Tim Eyman, after 21 years of promoting initiatives, is now running for Governor of Washington State (photo November 26, 2019 in Seattle outside King County Superior Court)

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Tim Eyman and his daughter – speaking to the media election night in Bellevue, Washington – November 5, 2019

I was surprised when I heard last week that Washington State’s own initiative king, Tim Eyman, announced his campaign for governor.  Less than a week before his announcement, in a conversation with Eyman, we discussed how crazy it would be for him to run for public office.  Until Eyman’s announcement last week, the thought of Eyman holding any elected political office seemed unlikely.  I never seriously considered it, and I never heard Eyman seriously consider it either.

Things have now changed, and while the entire political establishment of Washington State will be ridiculing and attacking Eyman relentlessly for the next 12 months, it might be prudent to pause and consider the potential ramifications of an Eyman campaign for Washington State’s next governor.  How might this campaign unfold? 

Tim Eyman at the November 26, 2019 hearing explaining to the press how the AG is trying to sabotage the I-976 ($30 car tab) court case.

Love him or hate him – you probably know him

Regardless of whether you love or hate Tim Eyman, let’s start with the fact that if you live in Washington State, you know his name.  Tim Eyman has nearly universal name recognition.  This is particularly true because for the past 6 months, a major $5 million state-wide ad campaign was launched attacking Initiative 976.  This initiative was sponsored by Eyman and it reduces annual car tabs for all Washingtonians to $30.  Rather than focusing on the policy merits of I-976, the geniuses who ran this anti- I-976 campaign decided to make it all about Tim Eyman.  This included promoting his name on tens of thousands of signs, millions of mailers, and millions of TV ads, Youtube videos, public pronouncements by elected officials, public statements by high-level bureaucrats, and social media posts. 

I am unaware of any other example in recent American political history where millions of dollars were spent attacking someone whose name wasn’t on the ballot.  To top it all off, after squandering millions of dollars, the political capital of almost every elected Democrat in Washington State, and aligning with every single major media outlet to attack citizen activist Tim Eyman,  I-976 easily passed with 53% of voters agreeing with the $30 car tab policy.  However, since the opponents of the initiative made it all about Tim Eyman, they made it appear Eyman won (again) against all comers.  This campaign against I-976 only enhanced Eyman’s reputation as a dragon slayer. 

This ensures a high level of name recognition for a political candidate, and Tim Eyman didn’t spend the money to make the campaign all about him.  The opposition which rabidly hates him spent their money instead.  In fact, when it comes to free media coverage, it is hard to dispute the fact that for 21 years, Eyman has been making news in every Washington State media market on a regular basis mostly because of his initiatives and sometimes due to the whirlwind of lawsuits, public comment, or scandals which have swirled around the Eyman initiative hurricane for two decades.  Name recognition is considered a positive thing when running a political campaign.  If everyone already knows you, far less campaign money is needed to introduce you to the public.

Anti Tim Eyman cartoons like this one are legion
Tina Podlodowski, chair of the Washington State Democratic Party, would probably love to choke out Tim Eyman

Any non-Leftist activist in Washington State will inevitably experience personal attacks, threats, and harassment due to the nature of the political Left in this state.  However, these experiences by others (including this author) are nothing in magnitude or ferocity compared to the rabid vitriol directed at Tim Eyman.  This is not limited to Leftist trolls and weirdos (including some whose lives apparently would have no meaning if they didn’t have Tim Eyman to attack – like this guy).  Eyman is publicly attacked by many elected officials in Washington State on a regular basis.  He has been under public personal attack since 1999 when he sponsored the first $30 car tab initiative.  Over the past 21 years, these politicians have come and gone, but Eyman is still the guy the Left loves to hate.  This has inflated Eyman’s reputation and enhanced his outsider status.

