The Seattle Transit Riders Union will be having a rally this Saturday to protest the state legislature’s failure to give King County Metro Transit any new funding options to stave off deep cuts in bus service. It will be at noon at City Hall Park, the grassy area just south of the King County Courthouse. This is the WTF? Olympia Rally that was scheduled for a wees ago but postponed. WTF as in, “Where’s the Funding?”:
“The failure of the State Senate to pass a transit funding option for King County is irresponsible and unacceptable,” says Katie Wilson, General Secretary of the all-volunteer Transit Riders Union. “How are we supposed to get to work, school, or to look for a job? How are disabled people, seniors and students supposed to get around? Our legislature failed all of us: not only will bus riders lose service, traffic congestion will get worse, and the economy and the environment will suffer too.” […]
In this legislative session, bills that would have improved the quality of life for workers, students, immigrants, women, bus riders – for all of us – struggled to make it through but failed, because an obstructionist bloc of Republicans and turncoat Democrats betrayed us. We’re fed up, and we know many others are too – so it’s time to get organized!
Good for them. But, a little late. Plus, they should protest IN Olympia, not Seattle.
Why? Why protest in Olympia? What good will it do but put pressure on the City of Olympia and the WaSP? The legislators have gone home to their respective legislative districts. Session’s over. Wait until the biennial session restarts next year.
They should hold it at Rodney Tom’s house.
+1 to that
+1
Not transit accessible.
Not true… his place is within walking distance of a park-and-ride.
Not true… there’s a stop within walking distance of his house that is served by many routes.
If you want fair and correctly funded transit, then join the fight to change the Washington State Constitution and it’s unfair Property Tax Laws!
Property taxes are the natural funding source for transportation, but Washington’s Constitution unfairly keeps them at 1980s levels.
Let’s tax everyone fairly instead of putting the burdens on the new comers with sales taxes and nuisance fees. Right now the majority is being taxed to make improvements that benefit the very, very few large property holders. We are, in essence, taxing ourselves to benefit others!
Property taxes are the natural funding source for transportation, but Washington’s Constitution unfairly keeps them at 1980s levels.
At least one of us is missing something here. If that’s the case, why is there an inititive on my (King County) ballot right now to raise the property tax to benefit parks and bike trails?
Note in the wording of the levy that this is not an increase, but would replace two expiring levies…
Note also that the amount is limited by WA State Constitutional mandates that my post describes:
Chapter 84.55 RCW
LIMITATIONS UPON REGULAR PROPERTY TAXES
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=84.55
In other words, we should vote against building and maintaining suburban bike trails in Kent in order to save the 157, 159, and 161.
@Brent,
Please answer the argument as presented, instead of spinning off into histrionics.