Posted on 01/23/2010 3:36:35 PM PST by reaganaut1
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On Tuesday, voters here and across Oregon will have the chance to make that happen when they decide the fate of two ballot measures that would raise taxes on higher-income residents and on businesses to help pay for public education and other services. Known as Measures 66 and 67, the votes are referendums on $727 million in tax and fee increases that were approved last year by the Democratic-controlled Legislature.
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Opponents say the proposals are the wrong fix at the wrong time. State income taxes for wealthier Oregon residents are already among the highest of any state. But the most notable opposition may have come from powerful business groups and prominent executives like Phil Knight of Nike, which is based near Portland.
Oregon unemployment is at 11 percent and new taxes will make it even harder to hire, opponents say. They say that supporters are underestimating how many people would be affected, and that while some of the increases are scheduled to fade out, some are not.
Complicating matters further, the Legislature has essentially already spent the $727 million in projected revenue by incorporating the anticipated tax increases into the current budget. If the measures fail, lawmakers will have to make new cuts or find another way to raise revenue.
What many people on each side agree on is that, recession or not, Oregon’s tax system is flawed and that passing Measures 66 and 67 is not a long-term solution.
Oregon is one of only five states with no state sales tax, and voters have repeatedly rejected ballot initiatives to create one. In addition, a statewide cap on property taxes limits how much local governments can raise rates each year.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
The general public voting on whether taxes should be increased on only 3% of the population is effectively the "taxation without representation" that was redressed by the American Revolution.
Exactly. They’ll have to institute border controls between states to keep businesses and producers from leaving.
So are they voting to make a sales tax necessary? They are going to drive the wealthy out of their state, or drive them to hide their wealth.
Why I left when I graduated college (became blue devil in grad school). Endless spending, nasty and smarmy liberals, and the herd of “independent thought,” which worships radicals like Che. The characters dream of themselves as revolutionaries, but their “rebellion” is simply becoming serfs to mommy government. Good riddance. Oh, and it rains 9 months out of the year (I lived there 22 years, please do not try and tell me it is different).
The dim controlled legislature was beyond sneaky on this...they cut education funding and gave it to public employees so the election now turns on the slogan “It’s for the children”. Two recent polls are telling us both measures will probably pass(one poll by Tim Hibbits, the other for some freebie Portland newspaper).
Force the “rich” to pay even more taxes. They shut down their businesses, leave the state and head to N. Carolina or some other low-tax state, and put more people in Oregon on the unemployment rolls. Oh yeah, that’s the NYT, MSNBC solution for “fixing” the economy.
Fact: Tax revenues correlate with economic growth, not tax rates.
Many of those who desire additional tax revenues regularly call on Congress to raise tax rates, but tax revenues are a function of two variables: tax rates and the tax base.
Regardless of the tax rate, tax revenues have almost always come in at approximately 18 percent of GDP.
Of course they will not raise as much as they think, as the “rich” do business elsewhere.
Nike operates there. Hope it wont affect Phil Knight’s liberal causes (cough)..
My Brother in Law, a DA in The Dalles, and later a Law prof at Willamette, who was also President of the Young Democrats(back when they were human) was a big time state righter. He started my move to the right after OSU.
nasty and smarmy liberals, and the herd of “independent thought,” which worships radicals like Che. The characters dream of themselves as revolutionaries, but their “rebellion” is simply becoming serfs to mommy government.
Having lived there off and on for the last five years that really does hit as an appropriate description. It's hard to figure, lots of rural countryside, fantastic coast, logging, fair amount of industry, one would really like to like the place, but the smarmy naivete is overpowering, especially among the women.
There is so, so much social, attitudinal difference between there and the South. Hard to describe. But there are some similarities in Maine.
This state is so full of idiots,we aren’t even allowed to pump our own gas!!And we built a special muti million dollar building, to focus group ideas to attract new business.Cut taxes!
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