1) The League of Women Voters came out this week against Seattle Prop. 1, the $60 car-tab fee, saying in a statement,
While the intentions of the measure are good, the League found the plan to lack sufficient specificity and the proposed use of funds not appropriately prioritized – in particular the plan to spend $18 million to study more streetcar lines. Further, a flat fee on each vehicle licensed within the city is regressive. In many cases, the combination of the lack of appropriate prioritization and the regressivity of the tax would cause the citizens who are taxed to receive no benefit.
That’s not exactly true. Prop. 1 would pay for traffic improvements, road maintenance, and sidewalks throughout the city, benefiting people who would never set foot on a streetcar or ride a bike. Additionally, improved bus times—the measure’s main funding priority—improve travel times for everyone. And a slight reduction in the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed or injured by dangerous road conditions may seem like a minor improvement for the money, but it’s something most people would probably say they support, even if it doesn’t benefit them directly.
2) Streets for All, the campaign for Prop. 1, has tapped city council transportation chair Tom Rasmussen and Metro union president Paul Bechtel to lead a guided bus tour on the Route 44 (Ballard to the U District) to point out some of the speed and reliability improvements the measure would pay for along the route. The tour starts at 11:30 am at the corner of NW Market St. and Ballard Ave. NW.
3) The pro-Prop. 1 campaign received some last-minute contributions this week, including $2,000 from the Cascade Bicycle Club (which, at $17,975, is the campaign’s biggest donor); $500 from the Bicycle Alliance of Washington (for a total of $1,600), and $1,000 from American Life, Inc., a real estate developer. The campaign has raised $103,676; its opponents, Citizens Against Raising Car Tabs, have raised $24,433.
