Commentary
Oligarchy. I like the sound of the word. It kind of rolls off the tongue, but I don’t like it as a form of government.
Winning an election does not grant the victor wisdom beyond those of us who have never run for office. Those whom we have selected to represent us in Olympia seem to believe it does. Rather than be accountable to the electorate, our elected officials consider themselves a cut above the general public.
It would seem private citizens, both individually and collectively, are viewed as a source of revenue, of no value except to fund the visions of our omniscient officials. The West Coast liberals are in control, but they are unresponsive to the will of the people. They have become an oligarchy, a government of and for the elite.
With that opening, one might think I am upset. Actually, I am past upset to downright mad. What happened to I-976? Our ruling elite enlisted the help of a King County judge to defy the majority of the voters for the third time in a decade. The issue will be tied up in the court system until further notice.
There is, however, a way to get out of the morass of the courts. Our conservative representatives could answer the call of the electorate and make $30 car tabs an act of the legislature rather than an initiative. King County, however, wants the revenue generated by more costly vehicle registration in order to subsidize their bus system. And, what King County wants, King County gets, whether the rest of the state wants it or not.
Do you remember the advisory votes on last year’s ballot? The Legislature had a midnight meeting on the last day before they adjourned, and without allowing debate, enacted 12 new revenue bills. In accordance with the state constitution, those new laws had to be presented to the voters to recommend they either be maintained or rescinded.
The people requested three-fourths of those be rescinded. Our representatives should be sponsoring legislation to overturn those new taxes. The voters have spoken; it should be a no-brainer. So far, the new laws are still on the books with no legislative proposals to rescind them. Your voice is being ignored!
The Legislature doesn’t have a monopoly on arrogance. Other elected officials also suffer under the effects of an inflated self-image. The Superintendent of Public Instruction recently commissioned a survey to determine whether or not the people wanted mandatory sex education in our schools. The survey revealed a solid majority of our citizens did not want sex education. With contempt for the desire of the public, the state mandated a state-wide program of sex-ed.
In all fairness, there is only so much those of us who live east of the mountains can do. We are usually out voted by those who live near Puget Sound. The popular vote for I-976, however, was a solid state- wide majority, as was the advisory vote recommendation to rescind nine of the new revenue bills.
Our Eastside legislators are struggling to make our voice heard. Republicans in the Senate are sponsoring a bill to eliminate parking fees at state parks. Our representatives in the House are trying to make sure first responders can use reason without fear of bureaucratic reprisal as they were during the flood in Pullman last May.
I applaud their actions, but they are not enough. We are supposed to be a representative democracy ruled by the votes of the electorate. Eastside legislators should be standing with the people and shouting to anyone who will listen. The Legislature should serve the citizens of the state, not ignore them.
When our votes are ignored, we have no representation. I recall from my old history books that taxation without representation was a rallying cry of a new and independent nation. We don’t want more taxes. We want a state government that is a good caretaker of our money. We want a government that is responsive to the will of the people. We don’t want an oligarchy.
Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and long-time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a free-lance columnist for over 19 years.
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