Here's the statement from Tim Eyman, ten minutes prior to the 8:15 vote drop that will determine the fate of his tax-slashing Initiative 1033 (short version: He "formally declare(s) victory," whatever happens:

Whatever happens with Initiative 1033 tonight, Jack, Mike and I want everyone to know how proud we are of all our heroic supporters for getting 1033 before the voters for a vote.  We respect and admire all of you for your enthusiasm and determination to make a difference.

Government doesn’t get better when the citizenry acquiesces – government only gets better when the people provoke it, confront it, and challenge it.  Politicians don’t need adoring cheerleaders, they need the people to be hard-nosed coaches challenging politicians to do better.

To all those who supported 1033 with your vote, you sent a clear message demanding greater fiscal discipline.  To all those who did not give 1033 your vote, thank you for participating in this historic debate – we listened closely to your concerns and we will work even harder to earn your vote in the future.  We continue to learn, adapt, and persevere.

Regardless of the vote totals on 1033 tonight, this campaign has already proven to be a tremendous success.  For the past year, 1033 has put a bright spotlight on government and the people have been given an invaluable opportunity to learn more about taxes and spending and government budgeting.

And most importantly, we heard state and local government officials say over and over again that 1033’s limits weren’t necessary because they promised not to raise taxes.  There's no doubt that some voters voted no on 1033 because they believed these promises.  With or without 1033, politicians will be hard-pressed to renege on their no-new-taxes promises.

Interestingly, the 1033 campaign is a perfect metaphor for how outgunned the average taxpayer is in the process.  Opponents to 1033 were led by the government itself and all the special interest groups, billionaires, and millionaires who control and feed off the government.  They spent $3.5 million.  Our side raised and spent less than $700,000, most of which went just to get on the ballot.  So we weren’t outspent 6:1, we were outspent 3 1/2 million to none.  That same David versus Goliath disparity exists in the legislative process too, but at least with our initiatives, the average taxpayer has a fighting chance to be heard.

Thanks to the voters, our initiatives over the years have produced significant savings for Washington taxpayers – over $13 billion so far.  But even more importantly, our initiatives' influence on Washington state politics has been truly remarkable.  Our supporters should be extremely proud of our collective accomplishments:

*     Vehicle tabs are dramatically lower
*     Property tax increases are six times smaller than they otherwise would be
*     The State Auditor is conducting comprehensive performance audits of state and local governments for the first time in 40 years
*     We've been successful at beating back Olympia's repeated legislative assault against the initiative process
*     We’re fighting tooth-and-nail to protect the privacy of citizen signers of petitions
*     And we’ve made it a lot tougher for politicians to raise taxes.

Jack, Mike, and I are very lucky.  We get to work with thousands of heroic supporters whose faith, hard work, and determination make our efforts a success.  And we provide voters with more choices at the ballot box, giving the average taxpayer an equal voice in the process.  We’re proud of what we do and pleased with what we’ve accomplished.

But the tug-of-war over taxes continues with or without Initiative 1033.

Taxpayers all over Washington are counting on us to keep fighting for them – we won't let them down.

As for what we've got planned for 2010, stay tuned.

We ask everyone to join us in thanking our thousands of supporters who collected the voter signatures and donated the dollars necessary to qualify 1033 for the ballot.  Taxpayers appreciate your efforts and so do we.

Thousands of people sacrificed a lot to make 1033 a reality.  Super supporter Mike Dunmire really stepped up the plate, I took out a $250,000 2nd mortgage on my home and loaned it to the campaign, and thousands of our supporters – 2147 total – donated generously – the average was $55 – to help 1033.  Our supporters also contributed tens of thousands of volunteer hours gathering voter signatures to get 1033 on the ballot this year.  It was a Herculean effort that all of you should be very proud of.

Jack, Mike, and I formally declare victory with Initiative 1033 right now.  It will continue to provide huge benefits to the taxpayers of Washington for years to come.  Thank you.