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Schism on I-695 threatens future of state GOP
Schism on I-695 threatens future of state GOP
Friday, October 01, 1999
I've been traveling, and just read Dick Larsen's excellent Eastside Journal
piece on the Washington State Republican Party's decision to endorse Initiative
695.
He identifies a schism between party leaders and traditional party supporters
over this issue, appropriately questions the prudence of the decision, and speculates
concerning long range implications.
Larsen is a classy guy, and doesn't use the term 'Wackos' once. But he puts
his finger on a problem that threatens financial ruin of the party and the alienation
of the constituents most traditionally philosophically aligned with it.
Now, both sides in this argument are filled with righteous indignation. Like
most of us who have formed an opinion on I-695, proponents and opponents are
firmly convinced that theirs is the correct position. And there is considerable
merit to both sides, making this one of the most interesting issues before voters
in November.
Proponents say the current excise tax on motor vehicles (the hundreds or thousands
of dollars you fork over every year for license tabs) is outrageously expensive
and the proceeds have been scammed off into all manner of non-transportation
programs. They are probably correct.
Opponents say I-695 is a meat ax approach which would decimate the state's
woefully inadequate road construction budget, and worse, force public elections
every time a government entity needed to raise fees. They say it may, ironically,
result in automatic reinstatement of the personal property tax on autos -- conceivably
more egregious than the current excise tax. They are probably correct.
Many of the proponents of I-695 are from the conservative side of the political
spectrum. They are folks traditionally more aligned with Republicans than Democrats.
They are also folks who have been more active -- activists if you will -- than
Republicans from the business community.
And thanks to that activism, they find themselves in positions of party leadership,
positions from which they can influence the causes the party champions.
Many of the opponents of I-695, be they conservative, moderate or even liberal
Republicans, see transportation as one of the most serious problems facing our
state. They have worked doggedly to try to get the Legislature to do something,
and have generally achieved little. Finally, R-49 was passed last year, thanks
to tremendous effort of the business community. I-695 would gut R-49, set back
the politics of transportation funding for years, and most businesses, especially
large businesses, aren't very happy about it.
Interestingly, much of the serious financial support for Republicans (candidates
and the party) comes from these very businesses (and the executives and stock
holders who are affiliated with them) that the party is now, officially, thumbing
its nose at. And not surprisingly, some of the more visible of the big business
leaders -- accustomed to getting their way -- are threatening to punish the
radicals running the party by cutting them off at the pocket book.
Unfortunately, many of those currently in control of the party are zealots,
more interested in ideology than pragmatism. They say the folks like Boeing
and US Bank -- as evidenced by their opposition to measures like I-200 (affirmative
action) which were overwhelmingly supported by the public -- are completely
out of step, and if recent elections and current polls are any indication, they
may be right.
You can see the tensions mounting. Big egos, big bucks, big issues, and a
lot of self-righteousness on both sides make for an explosive situation.
Both sides may just be dumb enough to let I-695 fracture the important alliances
between the various Republican factions. But they shouldn't.
The Republican party in Washington has appeared to have a death wish for years.
The propensity to nominate candidates from the fringe who exhibit little chance
of winning has been devastating.
Splinter groups (a la Craswell) have taken their toll. The last thing the
R's need is to alienate their primary contributors. The damage may have already
been done on I-695, but party officials should be moving heaven and earth to
mitigate the damage and to rebuild bridges.
Likewise, the business guys, though perhaps justified to pout and punish,
should get over it. If they think they're going to get better treatment from
the D's on the myriad issues affecting business, they're sadly mistaken, sort
of like pro-life Republicans whining that George W isn't strong enough for them
on that issue. Do they really think their cause is going to be better advanced
by a Gore administration?
What's really needed is for business Republicans to start acting more like
Republicans. What's really needed is for mainstream Republicans to quit whining
and get actively involved in their party.
What's really needed is for party leaders to realize that political dogmatism
is a loser's game-- that we don't always get everything we want exactly when
we want it -- that slow, steady progress is better than nothing.
These warring factions need to kiss and make up. Failure to work together
will ensure a much worse fate for both. And that, in my view, would be bad news
for our economy and our entire populace.
Bob Wallace has long been active in Bellevue business and civic affairs. His
column appears every other Friday. Readers may reach him at rwallace@wallaceproperties.com
or P.O. Box 4184, Bellevue, WA 98009.
