Story Photos
 Photo courtesy Washington Senate Seattle Sen. Adam Kline, left, presents a $20 Tim Eyman check to Samuel Y. Wan of the Kin on Helath Care Center on Monday. The publicity studnt was in reaction to one Eyman orchestrated. |
Back at ya, Eyman: Senator counters initiative king's publicity stunt
Tuesday, February 28, 2006 6:36 AM PST
By Don Jenkins
Printable version
E-mail this articleOLYMPIA --- A Seattle senator Monday countered a publicity stunt by initiative promoter Tim Eyman with one of his own.
Standing in front of a giant blow-up of a $20 check he received from an Eyman political-action committee, Sen. Adam Kline, a Democrat, said he donated the actual check to a nursing home. Then he lashed out at the king of tax-cutting measures.
He accused Eyman of avoiding an "honest debate" on the trade-offs between lower taxes and reduced government services.
"He doesn't want people to start thinking about the connection," Kline said at a press conference.
The legislative sideshow started last month when Eyman told The Daily News he should send Kline $20 for crashing a press conference Eyman held before filing an initiative to repeal some vehicle fees and reinstate $30 car tabs.
Kline came to the press conference holding a copy of the state budget and asking, "Where is the fat in the budget, Tim?"
After the story appeared, Eyman did indeed send Kline a $20 check and a thank you note --- of sorts. Publicity from a lively protest by a senator was a "dream come true," Eyman wrote Kline.
Over the check addressed to "Seattle politician Adam Kline," Eyman wrote, "You earned it, Adam!"
People can give legislators flowers, food, liquor, pro sports tickets and other gifts. But cash must be returned or given to charity, according to ethics rules.
Kline called a press conference to say he gave the money to the Kin On Health Care Center in his district. The nursing home has a high percentage of residents on Medicaid, and government reimbursements aren't keeping up with costs, he said.
Kline said he "could have picked virtually any general fund function of government" to donate to.
"Nursing homes are just one of many, many recipients of state assistance that are having a hard time," he said.
In an interview Monday, Eyman said he was happy Kline again called attention to his latest tax-cutting initiative. But Eyman said he won't send Kline more money.
"I'm really sorry, Adam. We're tapped out."
Eyman said he appreciated Kline's stunt because he's been known for pulling them off, too.
"If legislators were doing a better job, we would have nothing to do," Eyman said.
This year wasn't the first time Kline confronted Eyman about his tax-cutting proposals.
In 2003, Kline came uninvited to a media event involving Eyman, clutching the state budget and issuing his "Where's-the-fat?" challenge.
Kline didn't rule out crashing another Eyman press conference.
"People say, 'Don't give Tim Eyman any publicity,' " Kline said. "I've decided, 'No. We've got to take this fight on.' "
"I will be very persistent in asking him, 'Where's the fat?' "
Eyman countered by questioning whether any amount of taxes would satisfy Kline.
"How much is enough, Adam?"
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