Seattle Council Adopts plan for Best Start for Kids

Last year the voters approved a levy, Best Start for Kids. I want to state right here I did not study that levy at all. I did not even bother to read it. I knew I was going to vote NO. I automatically vote no on any scheme the council (King County or City) dreams up because it’s like deciding which Rat Hole to pour your tax dollars in. They had no plan as to how to spend it or what to spend it on, but now a year later they are still trying to figure it out. Instead of saying we need so many dollars for what age group they just said “kids”. I tried to Google it to find out what is considered a “kid” without any success. We have infants, toddlers, children, etc. but nothing for “kid”. I never thought anymore about it until an article came out in the Seattle Times, Sept 20,2016, that The Metropolitan King Council set guidelines on how to spend $400, million in new tax revenue for child development programs.

Well hold on to your hats because you will learn what a kid is. Here is how the Council is dividing up your tax dollars. They have $400 million to play with. About (not sure what “about” means here) half the money will go to PREGNANT WOMAN and children under five. WOW, that is a mighty early BEST START. They are going to help these ‘KIDS” before they are ever born. My guess would have been the whole wagon load of $400 million would go to kids under 5. There are programs for pregnant woman and they should not be included in this levy. Then it says “about” a third will go to children ages 5 thru 24. Another big WOW here. I used to be pretty good in math but if ABOUT half goes to pregnant woman and kids under 5, then “about a third” to ages 5 thru 24. What is it a third OF?

If you are already confused about your tax dollars it gets worse. The REMAINDER (no one has a clue how much) will go to community programs, data collection and evaluation. How are they going to round up these 24 year old KIDS. Some are fighting over seas. Some are sitting down at the corner bar, lots are in jail. I have two sons and by the time they were 24 they had finished their Army and Navy service and were married with children. If “kids” can vote and go in a bar for a beer at 18 and join the service I think they are a lot to old to be included in a “fresh start for kids” $400 million boondoggle. Maybe the times article is wrong but I don’t think so. Hope some of you inquire.

This data collection and evaluation can get mighty expensive. It can however, provide a lot of jobs for in laws, girl or boyfriends or relatives or someone the city needs to give a favor too. Very little if anything will actually Help any Kid. This adds to property tax, and in turn makes rent higher. Then they create another boondoggle to register all landlords to see why rents keep going up? It’s an endless tax and spend. Look at the money spent to somehow help homelessness. The people still have no homes but man the expensive advisors (Mayor paid one expert $850,000 to tell him its not right for people to be in a place like the jungle). So with $400 million to screw away on Best Start for Kids we can hire many experts, planners, advisors, and maybe even a new assistant to each council member to keep track of this CRAP. Voters please wake up and if you are like me if you are undecided just vote NO.

Your comments and remarks would be much appreciated.

Lilly Marek