To understand the battle over I-1098, one must consider how the ongoing Reagan Revolution involves a systematic effort to defund government, reverse the New Deal, deregulate industry, and convince the middle class that government does not serve their interests.

Convincing people that government doesn’t work for them is easy: actively underfund, mismanage, and corrupt government agencies.

But consider that weak government regulations have contributed to the subprime crash, the BP oil disaster, outsourcing, unemployment, crowded roads, crime, pollution, over-priced health care, and substandard education. And regressive taxation has led to mounting debt and increasing concentration of wealth.

In short, having bankrupted the US Treasury and nearly destroyed the US economy through reckless deregulation, tax cuts, and war-mongering, conservatives are now eager to finish the job by destroying state governments as well. Voting against I-1098 will help them achieve their goals.

Donald A. Smith, Bellevue