Seattle Newspaper for the People by the People

Category archive

Taxes

Vote no on the $930 Million dollar Levy in November

Seattle Levy Vote No

LIONS (transportation levy) TIGERS (Tunnel flooperoo), & BEARS (Seawall) – OH MY
Your tax dollars are heading right for the RABBIT HOLE(Taxpayer sinkhole)

The very reason to vote NO for the transportation levy is the city/county/state etc have no idea what they are going to spend it on. That is just to large an amount to ask for with all the problems they are having with the money they have been given to build a tunnel and a seawall. When they passed the car tab fee raise they admitted afterwards they didn’t know whether to buy new buses or shorten time between trips etc. In other words we gave a huge chunk to “kids to go to toys R us” and decide what THEY WANT to spend it on. Not fair to taxpayers to pay for ten years on a $930 million dollar levy and we won’t even know as they spend it where its going. They are still doling out favors from the Bridging the Gap we have been paying on for years. Right in my neighborhood they just handed out $1.3 million to start a festival street in Georgetown. So they have had plenty of money and don’t know what to do with it. Make them split the $930 million up into different levy’s. How much for streets, how much for bridges, etc. Their record of the Tunnel and Seawall should be enough to make you know they can’t handle taxpayers money wisely if they are not held accountable for anything. The City Council and the Mayor have lied to us and to each other and that should weigh in too.

A completely unrelated story brought up my reason to write this article. The headline said, “School districts attorney to retire”. He wants to spend more time with his family. In the fine print it tells how he has been on administrative leave since February because of undisclosed reasons and was on leave when he gave notice he was retiring. His name is Ron English. It said investigation is closed. I.e. he has been on paid leave but when time to face the music he retired. He will have a clean record and can just more on to another job, and all is forgotten. Same thing with Lois Lerner at the IRS. When you are caught red handed just retire. The reason this jogged my memory is about the ex Governor Gregoire when she was pushing the Hi Way 99 Tunnel. The public didn’t want it. they wanted a surface street, but the governor raved and ranted about how she had studied the contract and the taxpayers never have to pay for any cost over runs, or any problems along the way. She stressed over and over that is was an iron clad deal. Almost like cross my heart and hope to die promise lol but she knew it was a lie but she would be long gone and not accountable or have to do any explaining at all.

Now on to the tunnel. It was forced on the taxpayers. As of June the state has paid $1.04 billion (with a B) of its $1.35 billion tunnel contract which included the price of the machine. Berth’s price new was $80 million. For all of that money what do we have? Bertha sitting in her grave a/k/a knows as the tunnel. This broken down machine has traveled 1,083 feet of its 9,270 foot path. Insurer’s are now saying Bertha’s design was inadequate from the start. They are refusing to pay $143 million to repair an $80 million dollar machine. Its like spending $20,000 to fix a $10,000 new car. We would go for the lemon law and get rid of the lemon for sure.

Oh well, not to worry. If Voters are stupid enough to pass the $930 million levy in Nov. the Mayor can just piddle it away trying to get the work at the tunnel going again. Lawmakers approved $2 Billion tunnel project to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct that they said would fall down almost immediately but that was several years ago and the tunnel has made it even worse and the also forgot to give much thought to buses. Now they realize with the money almost gone the tunnel design will actually hinder buses. When they try to exit to downtown Seattle they will have to weave across two lanes of general traffic. The Mayor will have some experts look at it(we pay them high fees). The viaduct is sinking, streets are sinking, water pipes are bursting. Those are just the things we have found about accidentally with some good reporters work. The stuff we are not hearing about is far worse I am sure. This is the only chance to get Bertha out of the tunnel(if that is even possible now), because if she gets moving she will be under historic buildings and no place to build another repair pit if she breaks down again. This has been a total sinkhole for tax dollars. No one person is accountable. They will start to sue each other and it will cost millions in legal fees, fines and penalties. Don’t be fooled as to who pays for all of that, WE THE TAXPAYERS. No lawmaker, worker or expert will have to pay a dime. If they do find someone they can sort of blame he/she will retire to spend more time with their family and get a pension or bonus for the hard work they have given.

