Reason #1 – Critical roadways need to be replaced
The gas tax increase will provide badly needed funding for the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the Highway 520 Floating Bridge, both of which are old structures and need immediate replacement. We cannot afford to wait any longer – we must get started now and begin funding these projects.

Reason #2 – More transportation funding is desperately needed
Critics of the gas tax increase ignore the fact that we’ve been cutting transportation funding the last few years. Tim Eyman initiatives such as Initiative 695 and Initiative 776 have dealt the state huge blows, tearing out enormous portions of funding and making it impossible to fully fund transportation improvements. The gas tax will pay for highway and road improvements as well as fund the state ferry system.

Reason #3 – Citizens shouldn’t override well thought out legislative decisions
This initiative’s signature-gathering campaign will exhibit the worst aspects of direct versus representative democracy. It will urge a yes or no straw vote in place of the months of negotiation, compromise and balancing of diverse state interests that went into the 2005 Transportation Package.

Reason #4 – The gas tax increase is an adjustment to keep up with inflation
The current gas tax is well below past historical highs. Raising the gas tax, is, in effect, only an adjustment to keep up with inflation. This means that even with this increase, we’re still paying a lower gas tax then we have been over the last fifty years. Once the full 9.5 cent increase is completely implemented by 2009, the total nominal gas tax of 37.5 cents per gallon would only come to 32.2 cents in year-2000 equivalent dollars, according to current GDP projections.

Reason #5 – Increased transportation funding will boost the economy
Increased transportation funding will be good for the economy of the state of Washington, Thousands of jobs will be created or provided through numerous transportation projects like the replacement of the SR 520 Floating Bridge and the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Repealing the gas tax would only hurt economic revitalization efforts in the state of Washington.