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County poll smells bad in heat of car-tab fight
County poll smells bad in heat of car-tab fight
SPONSORS of the car-tab initiative are yammering about a poll done by King County
asking people what bus service they'd keep and what fare increases they'd accept
if Initiative 695 passes.
Poll takers never mentioned the initiative by name. The telephone survey was
informational, not promotional. But that doesn't make it smart.
Spending public money on a poll a few weeks before a highly charged election
smells like politicking on the public dime - $24,000 to be exact. It fuels people
who distrust government, giving them new reasons to vote for what ultimately
is shortsighted public policy.
I-695 sets car tabs at $30 per vehicle and requires a public vote on every
tax and fee increase imposed by state and local government. One critical drawback
is the impact on local governments, particularly police, fire and transit services.
If I-695 passes, the county transit budget would take a $100 million hit.
Annual budget-writing deadlines loom. Layoff notices may need to be prepared
and sent. And riders' habits and preferences have to be considered before cutting
service or raising fares.
The county conducted itself professionally. Questions were vetted in advance
by county prosecutors and the state Public Disclosure Commission. The survey
did not cross the ethical line. It was not a push poll, the kind campaigns sometimes
use to coax people toward a particular position.
School districts, by comparison, frequently inform people about expected changes
if school bonds pass or fail.
Still, timing and public perception - the appearance of politicking - make
this an odd call. Was there another way to test rider sentiments beginning Nov.
3, the day after the election? Could public meetings replace the more thorough
marketing survey, which takes a longer period of time?
King County argues it was damned if it did, damned if it didn't. There is
some truth to that. The same people yowling about the poll would yell louder
if bus routes were changed without their input.
But in the heat of a high-pitched campaign like the one surrounding I-695,
why antagonize those most suspicious of government? "Marketing Plan B," whatever
it was, was a better way to go.
