This state could use more men like Tim. Go get 'em tiger!

When you did tease for "Tim Eyman coming up" I had to dive for Blood Pressure med's. It's abundantly clear that Tim's initiatives are about TIM and not about the state. The ballot title identifies the editorially weighted benefits and does not indicate at what COST (to other programs), so clearly designed to get the initiative to pass. If Tim wants to run the state so badly....RUN FOR SOMETHING and take on the challenges legislators have to deal with in balancing ALL THE ELEMENTS. We just finished a teachers' strike in Bellevue because no resources available to resolve the dispute. Each new challenge magnifies the delicate process of balancing how general fund revenues and expenses work ... throwing a wrench into that process every two years JUST SO TIM CAN HAVE A PROFESSION, SOUND BYTES, and MOVIES FOR GODSAKE?? ... run for office Tim, so we can vote you out.

Anyone wanna sign MY INITIATIVE that would relocate Eyman to Idaho? Look for it in '09.

I disagree with Tim Iman. Take away the revenue for the camera's and the taxes will have to be raised to pay for his initiative.

The HOV lane should be for the reasons it was developed for...years ago. It encourages people to carpool. Also, Emergency vehicles will be at a stand still when people need them. They are already having trouble getting around people now.

The more we make the traffic "smoother" for the single driver on the highway, the more they are going to drive their vehicles. It's the driver driving alone that is clogging up our highways and streets.

This state could use more fella's like Tim. Go get 'em tiger!

Hi,

In the statment by the Tacoma Represenative who stated that if this iniative passes he will have to cut pay to his firemen, policemen etc because these cameras are how he pays for their salary, how did he pay their salary previously? These cameras haven't been around that long. I got to give Tim credit at least he is trying to find ways to solve our problems without tax increases.

I won't vote for anything Tim Eyeman is promoting. That guy is capitalizing and personally profiting on people's frustration with government. He is not out to improve government or reduce congestion - he is out to make money himself. How much is he paying himself for this latest initiative?

His initiatives look good at a glance and are so lengthy and complicated most people don't look at them closely enough to make an informed decision. I can't believe somebody was stupid enough to make a movie about that guy. You couldn't pay me to go see it - why would I want to put even MORE money in that guy's pocket?

You're a good man Tim, this state needs you. Go get 'em tiger!

I-985 would gut the very HOV system that allows thousands of transit riders to actually bypass traffic when they get on the bus. Rush hours are no longer limited to 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. There are major transit corridors that have congestion all day long, and opening HOV and bus lanes to cars will clog them up and provide NO PRIORITY for transit. Why would someone want to get on a bus if they can crawl along in the own car at the same speed? And why should someone in Omak have a say in how the congested Puget Sound region manages its traffic? This is just another example of Eyman using the statewide initiative process to dictate answers to local and regional problems. I-985 is poorly thought out and will make traffic congestion even worse!

I disagree with Tim Iman. Take away the revenue for the camera's and the taxes will have to be raised to pay for his initiative.

The HOV lane should be for the reasons it was developed for...years ago. It encourages people to carpool. Also, Emergency vehicles will be at a stand still when people need them. They are already having trouble getting around people now.

The more we make the traffic "smoother" for the single driver on the highway, the more they are going to drive their vehicles. It's the driver driving alone that is clogging up our highways and streets.

NO. There are a lot of ways this initiative has been criticized, but let me point out the broader view. "Congestion" is a 20th-century problem and a 20th-century point of view. In the state I came from, we built roads wider and wider, only to find that every new lane brought new drivers to clog it. Today, we must equate better transportation to mass transit: only rail and bus have the capacity to transport commuters and travelers smoothly. The beauty of public transit is that as more of us embrace it, routes are added and it only becomes faster and more convenient. I-985 hurts transit and therefore it's not the answer we need.