Now to the Seawall. Seattle Times headlines were, “Mayor said the $71 million in cost overruns can be covered with unallocated source of funds”. Where were those funds sitting when he asked for the amount for the seawall?. He asked the taxpayers for $71 million more than he needed. We have been paying higher property tax for him to stuff under his mattress or put in his piggy bank. NOW IS THE TIME FOR TAXPAYERS TO ASK HOW MANY MORE MILLIONS ARE SITTING IN UNALLOCATED FUNDS before we pass any more levy’s. Of course Murrey calls this unfortunate and is going to hire experts to look into what his other experts must have missed. Are you getting the pattern here? Clowns running the circus, monkeys running the zoo?

Voters approved a $290 million bond measure. As of today the cost is $410 million. They have not even started on half of the seawalls length. Mayor Murray knew of this back in June but did not bother to tell the City Council or public.

Do not pass the levy no matter how much you are for transportation or tunnels or seawalls until someone (God only knows who) gives us a clue as to where our levy money is going. That is way too much to let clowns like we have just blow it away on cost overruns, a tunnel that will probably never be finished, a sea wall that may never be finished. Make them break it down where the money they want is going to be spent. make it in millions not billions. There is no way they have a real plan for that much money.
LLL

Car Tabs With The Seattle Council

Seattle Car Tabs Taxes

I thought the City Council worked FOR the voting public. I thought your job was to get the best deal for the taxpayer dollars. I guess I was wrong about that because we were definitely hood winked into passing a $60.00 car tab fee that was to improve transit. It was passed because of the promise that was tacked on that the low income people would get a $20.00 rebate.
Now, you admit that a $20 rebate will cost taxpayers $37.00. That should have been stated on the ballot. Nobody but a fool would approve something like that. Sounds like you are running our transportation money through the Slick Willy, Hillary, Chelsea foundation. They too only give 15% to charity and use the 85% to live like millionaires. Council member Tom Rasmussen who chairs the transportation committee said it seemed high and non profits usually charge 15% for administrative costs but the committee including Jean Godden and Mike O’Brian recommends going forward with it. The advisor to mayor Murray says its expensive to give rebates. Then why would you put on the ballot to give rebates?

They are worried now that not enough people have signed up for reduced fares and rebates etc and are going to spend $718,000 to make sure more people hear about the lower fares. In other words they want to give away as much free stuff or reduced price stuff as they can so these people will vote for them next time. No one is working to use taxpayer money wisely.

The transportation department has NO plan as to how to spend all this money so it doesn’t bother them that a $20.00 will take $37.00 from what the taxpayer’s thought was for transportation, not to buy next election votes. DOT is like a kid with a fist full of money from a birthday party heading for Toys R Us. They don’t know whether to add more rapid rides, reduce time between buses. They should have had a plan before the ballot was presented to be voted on and we should have been told how much you would screw away. Why should we help Wells Fargo bank make money issuing debit cards. With people like this running the show there will never be enough money. Need to get rid of every council member that goes along with this . Someone should demand the $60.00 tab ballot was passed by misleading the public. Enough is enough.

I don’t have a dog in this fight. I don’t drive. But we have one bus in Georgetown that goes every half hour and none that go down highway 99 and to town on 4th. The transportation dept. has the 131 and the 132 go from town to Burien go down 4th, both turn at Michigan and end up in Burien. One of them could come on down the highway and turn on the new South Park bridge and pick up riders all along the highway. I have written to them about that but they are so “extremely” busy they have never answered. Too busy figuring out how to get more money and make other bus routes go every 10 or 15 minutes. I would be happy if I had a bus on the highway that would get me to town or to Burien if it ran once an hour. I am 91 and have to walk clear to 4th and Michigan to get a bus and back home to Corson when it turns to go over the first ave bridge. Usually both big buses are almost empty. One could pick up a few passengers along the highway, but there are none to pick up on the 1st ave bridge or until they get to South Park.

