State’s voters opt for pragmatism
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Seattle Times: Gay rights, public services and experience. Up and down the ballot voters showed little appetite for nonsense and distractions. Pragmatism was the victor in early vote counting.
Initiative 1033: Gone are the days when professional initiative guru Tim Eyman dreams up a clever formula for restraining government and voters fall in line. If Eyman can't read newspaper headlines about deep cutbacks in public services — parks, public safety, education — voters surely can. They know government is not flush right now and in a painful recession, the public sometimes needs a little help from government.
The initiative to cap revenues collected in cities, counties and in Olympia resonated in some parts of the state, 18 counties by one count. But practical voters elsewhere said they understand the value of higher education, of reasonable staffing for public safety and access to public parks. Government has to be there when the floods come and when people need help.
Eyman himself became an issue. With an initiative almost every year for the past 10, he is in essence in his third term — that is, if he ever had the nerve to run for office. Ask any politician who has tried: Messages and personalities tire after 10 years.
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