Want to make an informed decision this coming November? Here are our recommendations on the Measures.
VOTE “YES”
MEASURE 85 – Protect Oregon’s Priorities III – Amends Constitution. Allocates Corporate Income/Excise Tax “Kicker” Refund to help fund K-12 public education.
We would prefer that the entire “kicker” be repealed, but having the corporate refund redirected will add crucially needed funds to public education. Especially noteworthy is the fact that most corporations receiving “kicker” refunds are based out of state.
MEASURE 80 – Oregon Cannabis Act of 2012 – Allows personal marijuana, hemp cultivation/use without license; commission to regulate commercial marijuana cultivation/sale.
Decriminalizing marijuana and regulating it like alcohol will both reduce its high cost to the justice system and substantially increase state tax revenues.
MEASURES 77 AND 78 – Legislative Referrals – Measure 77 amends the constitution to allow the governor to declare a “catastrophic disaster” and authorizes suspending specified constitutional spending restrictions. Measure 78 amends the constitution to clarify the separation of powers in state government and to make grammatical and spelling changes.
These are basically “good government” measures which, because they amend the constitution, must be referred by the legislature for approval by the public.
VOTE “NO”
MEASURE 84 – Estate and Income Tax Phase Out – Phases out existing inheritance taxes on large estates and all taxes on intra-family property transfers.
This measure includes two tax breaks for the richest 2%. Why would we create new tax breaks for the rich when we are making devastating cuts to schools? The obvious tax break in Measure 84 is the estate tax, a very fair tax with more than 100 years of tradition in Oregon. It taxes only large estates–above $2 million for most families ($1 million for singles), and above $15 million for farms, fisheries and forest families ($7.5 m for singles). Only 2% of Oregonians leave such large estates. Typically, out of 32,000 decedents only 730 were wealthy enough to incur the estate tax. It is a vital source of funding for schools, health care and public safety, providing $100 million each year.
Hidden in the measure is another tax break that could cost even more than $100 million a year. The elimination of all taxes on intra-family transfers creates a loophole through which the rich will avoid Oregon’s capital gains tax, and possible other taxes as well.
MEASURE 79 – Protect Our Homes – A constitutional amendment to prohibit real estate transfer taxes, fees, and other assessments except those operative on December 31, 2009.
This is a preemptive measure, amending the constitution to keep the state or local jurisdictions from taxing real estate transactions. State law currently prohibits this except in Washington County whose small tax was grand-parented in when the state legislature voted in the provisions. The measure puts current law into the constitution. TFO believes such revenue options should remain open for the legislature to debate and decide, responding to circumstances of the day.
MEASURES 82 AND 83 – Oregon Job Growth, Education and Communities Fund Act (Part l and Part 2. ) Part 1 Amends the Constitution to authorize establishment of privately owned casinos. Part 2 authorizes Wood Village Casino and mandates a percentage of revenues payable to a dedicated state fund.
TFO opposes both measures. We believe that legalized gaming adversely affects those citizens least able to afford it and generates large social costs to the state. The Oregon Lottery currently offers plenty of legal gambling opportunities, along with several tribal casinos. The addition of a privately-owned casino would dilute those revenues and increase our social costs. The many jobs promised are largely minimum wage service jobs, and do not provide a family wage.