Eyman is right about one thing at least. If the legislature was doing its job, he wouldn't exist.
But they don't do their job. We don't have a traffic mess? Anyone want to argue the other side of that? Cities would have to remove cameras if they can't use the money any way they want? GOOD! REMOVE THEM! I would like to sponsor an initiative that puts cameras outside the homes of every City & State elected official. You bozos don't know what you wish for.

Initiative 985 is another Eyman Trojan Horse Initiative. Its says one thing but does many other things not mentioned.

It increases the state debt by some $290 million every 2 years because it takes money already allocated in the state budget for education, public safety and health care and puts it in a restricted account that can only be used to increase road capacity.

Eyman then claims the initiative doesn't increase taxes. But where is the money to come from that was previously used to fund education and public safety?

This is a real slight of hand - taking money from education and public safety and putting it in a restricted fund to build more roads. So its really an initiative to cut education and public safety.

The money can not be used for public transit, park and ride lots, bike pathways or ferries or buses according to Eyman. These are the ways you usually spend money to reduce congestion but Eyman only wants it to be spent on building more roads. He opposes public transit.

This is a bad public policy initiative that is stealing money from educating our kids and using it to build more roads. Voters would be wise to vote no on cutting education funding. Vote No on I-985.

I-985 GETS OLYMPIA TO TAKE SONNTAG’S AUDITS SERIOUSLY

We’re very proud of I-985’s congestion relief policies. Carpool lanes opened during non-peak hours, traffic lights synchronized to optimize traffic flow, accidents cleared out faster, making it clear that people want ‘reducing traffic congestion’ to be the top transportation priority, all without raising taxes.

They’re positive and important policies. But they’re not the primary reason we’ve sponsored I-985.

In 2005, voters gave State Auditor Brian Sonntag, Washington’s most trusted elected official, the authority to conduct independent, comprehensive performance audits of state and local governments by overwhelmingly approving Initiative 900. In the years since its passage, he’s hired outside experts to learn how state and local governments can spend our tax dollars more effectively. He’s completed 11 audits, made 499 recommendations, and identified $3.2 billion in potential savings. But rather than embracing Sonntag’s reform recommendations, Olympia keeps ignoring them.

Our primary motivation for I-985 is to show Olympia that voters don’t want higher taxes; they want government to spend more effectively the money they’re already taking from us by implementing Sonntag’s growing list of audit recommendations.

So we picked the performance audit on the state’s abysmal failure reducing traffic congestion as the cattle prod. Sonntag’s report on reducing congestion made 22 recommendations – Olympia ignored all of them.

I-985 implements common sense reforms based on recommendations from State Auditor Brian Sonntag’s thorough investigation.

Requiring local governments to synchronize traffic lights on heavily-traveled arterials and streets – this single reform reduces traffic congestion 6-7% (more on this below). Clearing out accidents faster – absolutely. Opening carpool lanes to everyone during non-peak hours – it’s what other states do and illustrates that increased capacity reduces congestion. But politicians arrogantly refuse to implement ANY of Auditor Sonntag’s recommendations.

From Auditor Sonntag’s 2007 report: “Citizens have identified congestion as a priority, and therefore so must the Department of Transportation and the Legislature.”

Democrat Sonntag’s performance audit reported that 80% of citizens wanted “reducing traffic congestion” to be the top transportation priority. Taxpayers pay billions in taxes and fees every year – they expect their money to strongly support the people’s top transportation priority: reducing the time it takes to drive our vehicles from point A to point B. Sonntag’s audit and I-985 advocate getting better use from existing streets and highways while also addressing chokepoints with increased capacity to significantly reduce travel times for everyone. Approving I-985 tells politicians that voters want this approach.

Let me put an exclamation point on I-985’s traffic light synchronization requirement. Every city and county in the state will benefit from I-985’s mandate that traffic flow be optimized within its jurisdiction, especially since I-985 provides state funds to pay for its costs.