Seattle Utility Rates Increasing

Seattle Utility Rates Increasing

It’s that time of year. The time of year the Seattle council and utility companies claim poverty or increased inflation to demand rate increases. Now it’s a done deal because the Seattle Council just approved the increase on your utility rates. Isn’t that just great? It of course will start small and increase from there. They obviously like to do this so the public doesn’t throw a tantrum and will just accept the rate increase. The small rate increases seems to be the popular method these days. Look at the stamp and how it slowly increased 2 cents at a time. Now it’s way to expensive to send a letter! Since 2004 the average family of 4 has seen an increase of 96%. Over the next 6 years you should expect to see an increase of 4.6% each year. The increase is about $90 on top of your current bill. On a side note, you should know that from 2008 to now 2014 we’ve experienced a 7% increase.

In short, expect to spend more money and get less service. I’m not sure where the notion that everything needs to increase each year comes from. Everyone claims inflation….Does rent really need to go up each year? Do utilities really need to increase each year? It’s not like you’re making more money each year or putting more in the bank right? It’s an excuse unfortunately that people can say to justify their increase. It’s about more money in there pockets and that’s it.

We have to get out of this mindset that everything can increase in price just because it’s a new year. We can’t support it as a society and this is exactly why we have bubbles in our markets. When the people don’t make more and everything just increases in price (just because it’s that time of year) we are all doomed to fail.

Prop. 1, Seattle Park District Measure

Seattle Park Measure

DO NOT TAKE POWER AWAY FROM THE VOTERS!!!!!!! This is a terrible way to fund parks. Every one loves a park. Voters have generously passed a parks levy every six years. Seattle is pro-parks. Prop 1 isn’t a replacement of the existing parks levy. With the support of Mayor Ed Murray, Proposition 1 proposes a new PERMANENT taxing authority controlled by the City Council. We now pay 20 cents per thousand dollars on assessed amount. This would go to 33 cents and could be UPPED anytime with no way for taxpayers/property owners to control it. They could fund anything they wanted to.

Red flag comes up here. Under state law this new district cannot be dissolved by a public vote. Neither would citizens be able to file initiatives against decisions they disagree with. WOW that is plain and simple handing the City Council and Mayor a blank check.

This takes all the power away from the voters. Do you want to give the City Council a blank check after the City Light CEO pay raise screw up. Only two Council Members, Nick Licata and Sawant Kshama voted against giving the raise. I hope the rest of the council members are enjoying eating crow but I don’t think it bothers them one bit. One Council Member emailed that she realized it was hard for “US” to understand the huge salaries but they have to do it to get the best talented help. (yes it is a little hard for me to understand since I live on $20,000/year What you got was a little “liar”. City Light has not been that great. The amount of money does not guarantee good leadership. To even think you would consider giving the head of city light (paid from our light bills) a $120,000 raise is almost beyond my imagination. Shame on you guys. The whole city is top heavy. The Mayor has big dreams, you have a rubber stamp. What we need is to get all of you that voted for the raise booted out. Property taxes are way way to high. To many people getting freebies and the ones of us left paying are on overload. Evidently the CEO wasn’t pressuring much to get a raise of that proportion because he says now he is content to stay at his old salary. He should be fired. This proves the city council did not give it any thought. Just wanted to back the Mayor and brag how great the salaries are for city workers. Hopeful that will all start to go down hill and we will get a new crop of council members that remember they work for the people, not the other way around. Your heads got way way to big.
Lilly

Seattle’s $15 Minimum Wages – Passes

Seattle Minimum Wages Increase to 15 per hour

On Monday, with a 9-0 vote, the Seattle Council voted to pass and increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour. This makes the minimum wage in Seattle the highest in the nation. The wage increase will be slowly phased into Seattle over the next several years. Smaller businesses will have even more time to phase in the increase. The mandate mentions that large enterprises, those with over 500 employees, implement a $15 minimum wage by either 2017 or 2018. Conversely, smaller businesses, those with fewer than 500 employees, are required to meet the $15 minimum wage standard by either 2019 or 2021.

The City of Seattle obviously supports the new law because the tax revenue is massive. They essentially double what they bring in now per individual minimum wage paycheck. It is an easy way to steal more taxes from the people.

