Tim Eyman on trial
The trial of anti-tax activist Tim Eyman began Nov. 16, a proceeding that could bring an end to Eyman’s decades-long career running initiatives to reduce taxes in Washington state.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed the lawsuit against Eyman in March 2017, alleging that Eyman had improperly used hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of contributions made to political committees for his personal use and concealed nearly half a million in contributions.
The lawsuit also accused for-profit signature gathering firm Citizen Solutions of concealing campaign money that the company directed to Eyman.
If successful, Ferguson’s lawsuit could place a blanket prohibition on Eyman’s ability to handle finances for any political committees.
Eyman’s defense argues that he was not the treasurer for the campaigns under scrutiny, according to The Seattle Times.
Eyman’s track record with anti-tax campaigns is mixed. His most recent effort, Initiative 976, would have capped car tab fees and prevented local jurisdictions from raising car tab fees to fund transit, but a court ruled that the initiative violated the “one subject requirement” and tossed it out.
Bridge to somewhere
Mayor Jenny Durkan announced plans Nov. 20 to repair the West Seattle Bridge and direct the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to “continue early design work for an eventual replacement of the bridge.”
The West Seattle Bridge is a major thoroughfare connecting West Seattle to the city’s downtown and the port. City workers discovered the bridge had new and worsening structural cracks and closed it to all vehicle traffic on March 23, 2020. Structural cracks were originally found during routine inspections in 2013 and have been monitored since.
According to the city, the West Seattle Bridge is the most used in Seattle, carrying an average of more than 100,000 cars, trucks and buses every day.
“While all options have risks, repair will get West Seattle reconnected the fastest and funding is more certain,” Durkan said in a statement. “In the last five months, SDOT has worked to stabilize the bridge through repairs, and work has already begun on the longer-term repair plan so traffic can resume by mid-2022.”
So long and thanks for all the fish
In personal news, this will be my last week with Real Change. I have been with the paper since 2016 and have deeply enjoyed my time here. I appreciate the affection that the Seattle community holds for the paper and its vendors and am continuously inspired by that support. Thank you.
Read more of the Nov 25 - Dec 1, 2020 issue.