Lynnwood is a national model with digital, minute-by-minute traffic flow optimization. As reported by the Everett Herald: “Working from a cramped collection of cubicles inside City Hall, these techno wizards operate what at least one outside expert considers to be one of the best traffic management centers around. ‘The whole system is coordinated to give the best possible outcomes to traffic flow,’ deputy public works director Jeff Elekes said.”

I-985 guarantees that Lynnwood’s optimized traffic flow program will be available within the borders of all 281 cities and 39 counties and won’t require a penny of city or county funds to pay for it.

I-985 dedicates existing transportation-related revenues that are currently being diverted to non-transportation spending.

I-985 DOESN’T RAISE TAXES, instead it dedicates red light camera profits, a small portion of vehicle sales taxes, and “1/2% for reducing congestion” for any transportation-related project (removes “1/2% for public art”) to reducing congestion. I-985 guarantees that tolls on a project won’t be diverted away from that specific project, preventing tolls from becoming just another pot of money for politicians to spread around. And I-985 empowers Auditor Sonntag to track revenues and expenditures, helping implement I-985’s reforms and reporting regularly to the public on its progress.

Washington is the 5th highest taxed state in the nation – I-985 keeps us from hitting #1.

Opponents’ proposals force taxpayers to pay more – I-985 forces politicians to spend existing revenues more effectively, implementing immediate, cost-effective solutions. Sonntag hired world-class transportation experts – their professional, independent analysis showed Sonntag’s reforms will reduce congestion 15-20%, provide $3 billion boost to our state’s struggling economy BENEFITING EVERYONE. I-985’s opening HOV (express, carpool, bus-only) lanes during non-peak hours reduces congestion.

Taxpayers are tapped out. I-985 tells politicians to prioritize, spending what we already pay more effectively. Let’s tell politicians: don’t take more from taxpayers, adopt Sonntag’s growing list of audit recommendations. Vote “Yes” on I-985.

Tim Eyman is co-sponsor of Reduce Traffic Congestion Initiative I-985 and heads up Voters Want More Choices, a grassroots taxpayer protection organization, 425-493-8707, tim_eyman@comcast.net, www.ReduceCongestion.org

As with all initiatives the devil is in the details. Let's take one example - the HOV lane on SR520.

SR520 is currently operated as a 3 or more person HOV lane yet it carries as many people as either of the adjacent general purpose lanes. I-985 would force SR520 to operate as a 2 or more HOV lane during 6-9am and 3-6pm. Based on traffic count data available at the Washington State Transportation Research Center, you can expect the number of vehicles in the HOV lane to more than double. All these additional vehicles still have to merge into the other two lanes at the bridge. This additional merging volume will dramatically increase congestion on SR520.

During the mid-day, I-985 would force the HOV lane to operate as a general purpose lane. SR520 has high usage throughout the day and the additional vehicles using the HOV lane must merge into the two remaining lanes at the bridge. This will also result serious backups.

Once the traffic flow breaks down it will take hours for it to clear up again. If I-985 passes you can expect westbound SR520 to operate much worse than it currently does today.

This is just one of many problems with this initiative. You can't solve traffic problems with an initiative, but you sure can make them worse.

We need more advocates like Tim Eyman.

I agree that timing of lights is vital. The way Eyman wants to handle is is typical Eyman. No real though into repercussion on other issues, narrow minded and won't work. I don't think we need anything to vote for on this, I think the cities and state need to just do their job and get it done. There, problem solved at no extra cost.

Drive around San Francisco. The HOV lanes are only active from 5-9am and 3-7pm, the remaining time they are open to all traffic.

It works.

Let's call it what it is. Red light cams aren't about safety, they're about revenue. The ticket doesn't affect insurance premiums or driving records, it just collects fines. The cameras will cause more accidents than they prevent when some little old lady slams on her brakes and gets rear-ended when she should go through the yellow light. Take away the revenue and nobody cares about "safety" anymore. Right on, Tim!