The Seattle Times has printed some classic Tim Eyman cartoons lately

Eyman’s enemies, their persecution of Eyman, and he just won’t stop

Eyman is hated by many.  The public sector unions despise him.  His initiatives always threaten the cash flow they demand.  He is hated by every Left-leaning group in Washington State.  Eyman’s initiatives often threaten their grant grifter schemes, and his lower tax initiatives have reduced empire building efforts (particularly the wasteful and bloated Sound Transit Light Rail Boondoggle).  He is hated and feared by all senior bureaucrats.  His campaign claims he has saved taxpayers $43 billion in taxes the bureaucrats otherwise would have squandered over the past 20 years.  These bureaucrats wanted this cash for themselves.  The recent campaign against I-976, but directed at Eyman using his name, was funded by some of the largest corporations in Washington State – Amazon, Microsoft, Expedia, and others.  Even the Evergreen Left can’t claim Eyman is a corporate shill when the state’s biggest corporations exclusively fund attack ads against him. 

Eyman is depicted as a snake in this cartoon

Eyman’s initiatives are supported by most Republicans, but Eyman had plenty of conflicts with Republican party leaders in the past as well.  Eyman has confronted specific Republicans who voted for higher taxes.  He has publicly pushed them into lower tax approaches they might not have strongly supported.  Sometimes Eyman has been clumsy, sloppy, and more confrontational than prudent in these interactions with ostensible political allies.  Republican insiders are annoyed by Eyman or openly fight with him over style, policy, or strategy.  This has generated resentment from many.   This resentment is understandable.  These intramural conflicts also paint Eyman as the ultimate outsider. 

Eyman confronts Solicitor General Noah Purcell after I-976 court hearing in Seattle

On top of the obvious hatred and ridiculous attacks on Tim Eyman personally, he is currently the only person in Washington State history with whom the Democrat State Attorney General Bob Ferguson claims he will “never settle” in an ongoing scorched earth campaign finance lawsuit.  Tim Eyman has been sued by Attorney General Ferguson in a 5 year legal campaign to destroy and end Tim Eyman’s ability to participate in the initiative process once and for all.


Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson (Democrat)

While AG Ferguson spends most of his time suing the Trump administration (45 or is it 46 lawsuits now?), he has dedicated an exceptional volume of state resources attacking Tim Eyman for alleged campaign finance violations committed by a few PACs Tim managed back in 2012.  The AG has piled on more charges over time, of course.  AG Ferguson has directed more resources to go after Tim Eyman than all other campaign finance cases the AG has prosecuted over the past five years combined.  No other campaign finance case even compares. 

All other campaign finance cases brought by the AG in the past have resulted in fines and penalties of some kind.  Settlements are normal.  Most are relatively small.  Many even have payment plans (particularly if they are Democrats).  However, Ferguson has made it clear that only the total destruction of Tim Eyman’s life is an acceptable outcome for this litigation.  The AG has targeted the top 100 donors to Eyman’s past initiatives in a successful effort to intimidate them from future donations to Eyman’s campaigns. Ferguson has explicitly stated as a result of this lawsuit, he wants Tim Eyman’s ability to participate in the political process on initiatives (the only political activity Eyman has committed for 21 years) to be made illegal or failing this goal, at least made impossible.  Ferguson’s office even tries to bully any media who dare report this fact (see article here).  Not surprisingly, Eyman has been bankrupted and divorced as a direct result of this campaign.

The recent passage of I-976 ($30 car tabs) initiative is impressive.  Tim Eyman originally sponsored this initiative.  This was the third time since 1999 he has organized a successful initiative in Washington State on this exact same issue.  With the legal, media, and political attack on Eyman making it difficult for him to raise money, he and his wife liquidated their retirement fund to launch the signature gathering campaign to get I-976 on the ballot.  As he was entering bankruptcy and getting divorced last year, this initiative qualified for the ballot (first, the legislature had a chance to vote on it, which the Democrat leadership predictably ignored).  Eyman had no money to promote the initiative.  All he could do is make public comment at public hearings, confront elected officials, and provide his side of the argument to the traditional media.  Eyman is energetic, a natural promoter, and fearless.  He is always in hostile territory when he does this.  Often, he is alone with no support or entourage.  Despite this, the $30 car tabs initiative he sponsored, funded, and promoted easily passed with over 1.05 million voters (53%) agreeing with the policy. 

