Reply Brief Filed in U.S. Supreme Court in Lawsuit Against Seattle Vouchers System of Public Financing

The individuals who are challenging Seattle’s voucher system of public funding have filed this reply brief in the U.S. Supreme Court. Elster v City of Seattle, 19-608. The Washington State Supreme Court had upheld the system. It is funded by property taxes. It provides every voter with four campaign finance vouchers. The voter is free to send them to any candidate for city office, and then the candidate redeems the voucher for $25 to be used in his or her campaign. The individuals who filed the lawsuit argue that the system violates their First Amendment rights.


Comments

Reply Brief Filed in U.S. Supreme Court in Lawsuit Against Seattle Vouchers System of Public Financing — 7 Comments

  1. regressive property tax for more regressive statism — CONTROL FREAK schemes.

    What tax and/or tax rate causes tax slave revolts ???

    See olde 1773 Brit tea tax law [after earlier Brit tax laws] >>> Dec 1773 Boston Tea Party >>> 19 Apr 1775 Battles of Lexington/Concord Mass >>> 4 July 1776 DOI >>> 1787 USA Const >>> 1791 USA Bill of Rights

  2. Leaving aside the principle of the thing, the amount is surprising. US cities typically run on about $1000/head budget, excluding schools. They’re blowing $100/voter on this scheme, so more than 5% of the total non-school budget.

    Guess they have all the infrastructure they want, parks and streets spotless, police and city workers saying nah we don’t need a raise, etc.

  3. One more special interest gang [aka LOOTER plot] to get taxpayer/tax-slave cash [indirectly] —

    local news media / candidate attack ads – paper / TV, etc.

  4. Seattle budget for 2019-20 is $7.13 billion or $9848 per capita.

    Vouchers were budget $5.46 million, or about $7.54 per capita.

    Overall, the program was 0.08% of the budget.

    It might have been less. $2.454 million was paid out in 2019. You have to apply for the vouchers, and you don’t necessarily spend them. An interesting feature is that the vouchers are considered a reportable expense. The program is limited to the amount available in the fund. If every adult Seattlite spent $100 in vouchers, the outlay would be over $60 million.

    In case of excess redemption, the campaigns will be warned, so they can redeem any outstanding vouchers. The last batch will be redeemed on a pro rata basis.

    The vouchers are only used every two years, so that $5.4 million is over two years.

  5. The candidate who spent the most was Kshama Sawant who did not participate in the voucher program. She receive large amounts of contributions from non-Seattlites.

    Her expenditures also permitted her opponent to exceed the spending caps under the voucher program.

  6. Thanks for the budget numbers.

    Amazing that there are places where $100/voter is considered chump change that can be blown on giveaways to politicians. Most of us in flyover country could think of way better things for our city to spend that much on…if they took it in the first place.

    Doesn’t Seattle have a homeless problem?

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