-based Tax Foundation.

That's true, but only if the federal tax burden is included. Looking at local and state taxes alone -- which are the targets of Eyman's initiatives -- Washington ranks 21st.

A new anti-892 coalition joined the fray Monday afternoon. The ideologically diverse group includes King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng, Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg, as well as leaders of the Washington Coalition of Churches, the state branch of the Christian Coalition, the Hispanic activist organization El Centro de la Raza and the socially conservative group Families Northwest.

"We have enough gambling today," Maleng said. "The social and economic consequences to our families and our businesses are enormous."

Eyman has argued that the initiative wouldn't create more gamblers, but would simply give existing gamblers more choices.

It takes about 198,000 valid voter signatures to get an initiative on the ballot. Initiative sponsors usually try to get at least 260,000 to be safe, in case there are illegible names or signatures from people who aren't registered voters. Eyman said he plans to continue gathering signatures for I-892 and will turn in more before Friday's 5 p.m. deadline.

He stiff-armed questions about his other proposed initiative, I-864, which would lower local property taxes by 25 percent. It's unclear whether he'll have enough signatures to get that one on the ballot, although I-892 looks like a sure bet.

I-892 would allow nontribal businesses to have electronic slot machines, which currently are allowed only in tribal casinos. A 35 percent user fee on the machines would pay for lowering property taxes.

Supporters of I-892 had raised more than $300,000 by the end of May, the latest public reporting period, making it one of the richest initiative campaigns. Nontribal gambling businesses have supported the initiative, while tribal gambling interests oppose it.

Opponents of I-892 had raised nearly $175,000 by the end of May.