Eyman on election night

Once again, this recent history of persecution enhanced Eyman’s reputation as the lone hero fighting against all the odds and the forces of the establishment.  This is a heroic image for an activist. 

Is Eyman Prepared to campaign for state-wide office?

Eyman poses with supporters at the I-976 hearing in Seattle during a break

Eyman made the announcement he was running for public office last Thursday at the Sound Transit public board meeting.  Sound Transit is Seattle’s light rail boondoggle – which has squandered billions of dollars and been a great example of the total waste and incompetence of an out of control, unchecked bureaucracy.  Most of these board members hate Tim Eyman.  Nearly every politician on that board campaigned against I-976 (with a couple of notable exceptions like Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier).  This meeting took place in Seattle, where the majority of voters opposed Eyman’s $30 car tab.  In fact, the primary item on their agenda was a discussion how to deal with the success of I-976 and the impact on their bloated budget.  This is hostile territory for Tim Eyman.  Of course, THIS is where he announces his candidacy for governor.  During his two minutes of public comment, against the rules for public comment, and right to their faces (on camera, of course).  This makes political insiders uncomfortable and it infuriates the Leftists and bureaucrats.  Average people tend to admire his style.

Eyman and the media

The hostile media couldn’t get enough, and they mobbed Eyman while the Transit Board left to deliberate in a secret meeting.  The media presumed they were recording a train wreck, but Eyman, once again, had the opportunity to remind the public about his history of initiatives in Washington State (17 successfully to the ballot, 11 approved by voters), and he was able to go on the attack against Governor Inslee.  One question asked by reporters was if he was ready for the rigors of a state-wide campaign.  A reasonable question for most candidates, but in this case, let’s review what Tim Eyman has been doing for 21 years.

Eyman has been actively campaigning throughout Washington State for two decades, travelling to speak to groups large and small, fundraising, and working with activists.  Nothing about a state-wide campaign for governor effectively changes anything he already does – he has a different message, but basically it is the same activity.  He has spent two decades working the state and county fairs collecting signatures.  He is already well known throughout the state.  He already knows the activists.  He can live off the land.  He is the only conservative activist who has had a video documentary produced about him (The Battles of Tim Eyman see here).  People in every county, every city, and in every precinct have signed his petitions and voted for his initiatives over the past 21 years.  Thousands of them have donated to him in the past and many more have helped him collect signatures for at least one of his initiatives.  I have an aunt and uncle from King County who once told me they have never donated to any politician before, but they gave money to Tim Eyman because, “he is the only guy who ever did anything to obviously help me.”  I doubt they are alone with this attitude.

Most of the traditional media hate Eyman.  They will be focused on publishing an endless series of articles attacking him.  They’ve been doing this for years.  They can’t help themselves.  Eyman has given them colorful and stupid mistakes to work with, and he certainly can be blamed for some of this.  However, his ability to troll the media and get media attention is unequaled in Washington State.  The only obvious marketing failure on Eyman’s part has been his focus on traditional media (which is in rapid decline) and his rather slow start taking advantage of social media and the modern methods of traditional outreach on Youtube and other platforms.  If he is able to get some help in this area, it seems likely he will address this deficiency.

Could Eyman actually win? – The nightmare of the political elite

Many people have asked me over the years if Tim Eyman can win a political campaign.  I’ve dismissed the idea.  He is the initiative guy, not a politician.  I’ve discussed this concept with Eyman in the past and we both agreed it would be a crazy.  I only remember those conversations in the context of running for the legislature.  However, Eyman has now taken the leap, and it isn’t just a media stunt.  He is serious.  I spoke with him at length about it after I heard he had announced.  His campaign is going all the way, even if there has been no strategic plan to launch.  It is easy and probably reflexive for most political insiders to view this as a Don Quixote effort to tilt at the Governor Inslee windmill.  It is worth looking at an Eyman campaign more seriously.

