Forward Thrust
Encyclopedia
The Forward Thrust ballot initiatives were a series of bond
propositions put to the voters of King County
, Washington in 1968 and 1970, designed by a group called the Forward Thrust Committee. Seven of the twelve propositions in 1968 were successful; four of the remaining propositions were repackaged for a vote in 1970, when they were defeated in the darkening local economic climate of the Boeing
Bust.
The initiatives were variously under the aegis of METRO (the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle
), King County, and the city of Seattle. (METRO and King County merged in 1992; see King County Metro.) The Forward Thrust Committee was founded by James R. Ellis and effectively disbanded shortly after the 1970 defeats. It disbanded formally in 1974. Seattle Mayor Dorm Braman was also a strong backer of the 1968 initiatives.
The US$118 million dollar passed in 1968 in support of the Department of Parks and Recreation was, at the time, the largest parks and recreation bond issue ever passed in the United States.
The failure of the rapid transit
propositions meant that a nearly $900 million federal funding earmark
that had been secured by U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson
if local bonds passed went instead to fund Atlanta, Georgia
's MARTA
.
to pass. The results were as follows; bold typeface indicates successful propositions:
Sources:
Municipal bond
A municipal bond is a bond issued by a city or other local government, or their agencies. Potential issuers of municipal bonds includes cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, special-purpose districts, school districts, public utility districts, publicly owned airports and seaports, and any...
propositions put to the voters of King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
, Washington in 1968 and 1970, designed by a group called the Forward Thrust Committee. Seven of the twelve propositions in 1968 were successful; four of the remaining propositions were repackaged for a vote in 1970, when they were defeated in the darkening local economic climate of the Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
Bust.
The initiatives were variously under the aegis of METRO (the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
), King County, and the city of Seattle. (METRO and King County merged in 1992; see King County Metro.) The Forward Thrust Committee was founded by James R. Ellis and effectively disbanded shortly after the 1970 defeats. It disbanded formally in 1974. Seattle Mayor Dorm Braman was also a strong backer of the 1968 initiatives.
The US$118 million dollar passed in 1968 in support of the Department of Parks and Recreation was, at the time, the largest parks and recreation bond issue ever passed in the United States.
The failure of the rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
propositions meant that a nearly $900 million federal funding earmark
Earmark (politics)
In United States politics, an earmark is a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees...
that had been secured by U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson
Warren G. Magnuson
Warren Grant "Maggie" Magnuson was a United States Senator of the Democratic Party from Washington from 1944 until 1981. Upon leaving the Senate, he was the most senior member of the body...
if local bonds passed went instead to fund Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
's MARTA
Marta
Marta may refer to:* Marta or Marta Vieira da Silva , a Brazilian women's football forward* Marta Estrella, a recurring fictional character from Arrested Development...
.
Results
The elections took place February 13, 1968 and May 19, 1970. Each initiative required a 60% supermajoritySupermajority
A supermajority or a qualified majority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level or type of support which exceeds a simple majority . In some jurisdictions, for example, parliamentary procedure requires that any action that may alter the rights of the minority has a supermajority...
to pass. The results were as follows; bold typeface indicates successful propositions:
| Year | Initiative | US$ amount (millions) |
Yes | % Yes | No | % No | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | METRO Proposition 1: Rapid Transit | $385M local + $765M federal |
97,339 | 50.8% | 94,187 | 49.2% | Failed |
| 1968 | METRO Proposition 2: Transit System Administration | N/A | Metro Council 75,808 |
46.8% | New Commission 86,202 |
53.2% | Voided by failure of Metro Prop. 1 |
| 1968 | County Proposition 1: Youth Service Center | $6.1M | 174,749 | 72.4% | 66,594 | 27.6% | Passed |
| 1968 | County Proposition 2: Multipurpose Stadium | $40M | 151,489 | 62.3% | 91,499 | 37.7% | Passed, resulted in the Kingdome Kingdome The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the... |
| 1968 | County Proposition 3: Community Centers | $26.2M | 136,804 | 58.7% | 96,129 | 41.3% | Failed |
| 1968 | County Proposition 4: Arterial Highways | $81.6M | 147,379 | 62.2% | 89,489 | 37.8% | Passed |
| 1968 | County Proposition 5: Storm Water Drainage | $68M | 139,254 | 59.3% | 95,373 | 40.7% | Failed |
| 1968 | County Proposition 6: Parks & Recreation (including Seattle Aquarium Seattle Aquarium The Seattle Aquarium is a public aquarium opened in 1977 and located on Pier 59 on the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums .-History:... ) |
$118M | 157,323 | 64.7% | 85,790 | 35.3% | Passed |
| 1968 | Seattle Proposition 1: Neighborhood Improvements | $12M | 74,915 | 60.8% | 48,259 | 39.2% | Passed |
| 1968 | Seattle Proposition 2: Sewer Bonds | $70M | 74,852 | 62.6% | 44,596 | 37.4% | Passed |
| 1968 | Seattle Proposition 3: Low Income Housing | $3M | 69,089 | 57.9% | 50,057 | 42.1% | Failed |
| 1968 | Seattle Proposition 4: Fire Protection | $6.2M | 82,867 | 69.8% | 35,758 | 30.2% | Passed |
| 1968 | Seattle Proposition 5: Maintenance Shops | $3M | 66,061 | 57.6% | 48,555 | 42.4% | Failed |
| 1970 | (Rapid transit) | $440M local$881M federal | 46% | 54% | Failed | ||
| 1970 | (Storm water control) | $80M | Failed | ||||
| 1970 | (New community centers) | Failed | |||||
| 1970 | (New county jails) | $40.2M | Failed |
Sources:
External links
- Preliminary Guide to the Forward Thrust Records 1966-1970, University of Washington Library