So where do we go with this news? I guess businesses no longer need to hire high school kids or dropouts…. when they can get college grads for $15 per hour. Hell, educated kids from Tacoma would probably even commute to Seattle for this kind of money. It’s a smart move by the Seattle Government to grab additional taxes. As a new hire, you don’t really need to go to college anymore or need a skillset. With that in mind, the government doesn’t really care just as long as they are automatically taking from your paycheck. No need to go to college anymore and you can be lazy. You’ll get paid the same so who cares? You might as well get a $15 – $20 per hour job and figure out the college thing later.

Why stop at $15 lets make it $20 per hour which is 40K per year. If we are going to go big – why not go really big? Seattle leadership knows to slowly rob people of their paychecks so the pain is less noticeable. Since people are making more now, let’s continue to raise the already high rents in the neighborhoods. Landlords are going to love this! People are making more now, so it only makes sense to me. Since people are making more, the City can charge a little extra on parking tickets or add a few more traffic light cameras. As a blue state, the democrats are pros at robbing people of their money and taxes.

All of this is an excuse to take more money from your paycheck and at the same time create an excuse to raise the prices of other things around the city. It’s all about getting money back into the system and nothing to do with you. It appears to me that Seattle leadership continues to run the city into the ground.

If we want to make a change, there should be a $15 MAXIMUM wage for Congress and the Seattle Council members. One step forward and two steps back with this requirement.

Seattle 15 per hour wages

What are the disadvantages of increasing the minimum wage?

Raising the minimum wage is a topic of heavily debated between the lawmakers and businesses. While increasing the minimum wage aims to provide workers with a livable income, it also poses several potential disadvantages and unintended consequences. Here are some commonly cited drawbacks of a higher minimum wage:

1. Increased Costs for Businesses:

  • Higher Operating Costs: Small businesses, in particular, may struggle with the increased costs associated with higher wages.
  • Inflation: Some businesses might raise their prices to compensate for increased labor costs, contributing to inflationary pressures.

2. Unemployment and Reduced Hiring:

  • Job Loss: Some employers might reduce staff numbers to maintain profitability, leading to unemployment.
  • Hiring Freeze: Businesses might decide to pause hiring, affecting job market fluidity.
  • Automation and Outsourcing: Employers may opt for automation or move jobs overseas where labor is cheaper, reducing local employment opportunities.

3. Reduced Hours and Benefits:

  • Employers might cut workers’ hours or reduce non-wage benefits such as healthcare and paid time off to offset increased wage costs.

4. Impact on Less-Skilled Workers:

  • Employers may become more selective, preferring employees with more skills and experience, leaving less-skilled or inexperienced workers struggling to find employment.
  • This could particularly affect young people and those with lower educational attainment, potentially exacerbating inequality.

5. Potential Decline in Business Formation and Survival:

  • Increased costs might deter entrepreneurs from starting new businesses, impacting innovation and economic diversity.
  • Existing businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), might face sustainability challenges, leading to business closures.

6. Distortion of Labor Market:

  • It could distort wage structures, causing dissatisfaction among more skilled or experienced workers earning similar wages to less-skilled workers.
  • Some argue that a higher minimum wage might discourage workers from acquiring additional skills or education, impacting productivity in the long run.

7. Impact on Competitive Advantage:

  • Countries with lower minimum wages might have a competitive advantage in labor-intensive industries, potentially leading to a decline in such industries in countries with higher minimum wages.

8. Mismatch between Local Economies:

  • A uniform minimum wage might not consider the varying living costs between regions, leading to imbalances and inefficiencies.

Balancing Perspectives:

While the aforementioned points illustrate the potential disadvantages of a higher minimum wage, balancing them against the advantages, such as poverty reduction, increased worker productivity, and stimulation of economic growth through increased consumer spending is essential. The overall impact of raising the minimum wage often depends on how well the policy is designed and implemented, considering the specific economic context and conditions of each locality or country.

You can make your own decision on this topic. One thing we do know living in Seattle, is that leadership will continue to raise taxes and request more money from you.

