Let legislators do their job

The Seattle Times editorial board has been strongly in favor of the two-thirds requirement to raise taxes for many years ["Court should uphold two-thirds tax law," Editorial, Sept. 28]. But budgeting by initiative is not sound policy.

When you ask someone if they would like lower or limited taxes, generally they say yes — there is no downside to the question. But if you give them the trade-off of which public services would need to be cut (such as health care or schools), then they will make their decision with all the consequences in mind.

Voters are not presented with the trade-offs — legislators are. That's why we elect them, and that's why they should be the ones to budget for our state.

—Melanie Mayock, Seattle

Two-thirds tax law is undemocratic

How undemocratic of you — today's editorial embraces rule by the minority. You must think Tim Eyman is a hero.I think he is an enemy of democracy.

Requiring a two-thirds majority to pass tax laws is the same as saying one third rules. In other words, if anymajority of voters between 50.1 percent and 66.5 percent think the state needs more revenue to operate efficiently, they should be ignored.

Yoursupport ofEyman on the state level is tantamount to the support ofGrover Norquist by members of Congress, who ignore their constituents' wish for balanced federal budgets in favor of enormous deficits that could be avoided by responsible taxation policies.

— James A. Young, Seattle