Rantz: State representative dishonestly claims he’s anti-tolling

State Representative Luis Moscoso (D-Bothell) constantly tells us he’s above politicizing issues (a reason he used to decline a second interview with me). This is a weird position because he is aiming to convince constituents to promote him to state senator by pushing a patently dishonest record of being anti-tolling on I-405.

The politician who hates politicking is politicking.

In his Voter’s Guide statement, Rep. Moscoso says, “[h]e stood up to his own party to demand changes when the 405 HOV lane experiment failed. He will always stand against tolling 405.”

Is this true? Not even close.

He hasn’t “always” stood against tolling

I’m unable to find any indication that Rep. Moscoso will “always” stand or has “always” stood against tolling on I-405. Perhaps because this isn’t true.

In fact, he voted for House Bill 1382, which not only set up the I-405 ETLs, but indicated “[t]he legislature … intends to consider the implementation of express toll lanes on other facilities in the region in the future.”
To say he’s always stood against the I-405 tolling appears to be a total fabrication.

When Did Moscoso stand up against Democrats?

Now, perhaps he changed his mind since that 2011 vote. But he’s not indicated any change of heart on tolling that I can find. He had the opportunity to take that vote just a few months ago but, instead, he helped block a vote on legislation and helped push a ridiculous political stunt to cover his past actions.

When Rep. Mark Harmsworth (R-Mill Creek) authored a bill offering a legislative fix to the I-405 ETLs, Rep. Moscoso, as vice chair of the Transportation Committee, joined with Committee Chair Judy Clibborn (D-Mercer Island) blocking even a hearing on the bill.

Instead, after complaints and uproar by constituents, Moscoso joined efforts by Clibborn to shut out Republicans on the issue so they could avoid taking political heat for wanting to push tolling across the state.

A group of Democrats wrote a letter demanding changes of the I-405 toll lanes — pretty much the same changes Harmsworth’s bill had included. It appears they did not show Republicans the letter, nor ask for bipartisan support. Instead, Moscoso joined in a political stunt to try to take credit for fixing the problems Republicans originally tried to fix. And he did it by standing with — not against — his own party.

“I did know about the letter and I don’t believe any Republicans were asked to participate in signing the letter,” Harmsworth told me. “The change that was proposed in the letter is exactly what we’ve had in the bill all along.”

When I asked Moscoso if he thought it was fair to ask his colleagues if they even reached out to Republicans, he told me it wasn’t.

He seems to like the toll lanes

Moscoso appears to be a fan of the controversial express toll lanes. As the Everett Herald pointed out, “When state Rep. Luis Moscoso travels south on I-405 in the new toll lanes, it’s been smooth-sailing and congestion-free.” His complaints are directed at the access points entering the toll lanes. He wanted it easier to get into them, where you may be charged over $20 for a round trip drive.

Moscoso has been given two opportunities to join me on-air for a conversation over his seemingly new-found resistance to tolling (when you see your constituents angry over a position you’ve taken, it makes it really easy to pretend you never had that position in the first place). I even sent him questions via email, so that I may include his response to my concerns here. He declined to join me on air, claiming he didn’t want this issue to be politicized. He’s yet to respond to my email (I told him I would be printing this and gave him all yesterday to respond). If he does respond, I’ll print his responses here.

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