Initiative 776 - $30 tabs for everyone

Initiative 776 "$30 Tabs for Everyone"

Ballot Title: This measure would require license tab fees to be $30 per
year for motor vehicles, including light trucks. Certain local-option
vehicle excise taxes and fees used for roads and transit would be
repealed.

Question . Answer .

Why is I-776 necessary? Politicians obviously didn't get the message
from Initiative 695. When voters overwhelmingly approved the "$30
License Tab Initiative" I-695 in 1999, they expected to pay $30 per year
to license their vehicles from that point forward. That didn't happen.
Not only are tabs higher than $30 under current law, but state & local
governments are imposing HUGE increases in vehicle charges. I-776 tells
politicians that they need to listen to taxpayers - $30 tabs means $30
tabs.

What does I-776 do? I-776 requires that license tab fees not exceed $30
per year for cars, pickups, sport utility vehicles (SUV's), vans,
motorcycles, RV's, motor homes, and other motor vehicles. I-776 ensures
$30 tabs by repealing numerous state and local taxes and fees imposed on
vehicles. I-776 sends a clear message to politicians: listen to the
taxpayers. After all, taxpayers are already paying huge sales taxes
when purchasing a vehicle and paying huge fuel taxes when using a
vehicle - politicians shouldn't "whack" taxpayers one more time with
excessive tab fees EVERY YEAR. Vehicle owners already pay their fair
share.

Didn't the Legislature take care of this? Talk about a classic Olympia
"bait and switch." Politicians loudly repealed one tax while quietly
imposing HUGE new taxes and fees on vehicles. Politicians saw the
Initiative 776 freight train speeding toward them so they decided to
toss the taxpayers a bone - they repealed one tax on vehicles, saving
taxpayers about $200 million per year. That's good and it never would
have happened without Initiative 776. But even with this repeal, it's
still not "$30 Tabs for Everyone." I-776 repeals other huge taxes and
fees on vehicles. Also, politicians are tripling vehicle fees and
imposing a new tax on vehicles (totaling $750 million) - I-776 shows the
politicians that we won't tolerate it. I-776 is our only chance to
ensure "$30 Tabs for Everyone" once and for all.

What about Sound Transit's multi-billion dollar boondoggle called light
rail? I-776 is our ONLY chance to ensure a revote on light rail's
"train to nowhere". Here's how: I-776 ensures "$30 Tabs for Everyone"
by repealing numerous taxes and fees imposed on vehicles. One of those
taxes is a HUGE motor vehicle excise tax that provides 20% of the
funding for Sound Transit. This forces politicians to go back to voters
for reauthorization of their light rail project. And most importantly,
I-776 ensures a revote on light rail BEFORE they tear up our
neighborhoods and bury our state in debt. I-776 is our ONLY chance to
ensure some long-overdue accountability on this massive multi-billion
dollar boondoggle.

What's the big deal about $30 tabs? Taxpayers fought valiantly against
an incredibly powerful coalition (Big Business, Big Labor, politicians,
and the press) to secure $30 tabs in 1999. We must secure our previous
gains. It is critical that our victories withstand the test of time.
We cannot allow politicians to simply "wait us out" and erode our past
successes. Politicians are imposing HUGE increases in vehicle charges -
we must show them we simply won't tolerate it. Politicians will NEVER
limit taxes - we must continually fight for our freedoms.

Is I-776 legal? I-776 was carefully drafted by Jim Johnson, a
well-respected appellate attorney. He also authored last year's
property tax measure I-747 that took effect without a single legal
challenge. We paid him handsomely to thoroughly research all legal
issues pertaining to I-776 (including the single subject rule). I-776
is rock solid. Even our opponents admit that I-776 is legal and
constitutional.

If not I-776, then what? Without I-776, license tabs fees on vehicles
will SKYROCKET all over again. When voters said $30 tabs, they meant
$30 tabs. VOTE YES on I-776!

send donation checks -- made payable to "I-776" -- to:

Initiative 776 · PO Box 6131 · Kennewick · WA · 99336 · Ph:
425-493-8707 · FAX: 509-467-4323 · www.i-776.com