The Times urges voters reject Seattle’s I-122

The general election endorsement season is upon us, and the Seattle Times is weighing in first on the ballot measures facing Seattle voters with a strong recommendation that readers reject Seattle’s Initiative 122. That initiative proposes creating a voucher scheme that allows every Seattle voter to donate $100 – of taxpayer money – to city candidates.

The loony initiative proposal would allow Seattle candidates to opt into a system in which voters have four $25 vouchers they can donate to the candidates of their choosing. Another property tax hike would fund the $100 vouchers, meaning that homeowners will fund vouchers for others to give away. I-122 is estimated to cost $30 million over a 10-year period.

Not surprisingly, I-122 contains a loophole for big labor unions. Large special interest groups are free to bundle the vouchers obtained from their members and direct the large contribution to their preferred candidates. As the Times put it, the initiative would “potentially benefit well-organized special-interest groups.” Of course, that is exactly one of I-122’s goals.

The Seattle Times goes on to point out a list of problems I-122 presents. They include,

“The proposal counts on people not participating… While the initiative suggests all voters should have a chance to contribute to campaigns — using taxpayer dollars — it assumes only a small percentage of voters would actually bother to do so, even when the money doesn’t come out of their own pockets. More money, more apathy…

“The vouchers give well-organized candidates, especially incumbents, an advantage…

“The initiative calls for yet another property-tax levy that would cost about $8 per year for a home valued at $400,000…

“Limiting campaign spending is doubtful. Since the program is voluntary, candidates who chose to participate must agree to a spending cap, while those who don’t can raise as much as they want…”

I-122 backers recently revealed another reason why voters should reject the initiative. As Shift reported, I-122 would extend the $100 vouchers to non-citizens legally residing in Seattle. The purpose is to engage Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR’s) in the electoral process, short of voting. Backers admit that they hope the system would open the door to non-citizen voting in Seattle, as local politicians are encouraged to engage with “citizens and noncitizens alike.”