At the election in August, we are being asked to vote the authority for Tukwila to create a new tax stream, collected every year, on our homes, not to exceed 15 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
The purpose for the taxation is to maintain an existing swimming pool.
Let’s examine that proposal.
The popular trend today is for politicians to slough off their responsibilities to budget honestly. They do it in this way. They select a critical service from the budget and refer that item to the people telling them if they want the service, they must tax themselves anew to get it.
Emergency medics come quickly to mind. In this instance it is a swimming pool. The choice left for the citizen is to approve or disapprove of the measure presented to them with the implied question, if you want it then pay more money to get it.
Let me explain what is wrong with this way of governing.
Legislative bodies are charged with making decisions about which are the priority of each service they can purchase with what we can afford with our taxes. Of course, the legislature has broad choices. They have the whole budget to pick and choose from. If you had the same choice, you may very well select a different set of priorities. In the existing context, you might choose a swimming pool rather than so many parks to maintain, or an art object. Or you might ask citizens to help out maintaining parks so both demands are satisfied. In any event, infinite service acquisition isn’t possible.
In this politico-economic environment, don’t expect the legislature to present you with the same budget they use and allow you to vote your choices.
Philosophically, the act is the same as having the administration and council go out to the vegetable truck and select all the good vegetables they want to feed their constituents and telling the masses to pony up more money for things they want.
Send the proposition back by voting no with the message that we aren’t taking the bait. Additionally, do your job.
Marvin Willoughby
Tukwila