Washington State Governor Inslee

Eyman’s 21 year history as an activist has produced plenty of scandals which will be grist for future campaign ads against him, and Eyman always has the potential to self-immolate with some type of unforeseen scandal over the next 12 months.  However, unlike most candidates – he has been under constant attack and intense scrutiny for two decades now.  Few can take this type of relentless pressure and not retreat from public life.  Eyman could legitimately run as either an independent or a Republican.  Most of his activist support has come from the ranks of the Republican grassroots over the years.  However, in order for 11 of his initiatives to get more than 50% voter approval, he obviously attracted some percentage of independents and Democrats.  Initiatives have no party affiliation.  Eyman, like the initiatives he has supported and promoted over the years needs no party affiliation to run for office, and it makes sense he has declared as an independent.

Tim already tried the Governor’s chair on for size earlier this year

Washington State has a top-two jungle primary system (see here), he only needs to get more than 33% of the vote in the August primary to get on the general ballot.  It seems a given that Democrat Governor Inslee who is running for his third lackluster term as Governor, and the only Democrat affiliated candidate on the ballot will make it to the General election.  This means Eyman needs to beat the Republicans on the August primary ballot to make the November ballot.  Eyman was asked last Thursday by the mainstream media if any Republicans have decided to run for the Governor’s position.  The traditional media’s ignorance doesn’t change the fact that four Republicans have declared.  I know them all, and any one of them would be far better than Inslee.  They are as follows (in no particular order):

  • State Senator Phil Fortunato (31st LD).  The only current Republican Senator with part of his district still in King County, Phil has been a maverick, conservative Republican who filed early, and made his initial announcement in downtown Seattle (like Eyman).  He has raised $71,000 according to the PDC.  His website is linked here.
  • Former Bothell Mayor Joshua Freed.  He is the best funded Republican candidate in the race so far (according to the PDC he has raised $614,000, including $500,000 he has loaned to the campaign).  He is best known for his recent effort to get I-27 the Anti-Heroin injection site initiative passed in King County.  That initiative had overwhelming support from people in King County (according to the polls), but a King County judge tossed it out, of course, denying the voters a right to say anything about this unpopular policy.  His website is linked here.
  • City of Republic police chief Loren Culp.  This Eastern Washington police chief made national news opposing the anti-gun, billionaire funded initiative I-1639 last year and declared his city one of the first of many jurisdictions that would not enforce that law due to the unconstitutional infringements on citizens 2nd Amendment Rights. His campaign has raised $50,000 for the campaign so far.   His website is linked here.
  • Anton Sakarov.  Anton is an immigrant from the Ukraine and has based his campaign on his family’s experience with Socialism in Ukraine and his desire to avoid taking the same destructive political path in our state.  His website is linked here.

All these declared Republican candidates are good people.   I’ve met all of them.  I like all of them.  I’ve worked with some of them for years on policy issues.  They have their respective strengths and weaknesses.  None of them have Tim Eyman’s name recognition, and none of them just had a $5 million media blitz campaign around the state to build up their name recognition.  A media campaign like none the Republicans have ever managed in my lifetime would have to be launched to promote one of these candidates beyond the Tim Eyman name familiarity.  It will be a real challenge for one of them to reach the point where they can get a high enough percentage of the vote to defeat Eyman.  It can be done, but it won’t be easy, and they have to fight each other to do it.

Eyman with the iconic chair. Certain to be a staple of this campaign

Eyman could get bounced out in the primary under specific circumstances.  They are as follows:

  • Eyman gets buried by some avoidable new, larger than life scandal that looks like self-immolation and self-destruction.
  • A Republican candidate launches a mass-media campaign on such a massive scale next spring they increase their name recognition and Eyman fades into the background.
  • The Democrats (or Leftist allies using PACS) decide to spend $20 million (or more) attacking Eyman (or even promoting a Republican) all winter and spring in order to shift the narrative away from Eyman.
  • Eyman gets run over by a Sound Transit light Rail train while protesting a recent tax increase.

