The gutting of the Initiative 601 Spending Limit is a slap in the voters’ face. We voted to limit spending by the Legislature for a good reason. They were out of control.

The bill also eliminates the requirement for a two-thirds majority to raise taxes (established by Initiative 601 in 1993) and changes it to a simple majority, and adds an emergency clause that prevents voters from appealing the bill via referendum.

This shows that the Legislature is arrogant and has a total disregard for the voters’ wishes.

The Legislature did not address two other important problems: 1. Gangs, and 2. Auto Theft.

The gang problem is growing in this state, and evidently our Legislature wants the State of Washington to become another Los Angeles.

One method would be to treat the gangs as Organized Crime and charge and sentence them as such. It would be very simple to adopt the RICO Act that the U. S. Government uses along with the same sentencing guidelines.

The Auto Theft problem is growing beyond Joy Riding by a few teenagers. It has been reported in the news media that it takes seven convictions of an auto thief before being incarcerated in jail.

This should be changed to two or three convictions and then incarceration.

One solution to our problems with the arrogance of our Legislature is to declare the positions of the Senate and House of Representatives as Nonpartisan positions. Democrats and Republicans, are you listening?

John C. Standley

Burien