No on I-1033 Week: Because Tim Eyman Is a Twit

Sound Politics has given Tim a platform to talk about I-1033, which seems kind of repetitive because he'd be preaching to the choir there, but such is life. What's rather funny is one of the headlines he used:

GREGOIRE BLOWS A GASKET OVER INITIATIVE 1033
....particularly when you compare that to the previous video of him acting like a jerk to Joel Connelly and David Goldstein.

It also doesn't help that his biggest critique is a house built on sand:

After Gregoire recently announced that she's changed her position and now wants higher taxes - whatever increases "lawmakers and interest groups" tell her to enact - the need for Initiative 1033 became even more evident.

Let's compare that to what she actually said (emphasis mine):

Now Gov. Chris Gregoire, of all people, jump-started the tax talk in response to a question from Associated Press reporter Curt Woodward. The governor said her “door is open” to lawmakers and advocates who want to make the case for a tax package come January. “I’ve told them come on in, convince me that that’s the right thing to do and that the people will support it,” said Gregoire in a briefing with Capitol reporters.

So she's asked lawmakers (you know, the guys we elect) to make their case, and if they can convince her that tax increases are the best way, she'll consider it.

That's a long ways off from the metaphorical dinner bell that Eyman would have you think that she's ringing. My belief is that the political will won't possibly be there this session, since 2010 is an election year, and that's despite a reasonable argument to be made that taxes might be better than the alternative.

Government may have it's problems, but this initiative is not the solution.