Yet another time where WA voters may make a disasterous choice because of a poorly understood topic. Just pay your taxes like the rest of us Mr. Eyman!

Did you all see that? That was frickin' hilarious. Was that Doug MacDonald guy drunk? His responses were completely incoherent and didn't even answer the questions!

Question: "If I'm driving everyday, why won't traffic light synchronization help speed my commute, Mr. MacDonald?"

Answer: "Well, I was on the bus today, and the bus driver, who is at the wheel said were sunk! You know, he actually drives the bus. He's at the wheel. He says, Were Sunk!"

What?? That was the funniest 'debate' I have ever seen!

I didn't even know about I985 until tonight, but it seems to make perfect sense. Use the money from 'auto cops' to fund congestion improvements, and synchronize signals. If it were me, I would add "Get Rid of Timed Traffic Signals". What a waste of time and gas to sit at a signal for 3 minutes with no traffic at 1:00am. I am definitely voting Yes on this one.

I am a fan of more carpool lanes and utilizing mass transit. Tim's initiative may not have been fully thought through and will likely need adjustments and some negative impact. Overall from the surface this initiative looks like it will improve traffic flow. The reason I will vote FOR 985 is it will keep government more honest. Funding mostly from photo enforcement is genius. Municipalities use the photo enforcement as a revenue source under the guise of safety. I understand everyone is underfunded and the good guys will loose more players, well spend more responsibly and listen to the people. I vote with my pocket book and common sense this initiative 985 makes government look at it’s self. Government needs to be more fiscally responsible this is another way I see to make them answer the call.

I wasn't pleased with the discussion. First, any ticket revenue from a licensed driver should be going to the state, because the state issues the drivers' licenses, not the city.
Secondly, with these traffic lights, the city is micro-managing it's people, which points to ineffective government. There are two problems with Seattle lights and moving the traffic through Seattle:

1) the traffic lights are too long in duration. If the light is too long, then when the stop occurs, it's also for a longer period. If you watch traffic here, most traffic moves through the light quickly, leaving a lot of time when no cars are moving through the intersection, wasting the gasoline of the stopped cars. Seattle has the longest duration of traffic lights I have seen in the nation, and it's one of the reasons it's pedestrians also become tired of waiting on the light.

2) the lights are not synchronized. I will vote for any bill which passes a requirement on our mayor to move the traffic in a uniform manner.

3) traffic also doesn't move on the freeways through Seattle because there are not enough signs on the freeway which state: "SLOWER TRAFFIC, KEEP RIGHT".
You don't have to tell anyone on the East coast of the US to move over if they are going slowly in the passing lane. Seattle is filled with a lot of freeway drivers who are either:
a) not paying attention to their driving (in which case they appear to look less than intelligent)
b) don't care about their driving or don't respect the rules of courtesy of the road (in which care they appear to be rude)
c) don't pull over to the right lanes when driving slowly and having a long line of people waiting for them behind them (in which case they truly ARE clueless).
We need more of these signs to get the actual message across. Eventually, people will figure out that they are not paying attention, being rude, or being fools.

The city also micromanages it's citizens in a ridiculous fashion. We are not allowed to honk our horns at people who sit at stoplights because that is considered rude and making noise.
Back home, the societal mores are operationally different: the worst thing you can do is to waste someone's time. HERE, the worst thing you can do is to REMIND people that they ARE wasting time, theirs, yours, and mine.

These people are notorious here for sitting at a stoplight having a peak experience at the beautiful shade of green when the light turns green instead of moving their cars thought the intersection. In a few words, they lack focus, which is the most important issue when driving.

This city also micromanages it's pedestrians.
Back home in NYC and Chicago, the rule is common sense: the correct time to cross a crosswalk is when there are NO cars in sight. The fact that the lights are too long in duration effectively micro-manages not only the traffic, but the pedestrians as well. Then they wish to fine the pedestrians who wish to cross when no traffic is coming.
Our mayor here is a money grabbing joke who legislates all the wrong laws, and yet the people here keep re-electing him. I think they deserve him. Obviously, people aren't as bright as they need be in Seattle.
I'm voting for Tim's bill just so that I can find one way to punish the mayor for his effective micro-managing. He can't see the forest because of the trees. Do we really want this mayor ?