Like Moths to the Flame – Eyman will attract media attacks

Flyers like this old one will proliferate

One advantage the Republicans have is going negative on Tim Eyman is only likely to anger their base (and the same goes for Eyman attacking them).  However, the Republicans can count on the Left to go absolutely insane attacking Eyman on their behalf.  The Republicans can basically coast through the primary season knowing that Eyman will be attracting attack ads, stalkers, snarky comics, chair metaphors, trackers, and all manner of Leftist frenzy.  Eyman will be like a bug zapper sucking in the mosquitos.  The Republicans probably won’t get bit much in this scenario.  However, this also will make it difficult for anyone to even notice the Republicans in the middle of a media attack orgy on Eyman.  Eyman will surely be dishing back at Inslee.  This will just make Eyman look like the dragon slayer once again. 

Eyman will be mocked endlessly

Eyman’s reputation has been built, in part, on the absurdity and mouth-foaming craziness of the attacks against him.  His ability to infuriate and terrify the Leftist leadership in the state seems likely to spill into electoral support for him by disaffected voters who want to “send a message.”  This will be particularly true if the $30 car tab initiative gets tossed out by another renegade judge.  A large number of people are disgusted with the apparent collusion between the out of touch judge kings and their political allies in the bureaucracy in Washington State.  The images of a rigged game are easy to generate, and hard to dispel.

King County Executive Dow Constantine leads a NO on I-976 press conference in Seattle (Photo: Andrew Villeneuve/Northwest Progressive Institute)

If Eyman does make it to the top two and faces off against Inslee, this will absolutely terrify the political establishment in Olympia and Seattle.  Tim Eyman will be portrayed as the barbarian at the gate.  They won’t resist launching the most absurd personal attacks on Eyman.  It will be an avalanche of hatred and hyperbole.  While Eyman has given them plenty to work with over the past few decades, it seems likely his enemies will overreach, as they have often done before.  They never learn their lesson.  Eyman has nothing to lose now that the AG has taken away everything from him.  This becomes a credible David vs. Goliath narrative.  Eyman presents an unlikely governor image – one that offends the political establishment. 

Governor 1% Inslee vs. Tim Eyman

Inslee only had a moment on the national stage, but it was more than enough for most Americans to ignore

Governor Inslee is a particularly uninspiring candidate for office.  Not even his supporters are enthusiastic.  Inslee just squandered millions of dollars and a large portion of the last year in a feeble and embarrassing run for President.  After barely clearing 1% support, Inslee’s ego and lackluster fundraising finally forced him to abandon the attempt.   I’m sure his consultants were paid well.

Governor Inslee is running for a third term as a consolation prize.  Somehow he intimidated or cowed AG Ferguson, Superintendent of Public Lands Hillary Franz, and King County Executive Dow Constantine to abandon their embryonic campaigns for governor and support Inslee’s third campaign.  Inslee is more vulnerable than many political observers might realize, but he has silenced all opposition within his own party.

Inslee has been around politics a long time. He did convince Clinton to take a bite out of that apple.

On the other hand, Washington State wasn’t friendly to Trump in 2016 (he received 38% of the vote).  Republican insiders believe that 2020 will be a difficult year to run for Governor as a Republican with the anti-Trump push from Seattle too hard to overcome.  Because of this, several potential Republican leaders backed out of running in 2020.  It is likely Eyman would not have considered running if there had been an obvious, well-funded Republican front runner. 

If Eyman becomes the one to face off against Inslee, this will induce panic and disbelief in the halls of power.  Eyman is the fly in the ointment, the bureaucrats worst nightmare, the peasant who should never be in the king’s hall, and he is the guy they can’t control.  This scenario will inevitably result in more scorched earth, bizarre over the top personal attacks on Eyman.  I don’t think they can help themselves.  The problem with this is there are many disaffected potential Eyman voters, even in Washington State.  Many of them don’t regularly vote.  They might be convinced a vote for Eyman is a the equivalent of a monkey wrench in the machine.  Think Brexit and Trump combined on a small Washington State scale. 

Some urban voters in Washington State don’t want the whole state to look like this, so they are looking at political alternatives.

