Permanent Defense responded this morning to the filing of Tim Eyman’s new initiative to gut transportation funding with a promise to fight the initiative and the service cuts it represents from today until the initiative is defeated.

The voters of Washington State are sick and tired of Tim Eyman and his cohorts attempting to tear down what the Legislature and the people are trying to build.

“We have a transportation crisis in this state. If we are not going to act, then our infrastructure is going to collapse. This new initiative will repeal funds that have specifically been earmarked to repair threatened infrastructure,” said Permanent Defense Chair Andrew Villeneuve.

The initiative, according to an estimate by the state Department of Transportation, will cut some $2.5 billion over 16 years. It will practically wipe out the state’s multimodal funding account, which pays for dozens of transportation projects – including rail projects.

The initiative will destroy funding for Amtrak Cascades, freight mobility programs, and it cuts off grant money for local transportation projects – projects that are being undertaken by cities and counties across the state.

“There is nothing funny about collapsing viaducts, hazardous bridges, and rail lines in need of repair,” said Villeneuve. “We can’t have services and not pay for them. If we do not invest in transportation, we, the people of Washington State, are going to suffer mightily in the coming months and years.”

“Eyman is disrespecting the will of the voters. Voters said ‘NO’ to Initiative 912 last November and ‘YES’ to investing in transportation. That decision is being ignored, and now transportation funding is under assault yet again.”

Permanent Defense will very soon be releasing more information about the consequences of this new initiative through its website, including a sampling of projects that will be axed if the initiative passes. Citizens across Washington State are prepared to work together once again to ensure that people know the truth about this proposal and the cuts that will come with it.