OLYMPIA, Wash. ?EUR??,,????'??? Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) members and staff delivered to the Secretary of State over 146,000 signatures supporting Referendum 53, a measure to overturn legislation passed in the 2002 Legislative Session increasing unemployment insurance tax rates on homebuilders and small businesses. A referendum must gather 98,867 signatures of registered voters in order to qualify for the November ballot. R-53 seeks to repeal House Bill 2901, which lowers unemployment insurance tax rates for Boeing by $16 million over the next three years, while increasing tax rates on homebuilders and small businesses by $30 million. ?EUR??,,????'??The fact BIAW collected almost 150,000 signatures in only 45 days is an indication that an overwhelming majority of voters don?EUR??,,????'???t believe small businesses should shoulder a tax break for Boeing,?EUR??,,????'?? said BIAW President Dottie Piazza. ?EUR??,,????'??Especially at a time when the business environment in Washington State is already making it difficult for these small businesses to stay afloat,?EUR??,,????'?? said Piazza. Washington?EUR??,,????'???s unemployment insurance system currently ranks as the costliest and most generous unemployment system in the nation. ?EUR??,,????'??HB 2901 essentially takes from some businesses (such as construction) and gives to others rather than lowering the cost of the system as a whole, which should have been the intention,?EUR??,,????'?? said Piazza. ?EUR??,,????'??What is needed is real reform of Washington State?EUR??,,????'???s broken unemployment insurance system, not some cheap, sleight of hand shifting of taxes that give the illusion of reform,?EUR??,,????'?? she added. BIAW has long lobbied for massive reform to the state?EUR??,,????'???s unemployment insurance system, which is two and a half times more costly than the national average, forces employers to pay the second highest potential benefits in the nation for a single worker, and ranks first in the nation in the length of time workers collect unemployment benefits.