Even those who live in Seattle, angry about the needles in the their park, the unpunished drug addicts breaking into their house, and disgusted by the human waste on the street, and the arrogance of their city council in their ivory tower might view Eyman as some type of counter-balance to their problems.  A way to send a message to Olympia.  Screw the bureaucrats and the arrogant political elite.  It isn’t just Republicans who feel this way.  If Eyman taps into this discontent, he could conceivably win.  The chaos that would unfold from that outcome would be beautiful, ugly, epic, and unforgettable at the same time. 

A very specific set of circumstances is needed to create Governor Eyman.  It seems unlikely to most, and political insiders are not seriously considering it right now.  Eyman can always self-destruct with some unimaginable scandal in the next 10 months.  However, if the Left loses its collective mind and starts foaming at the mouth while they strive to top each other in their attacks on Tim Eyman, and if the average voter in Washington decides to send a message to Olympia, Governor Eyman could happen.  If it does, Eyman will owe the political establishment nothing.  He will be beholden to none of the usual players.  He will crash the dreams and schemes of many special interests in this state.  It is hard to imagine that result, but the first step towards this unlikely outcome was made by Tim Eyman last week, and people who have written Eyman’s political obituary many times in the past should start paying some attention.


OUR CONSTITUTION BEGINS WITH THE PHRASE “WE THE PEOPLE.”  IT WAS THE FOUNDER’S INTENT THAT GOVERNMENT BE CREATED BY THE PEOPLE, TO SERVE THE PEOPLE.  IT WASN’T THEIR INTENTION FOR THE PEOPLE TO SERVE THE GOVERNMENT.  IT WAS ALWAYS INTENDED THAT GOVERNMENT WHICH FAILED TO SERVE THE PEOPLE SHOULD BE “ALTERED OR ABOLISHED.”  UNTIL WE RETURN TO THE FOUNDER’S INTENT, WE REMAIN WE THE GOVERNED

Background Articles and Documents:

“We’re coming for You” – a typical threat from Leftist leader directed at all who disagree

Tim Eyman Fan Club – a group called “permanent defense”

They spent $5 million attacking Tim Eyman, and all they got was a lousy campaign finance complaint

Eyman has been assaulted before (story from 2000)

Text of I-976 Initiative – “$30 car tabs” – 2019 November ballot

Washington Policy Center – Citizen’s Guide to I-976 – by Mariya Frost

Public Disclosure Commission Enforcement Case File (Case #59150) for Keep Washington Rolling PAC (the anti-Tim Eyman PAC)

Text of Initiative I-961 – “no car tax” – one of Eyman’s earliest failures in 1998 – never even turned in any signatures

Text of Initiative – I-695 “$30 car tabs” 1999 – Eyman’s first successful car tabs initiative

I-695 – “One Year Later, the sky didn’t fall” – Washington Policy Center – Paul Guppy

Text of Initiative – I-776 – “$30 car tabs” 2002 – restricting local governments from piling on car tab taxes or fees

AG Ferguson’s persecution of Tim Eyman, Eyman’s plea, and a creepy AG employee

AG Ferguson loses another legal skirmish with Tim Eyman – strangely, no AG press release

Eyman’s Pro Se response documents filed in court Jan 18, 2019

Eyman wins major court motion against Attorney General, Ferguson could be first AG in state history forced to testify under Oath

Eyman wins lawsuit against State, exposing unconstitutional effort by legislature, saves initiative process

Leavenworth Echo – December 3, 2018 – “Tyranny of the Law” (AG didn’t like this article)

Seattle PI – Connelly:  AG wants Eyman held in contempt, fined $2,000 a day

AG’s Motion of Contempt Against Tim Eyman (January 2018)

Eyman’s Response to AG (January 12, 2018)

Jeffrey Sprung PDC Complaint #27563

History article about King County Initiative 18 (reduce size of council)

Seattle PI – Eyman is hit with $2.1 million campaign finance lawsuit

Kiro 7 – March 31, 2017 – Video of AG Ferguson talking about Eyman lawsuit

Seattle Met – Aug 19, 2011 – “Andrew Villeneuve Takes on Tim Eyman”

The Olympian Editorial- Oct 20, 2015 – “Send Eyman’s Ideas out with the Trash”

Seattle Times – July 22, 2016 – “Eric Newman for King County Superior Court Judge position #44”

8 COMMENTS

  1. You have a printing problem with this article. Bold black overlays against the regular print and fonts. Please correct.

