I believe that the contender who will win our upcoming governor’s election is the one who will honor the 1-percent cap on property taxes. Also one who will bring on NO new taxes.

The 1-percent cap was acknowledged and signed this year by Gov. Gregoire. It must be made retroactive to the 2008 tax year forward.

He or she must live within the already extreme budget in place. When we property tax payers have a budget shortfall, we cannot give ourselves a raise and impose our burdens on the government. And the government cannot do the same to us.

When the people voted in the 1-percent cap, we meant it to be a tax increase of 1 percent per year. Mine were raised 800 percent and reduced to 500 percent after hard complaining. Sorry, but this is nowhere close to 1 percent.

We are in a huge recession and close to another Great Depression.

California has Prop 13 in place to protect its homeowners. We need the same thing here.

– Jerry Walstad