You might be interested in

Michelle Obama’s Trip To Ireland

Michelle Obama Vacations Wasting Tax Money

If you are a regular reader of this Website you read what I wrote about Joe Biden’s expensive hotel stay. I do not want to be accused of picking on MEN so I want to follow up with Michelle Obama’s trip to Ireland. For sure she did not have to check her bank balance or look in her pockets for some change or do any price shopping for a place to stay. Nope since it was on the taxpayers dime she went for the best. According to reports she stayed in the Princess Grace Suite which charges $3,300 a night. Her entourage booked 30 rooms.  The cost of the two day trip has been reported to be around $5 Million dollars. Taxpayers pay for first family’s travel. But shouldn’t there be a limit? The Obama’s have thumbed their noses at us lowly working Americans time after time. Even if it is legal to do it, how can the Obama family blow through millions while at the same time preaching about the cuts the sequester is causing. Obviously it does not affect them.

His trip was a real money waster too. He can,t seem to stay home. It cost Ireland a lot for his security. They take Air Force One and Air Force Two. His speeches were terrible but there was a good reason. It was the SUN. They say the sun was in his eyes and he could not see his teleprompters. Guess he has never given a speech in the sun before. When he spoke in Germany it was before 5,000 invited guests (and it has been said that a lot of those did a no show). When Kennedy spoke there it was to a crowd of 450,000. Even Republican Ronald Regan spoke to 45,000.

If anyone is against anything the Obama’s are for they can be audited by the IRS. Obama will act like he is shocked that the IRS would single out Patriots, or Tea Party groups and he will pretend to do something about it but he needs the IRS. They are the source of the money for the government to waste. Once the IRS starts on you even if you did not do a thing wrong, you’re done. They can trump up something in an audit and you can fight them for years and never win. They can take your home, you can lose your job and never really be sure what the heck happened. All you end up with is a huge attorney bill.

This got a little off track from Michelle’s trip but the Presidents lies are slowly catching up. He says this is a transparent government but it’s anything but. With all the surveillance of private citizens he is trying to say he did not have any warning about Benghazi. Help was an hour away. He hasn’t even said where he was that night, but he has lied about everything else what could he say that anyone would believe. Until the IRS is dismantled not much will change. They are not making up the rules, they are coming from the White House. The only thing positive the IRS workers have done this year is “learn to boogie”. They should boogie right off the stage and lose their jobs. If they do something really bad they get put on paid leave. I read that the IRS got a bonus of $70 million. Not sure for what. Was it for throwing the election? But hey Obama is cutting expenses by closing the White House to the public at a savings of $17,000 a week. Maybe it was that savings that made it possible for Michelle to take a hairdresser to put glitter in her bangs.  Need to go throw up yet?

You might be interested in

Obama

Obama Keeps Blowing Money

As reported previously by Lilly, it is now official President Obama will be making a visit to the devastated OSO

Washington State Marijuana Laws

Washington State Marijuana Laws

More and more details are being released regarding the new Washington State marijuana laws.  As you know the voters passed I-502 which makes marijuana legal in Washington State.  However, the details, regulations, and laws are being closely guarded.  The Washington State  Liquor Control Board will control the system and regulate it.  Personally, I think that is horrible idea but what do I know.  Some of the draft rules were recently released and some of the details include a $250 application fee.  The rules regarding a license to grow, process and sell will be $1,000 per year ( plus the application fees).  They have not stated yet how many licenses will actually be available and lottery (similar the liquor stores – no surprise there) may take place.  On a side note, the liquor store owners who participated in the lottery for liquor store ownership and hurting big time and many have closed.  The state got the better of these liquor owners who played the lottery for ownership.

