2024 Eblasts

A critical citizens’ initiative, Measure 118, will be on the ballot this November.  If it passes it will dramatically change Oregon’s tax and spending policy. It would raise around $7 billion per year through a new gross receipts tax on corporations (that’s 50% more than the State’s current revenue from all taxes!) and devote it all plus some General Fund money to fund a one-of-a-kind rebate program to dole out payments to all residents who’ve lived here at least 200 days.

The proposed ballot measure is simple in concept and appeals to principles that Tax Fairness Oregon supports: increasing taxes on large businesses that have learned how to avoid paying taxes or hide their profits in tax shelters, and makings sure people have enough money to live with dignity. While the language of the measure was written by a group of folks in Eugene, funding for signature gathering and staff has been primarily financed by a California investor who supports a guaranteed minimum income and sees Oregon as a relatively inexpensive state in which to get a citizens’ initiative passed.

Unfortunately, we do not support the Measure as it was designed. Like most initiatives that are designed by a group without broad public discussion or legislative input, this attempt at funding a guaranteed minimum income is poorly drafted and fatally flawed.

This is an issue that will get a lot of attention in Oregon over the next four months. Let us know if you have questions. We encourage you to read not only our wonky set of talking points, but the measure itself and the State’s latest fiscal analysis (which will show you why we call Measure 118 a hot mess).

Just a reminder that we’ve having a strategy meeting on the baseball stadium issue.  After a brief overview, we’ll be discussing how to stop legislators from giving money to build the new baseball stadiums need by privately owned teams to satisfy the contracts they signed with MLB back in 2021 plus money to the Volcanoes.

If you haven’t yet signed up for the meeting Tuesday, January 30^th from 7:00-7:45 pm, sign up here.

We just learned today that the teams’ lobbyists are circulating a letter amongst legislators asking them to sign on to giving baseball teams $27 million for stadiums in Hillsboro, Salem and Eugene. First it was $22.5 million, then $25 million, now it’s $27 million.

The Washington County Commissioners are discussing tomorrow morning whether they should provide $8 million in funding for the Hops’ stadium.  Their discussion is about whether to put it on their agenda for a later meeting. But it will be a real decision point.

We’ve not heard of any of the teams seeking additional owners to help bear the cost of the decisions they’ve made to promise MLB they’d get lovely, new stadiums.  Nor have the billionaire owners of MLB promised to help cover the cost.  After all, why not get the public to cover their commitments?

Please join us. Sign up here

Should the state give $25 million to build baseball stadiums for professional, privately-owned baseball teams? This is still on the docket for the February session. We sent you our commentary on it in September: https://taxfairnessoregon.net/20-million-for-the-owners-of-the-hillsboro-hops/. And have done considerable research since, leading to this talking points paper: https://taxfairnessoregon.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/TFO-comments-Stadium-Funding.pdf we’ve been sharing with legislators.  But leadership is still a problem.

If we’re going to stop this, we need your help.  We’ve gotten a “no way” response from 30 of the 90 legislators, “I’m all for it” from one and “undecided” from ten.  We need your help in getting commitments from others.

Join us at a strategy meeting to tip the scale.

Tuesday, January 30^th from 7:00-7:45 pm

Register in advance for this meeting: Register

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.