Signed, a very tired citizen.

P.S. Seattle people fight way too much here and never can figure out what is the correct solution. I'm leaving next month.

Tim...can you help us understand why you don't work WITH the bodies on these ideas if you think the solutions are relevant? Just mandating via Initiative isn't helping ... it literally compounds the problems and while you seem to love the mantra of "doing right by the people" it makes things worse.

On the issue of red light sync ... I would think the first easier step would be to add peak-time downtown all-way pedestrian cross (e.g. 8a-9a, 4p-6p) that gets pedestrians out of the intersection when cars are trying to turn. Works in Vancouver.

On issue of red light cams ... people seem to be skirting around the issue that running red lights is a safety hazard .. big time. If cities use the $$ to fund police & fire ... awesome, as that is City Government #1 responsibility. State #1 responsibility is education, infrastructure issues probably being #2 (though #2 not spelled out as clearly as #1 in minds of legislators and citizens).

As with most other cases, the initiative tries to embrace too many things and will probably be impossible to implement without one end of enforcement breaking another.

As I said before...if you want to make change, you have two options: Offer to help or Run for something and make a change. Otherwise, you have shown a consistent track record of being less than thorough or honest in your representation of ANY isasue you bring to the table.

If you REALLY want to establish credibility ... do this as a VOLUNTEER.

We need more TIM in Washington state to check and balance the cities and state government. Red light camera is a bad idea, it created more accident than prevented. It was a easy way for the city to get more money.

Limiting use of one freeway lane has always been absurd, specially at rush hour. You've got 3 or 4 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic and one empty one. If you want to provide incentive to car pool, there are many other ways to do it. Like getting gasoline or license tabs tax free. Guess that would never work because the democrats will never give up taxes. WSP would lose revenue too because they wouldn't be able to write tickets to frustrated drivers who use the hov lanes when they have less than two people in their car. Can't have that!

As far as red light cameras, I say go get those red light runners. If you don't like tickets for running red lights, DON'T RUN THEM. Are red light runners going to start telling us what other laws they don't want to obey?

Tim makes sense in this proposal. Not sure I agree with him on other issues. This is good.

First if this passes then why do you think it's permanent? If it doesn't work then change it back. Thanks Tim these are great ideas. I think until the gas prices come down the car pool lanes should be eliminated. Period. How much extra money does it cost to sit in traffic when the price of gas goes up? Time the lights ( any 2nd graded can tell you this'll save time/money) and move the traffic. As more commerce moves through the state don't we make more money?

Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.
Ronald Reagan

The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.
Ronald Reagan

Oh before I forget, GO GET EM EYMEN.
Your doing superb.
Funny how the government says,
Trafic camera's are for safety.
So use the income for safety.
The response,

"OH WELL we will just do away with them".

Yeah go ahead, Do what you have to do.

If Tim would only run for governor!

Tim is more concerned with taxpayer monies being spent on necessary things than anyone in state government.

His common sense really irks the lefties since they have none.

Yes to I-985 and NO NO NO NO to Proposition 1.

Yes, Tim, please run for office instead of taking money from old conservatives to pay yourself to play unelected legislator. By the way you would lose big time for whatever you run for, not that you ever would. You dont have the guts it seems. Easy to critique politicians as the problem though you never personally take responsibility for the issues by running. Initiatives are not about ONE person who is mad at government. Government is not the problem. We are the government, so participate and run for office so we can clown you at the elections, like we do your ill conceived initiatives by vote or by court (go to law school dude). Please leave our state, as imperfect as it is. We don't need or want you to try to sell your snake oil. Move to Alaska and try to profiteer there, they like your type.