"Would you support another 9 cents added to the gas tax for roads?"
(asked at Kirkland's Totem Lake Chevron on 03-27-97; published in the EJ on 03-30-97)

Garth Watkins, Barista, Kirkland


"I don't necessarily say that I'd support another tax because too many taxes that are collected go into the general fund as opposed to where they're supposed to go -- where they were intended to go as passed in the law. In other words, strict accountability of those tax dollars would have to be assured. And if strict accountability could happen, yes, I'd be for another tax."

Alex Holve, Service station manager, Snohomish


"No. I don't see enough work being done now. I live out on Highway 522 and they're talking about putting a toll out there. That road's a high hazard and no work's being done. And I see the HOV lanes -- they stink. A lot of single people go through them, and I don't see anyone patrolling them. I'd like to see 522 and 18 made safer, but I don't think the money is possibly being used for what it's supposed to now. And more tax would probably make ours the highest tax in the nation... As long as the money goes to roads and that's it, I probably wouldn't mind it. But you get tired of paying taxes and seeing nothing accomplished. We're already paying enough now."

Gregg McVey, Sole proprietor, Redmond


"No. I believe that the way the state runs right now, they're basically putting all the money in the General Fund and it's not going where it's intended. They're basically fleecing Washington State. I believe they have enough revenue now. They need to make do with what they have."

Jessica Holve, Cashier, Snohomish


"No, I would not, because they keep adding taxes and I don't see anything being fixed out where I live. They're potholes and a lot of places that need to be fixed but haven't been. They keep promising to fix them but they don't. We continue paying and things don't get fixed already... They keep saying they need more and more money but I don't see any point to it."

Monica Pumel, Secretary, Woodinville


"I don't want to pay more. Definitely we need some roads repaired -- since the last cold spell, there are some places that are kind of scary and they haven't fixed those places yet. All I know is that I don't like anything to go up in price. But I don't think it matters what I say -- they're going to do what they're going to do."

Frayne Stringer, Computer store supervisor, Woodinville


"No. The biggest reason is that of most of the taxes, only a small portion ends up going to where they say. If they would put the entire amount to fixing roads, that would be great. But they'd divvy the 9 cents up so that only about 3 cents would end up going to roads. They just have to come up with something so that the entire 9 cents would go to roads. Not a penny anywhere else."

© 1997 by the Bellevue, WA-based Eastside Journal (née Journal American) newspaper.

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