  2. Very good article Glen. One of the benefits of an Eyeman candidacy, is that it’ll keep the focus on taxes. Not just transportation taxes, but the full array of taxes the Democrats are so fond of, including their Holy Grail of taxes, the income tax. On tax issues, even in this state, Democrats lose the debate. This is why they fear Eyeman, even though they cover it up their derision and vitriol rhetoric.

  3. There is a permanent public servant class in Washington State unlike I have ever seen. While it is interesting to note that most are Democrat in political leanings, they seem to pull off the air of non partisanship pretty well, out of respect for their constituents. But we know they are incredibly dedicated to climate change as a religion. I sincerely think they are mostly not malicious individuals, but many have lost their “why” outside of climate issues and growth management. All they want to do is regulate and push back on the free market. And it is now time to leash them in, cut programs, slash budgets, and refocus on essentials. Terminate sanctuary catch and release laws, terminate free needle and drug shoot up areas, terminate trains and bridges to nowhere, terminate wind mills, wind power projects that kill birds, and get really strong with monitoring counties, reassertiong individual constitutional rights and property rights as paramount over bureaucracy and administrative self-interest. Tim Eyman would be perfect to line item audit the State of Wa and reassess and realistically communicate the cost-benefits of every govt. level in Washington State.

  4. As usual, so well done Glen! Thank you for this excellent compilation of the Tim Eyman history.

    Yes, it is wonderful to think about the establishment (both parties) quaking in their boots as a Governor Eyman opens the 2021 Legislature with a push for a tax cut for the people!

    Keep up the great work!

    • Thanks for your comments. Eyman’s entrance into the 2020 campaign for Washington State Governor is going to shake things up. I’m not sure anyone can see what the final result will be…

  5. I am all for sending Olympia a message. But Tim Eyman is not that man.

    Eyman has no idea how to run a state transportation system, the Washington Military Department, how to appoint people to boards & commissions, how important the Washington Military Alliance is to keep our state’s military bases here & operational, nor who to appoint as director of Office of Financial Management to help write & manage budgets for starters. Not that Inslee is much better – I voted for McKenna with pride 7 years ago, and 3 years ago Bryant.

    I am begging publicly and privately for the great uniter Hilary Franz to run for Governor. Jay Inslee doesn’t have what it takes to deal with Donald T. “Tim” Eyman who is Washington State’s Rob Ford without the drugs – thank G*d and I mean that as I don’t hate Tim, just despise his modus operandi. Jay had his chance less than a month ago to reverse the tide and blew it. I-976 was a tidal plebiscite on a broken tax code and fueled by rampant misinformation, and few souls stood against the tide. Inslee wasn’t one.

    It is going to take pounding away at Timmy and going after him not with personal attacks, but exposing Eyman’s incompetencies. Don’t make folks feel sorry for Timmy, uh… NO. It would be nice to have an anti-Eyman candidate who is competent, intelligent, photogenic and pro-reform also – Inslee lacks all four of those qualities. I think Joshua Freed can acquire them as much as Hilary Franz but time is running out.

    • Joe, thanks for sharing your comments. Eyman has baggage for sure. I’m certain every soul in the state will be deluged with those details. I just think people are not seeing this unexpected change to the governor campaign. Regardless of how people feel about Eyman, you can’t deny his entry into this campaign will have an impact. On Hilary Franz, I have to tell you, I greatly disagree. Her tenure at Futurwise was horrific with great harm inflicted on this state (despite her spin that she was trying to “rein them in”). Her tenure on the Bainbridge Island City Council is worthy of an honest look as well. She is the most sophisticated on the Democratic Party side of the equation when it comes to crafting and changing her image. However, she was obviously intimidated by Inslee somehow and backed away from her plan to run for Governor. THAT must have been an interesting behind the scenes conversation…

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