Eyman seeks performance audits

OLYMPIA — Initiative broker Tim Eyman hasn’t had a winner for two years, but he’s already making plans for an initiative to require performance audits of state and local governments.

Eyman, best known for his $30 car tabs and property tax limits, filed his new initiative with the secretary of state on Tuesday — and said a second measure may be coming, too. The latter apparently would be a version of his failed initiative to cut state property taxes, using revenue from expanded off-reservation gambling to backfill the loss.

His Initiative 892 was the most unpopular of the five statewide ballot propositions this year, losing 62 percent to 38 percent. The plan, which would have authorized more than 18,000 electronic slot machines in more than 2,000 locations, was supported by non-tribal gambling interests who gave more than $1 million. It was opposed by tribes and other foes who spent $6 million.

Eyman’s other 2004 initiative, to lower local property taxes, failed to make the ballot.

Eyman said he’s already looking ahead, believing that he has seized on a popular efficiency-in-government measure that will resonate. If it wins a place on the ballot, it would get a vote next November.

“You only lose if you quit,” he said in an interview. “I’m annoyingly optimistic.”

Asked if his new plan for performance audits is too wonkish to catch on with voters, or even the grass-roots network that finances his campaigns and his salary fund, he said the groundwork already has been laid by conservative talk radio, the state auditor’s office and Evergreen Freedom Foundation, a conservative free-market think tank.

“Is it sexy enough? Absolutely,” he said. “Most people can relate to this … when you ask if the existing tax money is being spent effectively.”

Currently, the state auditor is authorized to do financial audits of state and local government, looking at whether funds are properly accounted for and spent as intended. Performance audits, a longtime goal of Democratic Auditor Brian Sonntag and a number of legislators, would expand audits to how effectively agencies are achieving their mandates.

Similar legislation has cleared both houses in recent years, but never in common form that could go to the governor. Gov. Gary Locke, who is leaving office in January, has been critical of the legislation.

Eyman said the initiative will be managed by the grass-roots organization once called Permanent Offense and now called Voters Want More Choices. His co-chairmen are Jack and Mike Fagan of Spokane.

The other measure would be from Eyman’s Just Treat Us the Same committee. He said he’s in a “listen-and-learn mode” in terms of what the final gambling or property tax measure might look like.

Eyman’s critics complained that he doesn’t know when to give up.

“He always test-drives a half-dozen ideas before he settles on which clunker he’ll try to sell to the voter,” said Christian Sinderman, a Democratic consultant.

“He is nothing more than a hired gun now, shopping around for an idea just to make money,” he added.

Andrew Villeneuve, a Redmond youth who runs a blog site and an organization called Permanent Defense, said Eyman’s cheeky new foray is simply a diversion to draw attention away from his “colossal failure.”

David Goldstein, a Seattle software consultant who once ran a tongue-in-cheek effort to have Eyman officially declared a “horse’s ass,” said Eyman’s latest plan is a stunt, and likely to fail.