It’s no surprise and I promise you that Washington State is going to stick it to the people who want to play the marijuana retail game.  It’s a foolish game honestly.  They are going to drain every last penny out of these players before the game even starts.  Once that is done, they are going to tax you to death and highly regulate it making it impossible for you to make any profit.   I laugh a little each time I hear about a friend or even close family thinking about getting into this “opportunity”.  They have no clue and just don’t get how the state is going to drop the hammer on them soon.  Don’t believe me – ask a liquor store owner sometime about how that is going for them and what they spent.  Big retailers are killing them right now and many are shutting down.  Why someone would spend $750,000 for a liquor store license (no liquor or rental fees) is beyond me.  The truth is no doubt many are going to fall for this marijuana scam and you can say it a thousand times over to them, however, there will be a line to sign-up.  This lottery they are talking about “just in-case not enough licenses are available” is surely going to happen.  Obviously there could be enough licenses but why would they want that to happen when they can really bring home the license fees with an uncapped lottery.   The state is going to be the big winner here.

The 46 page document distributed by the Washington State  Liquor Control Board also includes these new rules.  First, all marijuana businesses will need to have 24 hr security and insurance.  A new Washington State Marijuana Logo will need to be displayed at the establishment showing their status.  Marijuana extract or oil would be prohibited (except if its already infused in the product).  If you have a felony, you are not allowed to participate with marijuana and certainly can’t get a license.

Washington State  Liquor Control Board has a goal of releasing the licenses by the end of the year in 2013.

 

 

Joe Biden $585K Spending Spree In Paris (1 Night)

Joe Biden Paris Visit

The spending continues with Joe Biden making a trip to Paris last February.  The one night stay for him (and his team) came to $585,000.  Joe Biden and his team rented out 100 rooms at the Hotel Intercontinental Paris Le Grand (a 5 star hotel).  The average cost for a hotel room there is $475 per night and the presidential suite is a cool $3,900 per night.  The government contract was recently released to the public discussing the trip.  Specifics about whether he stayed in the presidential suite is not known, however.  There is another case of him and his team staying at the Hyatt Regency London in early February which total $459,000.  At least we don’t have a spending problem in America – two solid cases of the administration blowing more tax money.  Both contracts are available for the public to read it on the Fbo.gov website.

If spending your all your tax money like this doesn’t make you angry (and it should) then think about this… how about their honesty in reporting the facts about the visit?  Think about this… even if they purchased 100 presidential room suites for him and his team at the hotel for $3,900 each, they still wouldn’t have spent the full contracted amount of $585,000.

I have said it time and time again.  Before Obama and Biden are out of the office, our national debt will hit at least $20 trillion dollars.  It just continues to go up everyday and they simply don’t have courage to cut any real spending.  Just like the first 4 years in office, they are going to kick the spending can down the road for the next guy to handle.

Joe-Biden-Spending-Money-Photo

VP-Joe-Biden-Funny-Picture

 

You might be interested in

Two-Thirds Tax Law Dumped

Capitol Building In Olympia Washington

Yesterday 2-28-13 the will of the people of the state of Washington was wiped out. Hard to believe that for 20 years the people of the state of Washington has voted over and over for a two thirds tax law. It would only be good for a couple years and we would have to go all thru the signature gathering, and have it put to a vote and it passed every time. Last November Initiative 1185 passed by a 64 percent majority in all 39 counties. I can completely understand going to court and having a ruling when an initiative is worded screwy, like “yes we don’t want that”, or something. But the 2/3 tax law has been passed every time, time after time and to have the court strike it down is a real shock.  I believe Keep Reading

You might be interested in

Michael Bloomberg Banning Soda Pop

A perfect example of someone wasting our tax money as a politician.  Out of everything that needs to be fixed in this country (and NYC), Michael Bloomberg figured he would start banning large soda pops.  I guess it must be nice to sit around all day and not fix a damn thing that is really important.  A law that he figured wouldn’t put his head on the chopping block may have backfired.  As you know most politicians these days focus on the things (or create new things) that don’t put them in the line of fire.  They like to sit back and think of things that generate revenue but are not currently in place.  A few good examples would be photo lights, speeding lights, hotel room taxes, seat belt laws, plastic bag tax etc.  So the “genius” Michael Bloomberg creates a ban on large soda pop.  Well done! Like I said, another example of a “play it safe” politician. Keep Reading

You might be interested in

1 2 3
Go to Top