How do I summarize 28 years of conservative political activism? I’m gonna try. Here’s some iconic memories.

Tues, Dec 23, 2025

 

To: Our thousands of supporters throughout the state
(cc’d to the media, house & senate members, and Governor, and other candidates for office)

From: Tim Eyman
Fighting for taxpayers for 27 years

My 60th birthday on Monday was a good one. Thank you all for your thoughtful words of encouragement — I really appreciate it.

In yesterday’s update, I provided some significant moments from my personal life. Hope you liked it.

Today it’s the political stuff.

28 years of conservative political activism — nearly half my life. 

Here’s some iconic memories that I hope you’ll enjoy learning about.

1997 — the 1st initiative I ever sponsored in WA state was Initiative 200 which prohibited state and local governments from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, and public contracting.

TRANSLATED – it banned government affirmative action.

What a thrill it was to not only meet but also work with one of the most courageous people I’ve ever known — Ward Connerly. He led the same initiative effort in CA the year before and subsequently helped other activists in other states do the same. 

1999 — our 1st $30 Tabs Initiative was a huge battle. After it passed, I was flown to WA DC where I was awarded this (a huge honor):

2000 — we qualified 2 initiatives for the ballot (the only year we were ever able to do that). I had received some threats so when I was at the Secretary of State’s office, I was assigned 2 state patrol officers. As I walked out after turning in our petitions, opponents punched me in the face with a cherry pie, giving me a scratched cornea and a black eye — definitely memorable:

2001 — we sponsored I-747, the initiative that limited state and local property tax increases to 1% per year. After we qualified it for the ballot, 2 planes flew into the World Trade Center on September 11. This political cartoon was published soon after — definitely hard to forget:  

2002 — the liberal newspaper SEATTLE WEEKLY asked me to write an essay — after they published it, their readership threw a hissy fit:

2005 — our initiative was randomly assigned the number “800” so we named our PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF GOVERNMENT INITIATIVE “the 800 Pound Gorilla.” After it passed, this election night picture was published by most every newspaper in the state:

2008 — for several years a young film director named Paul Fraser went to many of our political events to cover them — he eventually used the footage for a documentary:

It actually aired at a couple of movie theatres — great memory:

2010 — 2 years earlier, in 2007, the voters passed our initiative requiring a 2/3 vote of the legislature to raise taxes. In 2008 and 2009, despite mega-Democrat control, they didn’t raise a single tax because it was in effect. But in 2010, the 1st bill that Gregoire signed was its elimination. I will always remember the heat I took for this at the bill signing:

2011 — the voters renewed the 2/3 requirement with a new initiative and the following year, I was flown out to Chicago to receive this “national activist of the year award” from the Sam Adams Alliance:

2011 — local initiative in my hometown banning those obnoxious automatic ticketing cameras (71% of Mukilteo voters passed it):

2013 — I called Jay Inslee a lying whore.

A few years later when Inslee had his press conference announcing he was running for President, I showed up wearing this:

A radio reporter interviewed me and asked me about the hat and my response aired pretty much like this: “I’m not gonna call Inslee a lying whore. I won’t call Inslee a lying whore ever again. You can ask me anything you want but you’ll never going get me to call Jay Inslee a lying whore. I won’t do it.”  

PRICELESS!

2019 — celebrating the passage of our $30 Tabs Initiative for the 3rd time — but here’s what made it especially memorable:

Gives me goosebumps every time I see it.

I could keep going but you get the drift.

I’ve had 28 years of spectacular memories and none of them would’ve been possible without all of you standing with me. Together, we’re making a huge difference.

Please help me overcome Fascist Ferguson’s persecution of me and my family by donating to the Tim Eyman Legal Defense Fund so Richard Sanders and the Pacific Legal Foundation can appeal the AG’s absurd ruling:

Mail your check to:
Tim Eyman Legal Defense Fund
17404 Meridian Ave E #F PMB 176
Puyallup, WA, 98375

Or donate online:
By GiveSendGo (credit/debit card)
By Paypal (donate using PayPal or using a credit/debit card)

I love you all.

Onward!

Tim

You can call or text me anytime: 509-991-5295

You can email me anytime: Tim@TimDefense.com

For more details on this, go to: TimDefense.com