The results of an initiative and a referendum in the November elections will serve to undermine state, county and city budgets even further.

Opinion polls did not indicate that voters would act as decisively as they did.

Either people changed their minds at the last minute or they did not indicate to the pollsters what their intentions were in voting in more tax cuts, points out Pat Thompson, Council 2 Director of Legislation/Political Action.

Voter turnout was a dismal 55 percent.

But there is no doubt about the impact that the voters' actions will have.

· The failure of Referendum 51 will cut deeply into the funding of road programs to counties and cities.

The initiative sought to impose a 9-cents-a-gallon gas tax to pay for a wide range of programs that would help to alleviate traffic congestion in the Puget Sound region.

Its failure to pass means that a number of transportation projects cannot be implemented, putting jobs at risk.

Already, several projects scheduled for next year are being put on hold until funding can be found.

· The passage of Initiative 776 also will help to erode funding for local transportation programs.

The initiative was aimed at restricting vehicle tabs to $30 by removing additional taxes and fees that resulted in the tabs being higher than that.

Although I-776 did not strictly impact local government budgets to any great extent, it does give Tim Eyman, who put forward the initiative, the momentum and confidence to go ahead with further initiatives aimed at cutting government income, Thompson says.

"The combination of a slowing economy and a host of feel-good tax-cutting initiatives make for bleak prospects in terms of funding for employees and the services they provide," Thompson adds.

As of this writing, the control of the Legislature is divided, with the Democrats adding two seats to their majority in the House (52 Democrats - 46 Republicans), but losing control of the Senate by one seat (25 Republicans - 24 Democrats).