Car tab renewal sticker shock

[KevinS]

I was renewing my tabs online for my boat trailer and noticed that the RTA fee had gone up by $10. RTA normally decreases. Although my 2015 truck has several months before renewal, I took a look and... . My RTA fee increased by $318 bringing my tab renewal to nearly $600, almost double what I paid last year.

Did a RTA fee increase topic search and it's due to the passage of Sound Transit 3 for King, Pierce, and Snohomish county residents. Here's a KOMO article about tab fee increase sticker shock: http://komonews.com/news/local/drivers- ... ewal-bills" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Amx]

Yup, going to be a LOT of pissed off people. MOST voters who voted FOR that probably had no idea what it's now going to COST them, and cost them PLENTY!!! Same with the property/realestate taxes.

[hewesbob]

I read an article about that a couple days ago and was shocked. The article I read didn't list the three counties and I have been waiting to see if it was going to be state wide. I'm sure glad I live in a small town in Eastern Washington. I told my wife that if that increase included us that it would be the last straw, I would sell out and leave this state. I can't imagine paying this increase if you happen to own a boat and maybe two cars and god forbid you may own a motorhome or camper. I don't know how you folks put up with all the crap on the west side, I commend you all for maintaining your sanity. Good Luck and stay safe

[TrackerPro16]

Yup, going to be a LOT of pissed off people. MOST voters who voted FOR that probably had no idea what it's now going to COST them, and cost them PLENTY!!! Same with the property/realestate taxes.

This.
We have three cars, five motorcycles, two trailers, one travel trailer and one registered boat. Voted against it but as one official stated, "You can stand on top of the Space Needle and see every vote you need". Can't move for a few years... Ouch!

[Amx]

Most of them probably didn't even know what all they were voting on.

[Mike Carey]

I read an article about that a couple days ago and was shocked. The article I read didn't list the three counties and I have been waiting to see if it was going to be state wide. I'm sure glad I live in a small town in Eastern Washington. I told my wife that if that increase included us that it would be the last straw, I would sell out and leave this state. I can't imagine paying this increase if you happen to own a boat and maybe two cars and god forbid you may own a motorhome or camper. I don't know how you folks put up with all the crap on the west side, I commend you all for maintaining your sanity. Good Luck and stay safe

Who's staying sane?

I don't believe the tax increase includes boats, only vehicles with wheels. I hope not, if it is I'll start driving my boat down I-5. Seriously, what a horrible tax increase that I think a lot of people had no idea how much it would cost them. It pays to read the fine print. I'll bet it will be very hard to find anyone willing to admit they voted yes as the year rolls along and people find out their new $30,000 suv is going to cost them an additional $240 per year (based on the high msrp btw). All for a train that most of us will never seen built in our lifetime, serving areas we won't need, and decreasing congestion by practically nothing.

Ya, I'm still sane, barely.

[Amx]

I had 2 truck tabs go up by $30 each in Nov. My other truck is schedualed to go up by $30 in March, according to the e-mail they sent me. But will they screw me and make it higher? I wouldn't put it past them. Makes me wonder what they'll do to the old collector cars people have. Not to mention new expensive boats, if not now--when?

[Hunter757]

It is going to be sticker shock for some....going to base it off value of your car. Here is the link to what and who are affected. Really wish people would read what there voting to pass. I voted oh well....

http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound ... g-district

[Amx]

Great! I'm NOT in that district. YET! But you know they'll screw others as soon as they can.

[BentRod]

I don't know one person who voted in favor of this, yet it passed. Now to renew my new truck tabs I'm going to have to take out another loan. What a bunch of BS. Who came up with this stupid idea?

[Bodofish]

IMO giving that much money to any agency is bad juju. Now they have the base fee figured. Now for the over runs and increases. I'm guessing a lot of people won't be driving and then when they find out how hard it is to get from point a to point b on the bus, they won't be doing either. Where is Tim when he's needed?

[Amx]

Yes I have wondered what Tim will do about this.

[Larry3215]

Public projects are important if we are going to move forward or even hold our own. Building roads, bridges, sewer treatment plants (or repairing them), funding education, 911, fire, police and other emergency services, etc etc etc. are all critical to our survival and ability to function as a society.

