Raiding the general fund
I-985 raids the state “general fund” of about $575 million through the end of 2013.
What’s the general fund used for? This document (pdf) has the answers. In round numbers:
52 percent goes to education
30 percent goes to social and health services
6 percent goes to corrections
5 percent services bond debt
Less than 2 percent each go to government operations and natural resources
3.5 percent goes to “everything else”Â
Take a look:
So assuming the debt service is off limits, I-985 will mostly steal money from education, health, and law enforcement, to pay for pet transportation projects in the Puget Sound. Is this what taxpayers really want?