Transit ballot vet says voters need clear vision
Posted December 11, 2014 11:11 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WASHINGTON (NEWS1130) – What will it take to get us voters to say yes to a tax increase to improve transportation?
For taxpayers to “buy-into” a sales tax increase, voters need to have a concrete picture of where their money will be going, says the policy director of a coalition that has worked on 20 transit ballots in Washington State.
Transportation Choices is an alliance of labour, business and environmental groups that has worked together for the last seven years, most recently for a vote in Seattle which will usher in a new car fee and a slightly higher sales tax.
The coalition’s Andrew Austin says voters should be presented with a clear vision.
“The messaging is really important. We were able to paint a picture and a vision for what this measure would do for transit in the region.”
He says they’ve worked on campaigns that range in cost from $40,000 to $2 million, but he insists launching an effective campaign needn’t be costly.
“The more money you have, the more you can do. But, I will say that there are lots of opportunities through the grassroots to get the word out. We’ve done a lot of volunteer phone-calling, paid phone-calling, and door-knocking.”
He says another essential in their campaigns was getting people who are likely to support transit to go through with actually mailing in their ballots.