They have to be paid for somehow.

Im all for that stuff myself. Even transit systems I will never use are somewhat ok with me if they move us into the future. This one I happen to think is stupid, but thats just my opinion.

My beef is with how they are almost always paid for. The public pays far more than business does. Politicians are eager to raise (sneaky) taxes like this that the public has to pay but run for the hills when business taxes are proposed. Heaven forbid profits get cut into - especially for the most profitable businesses out there. The businesses who can make the biggest campaign contributions pay the fewest taxes.

[Mike Carey]

I think most people are fine with responsible pubic works. This one is IMO just plain a waste of money. All it does is give people an alternate option for transportation. Doesn't solve our traffic jam issues in any appreciable way. Dedicated bus routes could have been created that would have cost far less and done a far better job moving people, plus have the flexibility to be adjusted according to growth needs. What's really sad is we have other needs that won't get met, like school funding, because people will get "taxed to the max" and reject other more important needs this state has. Very sad.

[Bodofish]

I think most people are fine with responsible pubic works. This one is IMO just plain a waste of money. All it does is give people an alternate option for transportation. Doesn't solve our traffic jam issues in any appreciable way. Dedicated bus routes could have been created that would have cost far less and done a far better job moving people, plus have the flexibility to be adjusted according to growth needs. What's really sad is we have other needs that won't get met, like school funding, because people will get "taxed to the max" and reject other more important needs this state has. Very sad.

Yep, I have to agree 100%. I took one look at giving any one agency 15 billion (yes, that's a "B") out of the get go, is just crazy! I just said no on general principle. People who live in the projected areas should be paying for their little slice of pie as it happens, if they want it. Just giving them a checkbook with $15,000,000,000.00 in it is just irresponsible on our part, it's like handing a kid a big bag of candy and telling them only one piece after dinner, thinking desert would be handled until they are grown. Just not going to happen. I'm seeing way too many good ideas being funded with that $15B and in the end, we have no light rail that should be servicing most of Pugetropolis, with just a bunch of mostly completed projects that have gone way over budget with a hand out for more cash. In the end, it's only the bureaucrats with their hands in the pot that win.

[Toni]

I am outside the district but I did the est. my tabs and found they are going up $30. Why?

[Bodofish]

I am outside the district but I did the est. my tabs and found they are going up $30. Why?

There were some other additions to our tabs besides ST3, I don't remember the specifics off the top of my head. Looking at the map, Graham is squarely in middle of Pierce county, one of the ST3 partners. I really with this whole thing weren't so. I'm thinking an initiative might be what's need to turn this around. I'll bet the vote would be a lot different after people get the bill on their tabs........

[Mike Carey]

I am outside the district but I did the est. my tabs and found they are going up $30. Why?

Are you in Pierce county Toni? Cause if so, you're in ST3 and will have an increase on your tabs.

Bodo, my understanding is ST3 will be anxious to start spending money because once they do they can go to the courts and say the money spent is backed by bonds that must be re-paid by the taxes.

I'm thinking it's going to be next to impossible to reverse this tax.

[Bodofish]

I am outside the district but I did the est. my tabs and found they are going up $30. Why?

Are you in Pierce county Toni? Cause if so, you're in ST3 and will have an increase on your tabs.

Bodo, my understanding is ST3 will be anxious to start spending money because once they do they can go to the courts and say the money spent is backed by bonds that must be re-paid by the taxes.

I'm thinking it's going to be next to impossible to reverse this tax.

Yeah, I'm afraid so but it never hurts to dream........ Although the tabs got dropped to $40 by initiative not that long ago and it held in court and wasn't stepped on until our legislators wrote new laws against our wishes. We never know what's best for us.

[Larry3215]

The people who really want this rail system are the big contractors who stand to make the big $$ from a hi profit gov contracts. Im pretty sure we could stop it if we tried though. The key is calling, writing, showing up at town halls AND voting.

I agree that we need to fund educations and other critical issues long before we do this kind of thing.

Another initiative should do the trick I would think.