Dear Senator Fortunato

(The June 6 B1 Page Article “Sound Transit facing lawsuit over car-tab fees" prompted the following letter.)

Dear Senator Fortunato,

Your decision to sue Sound Transit regarding Sound Transit’s car tab taxes is welcome news to the entire area.  Sound Transit’s approach to car tab taxes epitomizes their mendacity regarding their ST3 “Prop 1 and Beyond” extensions. It’s “unfortunate” the Seattle Times, 7/13/16 Traffic Lab article, “Here’s what you’d pay to build a bigger Sound Transit network,” essentially parroted Sound Transit’s car tab tax mendacity likely contributed to its passage.

The below 7/13/17 post from my blog http://stopeastlinknow.blogspot.com was in response to the Seattle Times July12th, 2017 article concerning an Eyman initiative to reduce car tab taxes. It details how Sound Transit lied about what car tabs would cost and then “lied about lying”.  However, there are far more reason to sue Sound Transit than their mendacity regarding what car tabs will cost.

Sound Transit also lied about what residents would get from their ST3 taxes. The vast majority of the funds will be spent creating a light rail spine routed through the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel  (DSTT).  The PSRC concluded in 2004 the tunnel limited light rail capacity to 8880 riders per hour in each direction.  The billions spent on the ST3 spine will do nothing to increase capacity and public transit ridership needed to reduce roadway congestion. 

Yet, prior to the ST3 vote, Sound Transit ignored the DSTT limits, claiming the extension to Everett would add up to 110,000 daily riders and up to 90,000 from the Tacoma extension. (The Tacoma numbers are particularly absurd since it will be limited to half the DSTT capacity.)  At least during peak commute, the spine’s limited capacity means whatever riders the extensions attract will simply reduce access for current riders.  Sound Transit plans to spend billions on light rail extensions that do nothing to increase public transit capacity into the city should be grounds for some sore of legal action.

Not only will residents pay more than they should for light rail extensions that won’t reduce congestion, they’ll likely be forced to pay even more to cover the shortfall between fare-box revenue and operating costs with the extensions.  They quadruple the route lengths but add very few riders.  Either those attracted by the extensions will have to pay far higher tolls or residents will have to pay to cover shortfall.  Sound Transit will likely use their ability to extend the ST3 taxes as they see fit means residents can expect to pay for far into the future,  It’s something your legal action should consider.

Sincerely,

Bill Hirt

Sound Transit Car Tab Tax Mendacity

The July 12th Seattle Times B1 page “Traffic Lab” article, “Eyman initiative would toss Sound Transit car tab tax” should be welcome news for the entire area.   A Joel Connelly June 8^th Seattle PI article included the following:

        A survey by Moore Information, the venerable Portland-based polling firm with Republican and business clients, shows that ST3 would get only 37 percent support were voters given a do-over.

The survey results “suggest” large numbers of voters would respond favorably to the initiative.  Eyman is certainly correct to raise the question,

“Now that you know how much these car tabs are going to cost, do you think this is fair?”

Those opposed to the car tab costs surely have a reason to do so. Presumably many were likely persuaded to approve ST3 by a Sound Transit 7/8/2016 post entitled: “ST3 plan would cost typical adult $169 annually or $14 per month”.

It included the following:

Here’s how much a typical adult would pay if ST3 is approved:

MVET

An adult owning the median value motor vehicle would pay an additional $43 per year in MVET if ST3 were passed. The updated calculation reflects an annual median value $5,333 of vehicles in the Sound Transit District. MVET taxes are determined by a state of Washington depreciation schedule for a specific vehicle’s model and production year. The previous calculation relied on a less representative average vehicle value of $10,135 for the more expansive tri-county area, for a significantly higher annual cost of $78 per adult. 

Thus it was Sound Transit who provided the MVET tax for ST3 that “misled” voters.  Yet Sound Transit's responce to voter complaints, an April 2017 post headlined “Sound Transit 3 car tab rollback threatens light rail to Everett”, included the following:

During the campaign, Sound Transit was completely transparent about the taxes. We all knew that our car tabs would increase a lot in 2017 to help fund Sound Transit. So when the first invoices arrived, the vast majority of people just paid their tabs. But a vocal minority, with big tabs from expensive cars, took their displeasure to Olympia, hoping that the Legislature would listen to their stories and disregard the will of the people.

A May 12^th KOMONews.com article “State senators claim Sound Transit misled public about ST3 project impact and cost” also raised the issue:

Now, State Senators Steve O'Ban and Dino Rossi are calling for a special investigation into Sound Transit saying in a statement: "We are concerned about whether sound transit is engaged in a systematic effort to confuse and misrepresent the impact and cost of the Sound Transit authorization to legislators and the public."

It generated the following response from the Sound Transit Director of Media Relations and Public Information Communications & External Affairs, Geoff Patrick:

Sound Transit's interactions with the legislature and all of the extensive public materials related to the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure included clear and accurate information.   That the legislative language allowing regional voters to consider the Sound Transit 3 measure was extensively debated and covered by news media.

The “inconsistency” between what Sound Transit told voters before the vote and what they claimed they told them after the vote should be no surprise to blog viewers.   They sold East Link to voters with their DEIS claim it could double I-90 bridge transit capacity.  After Prop 1 was approved they conceded in their East Link extension website it was limited to one 4-car train every 8 minutes with about half current peak transit capacity.

What’s unique about their car tab tax mendacity is the Sound Transit 3 Tax Calculator used in the 7/8/16 post no longer exists.  Those looking for their ST3tax.com website for “How much tax per year will you pay for Sound Transit if ST3 passes” will instead find its available to buy. 

The website was valued at $1385, however their have been no offers or bids.   Anyone “interested” will have to act pretty quickly since the 1-year auction ends 7/20/17 at 12:17 PM (PDT).   Apparently Sound Transit decided they wanted to close the website very soon after their 7/8/16 post about the “reduced” car tab tax.  Their "likely" objective being after lying about what car tabs would cost, they wanted to be able to "lie about lying".

What’s “unfortunate” is the Seattle Times apparent inability to recognize Sound Transit mendacity.  The July 13 2016 edition “Traffic Lab” article “Here’s what you’d pay to build a bigger Sound Transit network” essentially parroted Sound Transit July 8^th post.

Sound Transit itself made an important discovery while revising its estimates last week. After it initially projected an average car value of $10,135 in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, further research found the median value was only $5,333. In other words, a minority of people own new or luxury cars that drive up the average, while the masses own older wheels.

They surely were either aware of, or should have been aware of, the "insistency" between Sound Transit tab cost estimates before the ST3 vote and what they had said afterwards.  Yet their July 12^tharticle concerning the Eyman initiative makes no mention of their mendacity concerning car tab taxes.  Their  “neglecting” to do so exemplifies their "Traffic Lab" failure to alert the area about the debacle awaiting the area from Sound Transit Prop 1 and beyond light rail extensions.