Your opinion on King County Prop1 ($60 car tab tax)? (Seattle: how much, hotel)

[kaonevar]

My 1 vehicle already costs me $140 in annual registrations. While I would pay the $60 to support public transit and keep them from cutting buses, I'm a bit undecided. I'm worried that there may be misuse of funds. That $140 for my tags is already double what I've paid in all the other states I've lived in. Adding $60 to that, means I'd be paying $200/year to be allowed to drive my vehicle. :/ Just seems really high to me.
But if it's between that and losing bus routes, I'll probably vote yes.

[GoBlueInSeattle]

Originally Posted by kaonevar

My 1 vehicle already costs me $140 in annual registrations. While I would pay the $60 to support public transit and keep them from cutting buses, I'm a bit undecided. I'm worried that there may be misuse of funds. That $140 for my tags is already double what I've paid in all the other states I've lived in. Adding $60 to that, means I'd be paying $200/year to be allowed to drive my vehicle. :/ Just seems really high to me.
But if it's between that and losing bus routes, I'll probably vote yes.

If you lived in other states, you'd be paying on average an effective tax rate of 5% of your annual income in state income taxes. For the median King County household, that would be $3500 a year.

[Garfunkle524]

My first question on these types of issues is this: why is the current funding level not working? What changed? Why did it change?

I understand that some tax increases are necessary, but why? I would like to know why the current budget is unsatisfactory to the point that we're being threatened with service reductions.

Our roads are an embarassment. Ever driven 405 through Bellevue? I-5 is in terrible condition. So many main arterials have more pot holes than a Clearasil spokesman's face. Why should we pay more to fix these dire problems than we did in the past?

There's no easy choice for me as I'm generally against tax increases because the government is amazingly inept at handling just about anything. But I realize that things have to be paid for. How about holding someone accountable instead of just forcing everyone to pay more money that'll get thrown away on some other terrible idea?

[GoBlueInSeattle]

Originally Posted by Garfunkle524

My first question on these types of issues is this: why is the current funding level not working? What changed? Why did it change?

I understand that some tax increases are necessary, but why? I would like to know why the current budget is unsatisfactory to the point that we're being threatened with service reductions.

Our roads are an embarassment. Ever driven 405 through Bellevue? I-5 is in terrible condition. So many main arterials have more pot holes than a Clearasil spokesman's face. Why should we pay more to fix these dire problems than we did in the past?

There's no easy choice for me as I'm generally against tax increases because the government is amazingly inept at handling just about anything. But I realize that things have to be paid for. How about holding someone accountable instead of just forcing everyone to pay more money that'll get thrown away on some other terrible idea?

Because the tax that was paying for the bus service was a temporary one and it is expiring.

[Yakscsd]

Originally Posted by GoBlueInSeattle

If you lived in other states, you'd be paying on average an effective tax rate of 5% of your annual income in state income taxes. For the median King County household, that would be $3500 a year.

Excellent point that often gets lost.

[Andy]

No on car tabs. Yes on transit rider tabs: with 60% of the funding going toward general purpose roadways and infrastructure.

Transit riders and the people who directly benefit from transit should pay for it. Not the folks who choose alternative methods of transportation.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by fnh

I would happily pay $60 extra per year to support public transportation.

Write a check to Metro or Sound Transit. Nothing is stopping you from donating $ towards your chosen cause. It is a better method than using the violent power of police force to take it away from people unwillingly via car tabs.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Yakscsd

Unless you are taking a helicopter, you have the need for transit as referenced in this discussion and piece of legislation. Roads improvement and repair are part of what this pays for and that effects you.

60% of the money is stolen away by the transit parasites! They should pay for transit, no car drivers!

Let's start transit rider tabs to generate the revenue that transit supposedly needs. The people who use it will pay for it.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by Andy

No on car tabs. Yes on transit rider tabs: with 60% of the funding going toward general purpose roadways and infrastructure.

Transit riders and the people who directly benefit from transit should pay for it. Not the folks who choose alternative methods of transportation.

People who drive cars benefit from those who choose mass transit by the reduced traffic and wear and tear on roads. While I can't say I use mass transit, I appreciate those that do.

Whatever your opinion on this, those that take mass transit are not "stealing" tax dollars and doing you harm. Mass transit is a logical solution by combining the load of many people going in the same direction. It benefits everyone.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Should we close all the schools because you don't have kids? Should we close all the parks because you don't use them? Close public swimming pools because you don't use them? Close all the libraries because you don't read books?

That's a canard. Funding transit with car tabs would be like funding public schools by charging a tax to private school tuition. Or asking people who do not go to parks to pay more money for parks than people who actually use them. Car tabs paying for transit is regressive and dumb.

Car tabs is taking money from people making one choice and then giving that money to people making an alternate one. It is not like schools, or parks, or libraries where the burden is spread throughout.