Jumpin' Jack Flash, It's A Gas, Gas, Gas (Tax Hike)

Kudos to WA state legislators for passing a much needed $8.5 billion transportation package on Sunday flip-flopping a 45-53 vote from Saturday into a 54-43 on Sunday.

At a time when the region is facing a critical need for funds to pay for huge projects such as the Seattle Viaduct replacement, and a long overdue improved 520 bridge over Lake Washington, politicians have been cowering to the belief that the citizenry will not abide by any tax hikes to pay for such projects.

Nonsense. We know all too well that money doesn't grow on trees, and one way or another if we want these projects to be worked on we'll have to pitch in for them to be funded.

Republicans continue to blindly cater to the no taxes crowd, thinking that's going to keep getting them elected. Yet, Rep. Fred Jarrett (R) of Mercer Island put it best when he said,

"I think we as Republicans have staked out our no-new-taxes mantra for so long, we've forgotten there's a reason for government and a reason for taxes."

Indeed. One day the Viaduct is going to crumble and the 520 bridge is going to sink, and those that would be seen as having stood in the way of ensuring replacement structures were in place will pay the price politically. In 1979 in Chicago the sitting mayor lost his job because he couldn't clear the streets after a record snowfall. When the bottom line becomes one's ability to get from point A to point B, safely and with minimal hassle, all other considerations are forgotten. This 16 year transportation plan will go a long way toward solving some of these problems, while financing hundreds of other transportation projects.

The legislators have done the job they were elected to do - as citizens it is our patriotic duty to pay our taxes so that these things can be done. (nwpt40)