ACTION ALERT - Protect Jobs & Taxpayers

Dear friends and neighbors,

We are now into our second day of a fierce battle on the House floor to protect taxpayers against the Democrat assault on Initiative 960, the Taxpayer Protection Act. This is the measure voters approved in November 2007 which requires the Legislature to have a two-thirds approval before taxes can be raised.

Senate Bill 6130 would gut the initiative and clear the way so that Democrats can raise taxes and take more of your hard-earned money. I am fighting, along with my fellow House Republicans, against this measure.

Last night, we held a seven-hour near filibuster on the House floor to oppose this bill and demand that our government produce a fiscally-sound budget that finds efficiencies and cuts spending, rather than ask taxpayers to bail out legislators’ bad spending habits.

Here is an excerpt from my speech last night on the House floor:

Mr. Speaker, I spent the majority of my life in the service of this country. I’ve been on the battlefields of two continents, fighting because the will of the people meant something. Because our Republican form of government meant something. And because freedom meant something. Because it’s freedom that creates prosperity, Mr. Speaker. It’s freedom that reduces poverty, Mr. Speaker.

And it is freedom that increases charity. Taxes are not going to do that! The power to tax is the power to destroy. And that’s why the people put the Taxpayer Protection Act into law, and put those shackles on us and on government. The people never stand in the way. The people are where we get our power from. And that, Mr. Speaker, is something we are fighting for! Please table this bill!

Friends, the will of the majority of Washingtonians is to keep I-960 in place to guard against onerous tax increases. The assault is not just against I-960 – it is against every taxpayer, every family in our state.

Again, we were on the floor this morning, fighting to stand up for the will of the people. At noon, the House went at ease, but it will again take up this issue tonight at 8 p.m.

I invite you to watch the debate on TVW or go to www.tvw.org.

I will do all that I can to stand against this job-killing measure, but I also need your help.

Please call and or e-mail the House Speaker’s office TODAY! Tell the House Speaker to STOP SENATE BILL 6130 and UPHOLD INITIATIVE 960!

House Speaker – Phone: (360) 786-7920;
E-mail: chopp.frank@leg.wa.gov

PLEASE CALL TODAY!

Sincerely,

Matt Shea
State Representative