The Gortons and Slades - Washington Secretary of State

the eXtRAoRdinARy octogenARiAn 383
by his son and daughter-in-law. A teddy bear of a man with a sweet smile,
Gates Sr. argued earnestly that the wealthy in Washington State aren’t
paying their fair share. The state’s commitment to education in terms
of investment per $1,000 of income is declining precipitously, he said.
Health care programs were also suffering under the state’s regressive tax
system. The recession was making everything that much worse. The
poorest 20 percent of Washingtonians pay 17 percent of their income to
support state services while the richest get richer, Gates said, contributing
only 2.6 percent. “They have been riding free on the payment of other
people for year after year.”
Gates felt so passionately about the proposal that he perched over a
dunk tank for a memorable TV spot. “Some say Initiative 1098 is about
soaking the rich, but it’s really about doing something for the next generation,”
he testified. Just then, a kid with a good arm gave him a chilly
bath. The 84-year-old popped up good-naturedly, blinked the water from
his eyes and declared, “Vote yes on 1098. It’s good for Washington!”
A few weeks before the election, Gates and Gorton were the big draw
when some 300 people packed a meeting room at the University of Washington’s
Tacoma campus. A crew from CBS’ 60 Minutes was on hand for
the debate. Gorton played the populist, warning that no taxpayer’s wallet
is safe when a Democratically-controlled Legislature is in town. If I-1098
won approval, the tax-and-spend lawmakers would view it as “a bonanza
the likes of which they have never seen, and they will go wild.” Sooner or
later—bet on sooner—the income tax would be extended to everyone.
Moreover, it would be a disincentive to economic growth, Gorton argued,
asserting that an income tax handicaps Oregon, which has lost business
and industry to Washington as a result. Any way you cut it, he said, an
income tax would add up to even less money for education. 18
Gates saw it though a different prism. He agreed that Oregon was a
cautionary tale for Washington. Each state, however, was relying on a two-
legged stool to generate revenue. Budget cuts and a lack of vision had left
Oregon’s schools and universities in even worse shape than Washington’s,
Gates said. Economic development was being stifled. Unemployment
was nearly 11⁄2 percent higher there. Oregon’s once vaunted quality
of life was steadily eroding.
Connelly was on one side of the dais, Gorton’s biographer on the other.
Between them they had covered his career since 1966. Both smiled as
they jotted down his rejoinder to Gates. It was vintage Gorton, never at a
loss for a rapier comeback.
“As soon as this campaign is over,” Gorton said with a wicked grin, “we’ll