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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2016)
7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 2016 Poll on tax plan shows voter volatility Paavo Nurmi Run By JIM REDDEN Capital Bureau A new poll on the corpo- rate sales tax measure that will appear on the Novem- ber ballot indicates that the proposal is not only contro- versial, but also volatile. The latest poll shows the measure, known as Initia- tive Petition 28, being sup- ported by 65 percent of Oregon voters. However, a survey by iCitizen, a non- partisan public involve- ment company, also shows that supporters aren’t fixed in their viewpoint. Among those surveyed, 29 percent were “strongly” in favor of the measure, while 36 per- cent said they “somewhat” favored it. According to the poll of 555 registered voters, which was conducted online, the tax is opposed by 19 percent of respondents, with 16 per- cent undecided. More than half of the “no” voters char- acterize their opposition as strong. ‘Very fluid issue’ The iCitizen poll is one of at least three recently released polls on the tax pro- posal, and its results dif- fer markedly from previous surveys that showed weaker support for the measure. A DHM Research poll done in May for Oregon Public Broadcasting and television station KPTV found 51 percent in favor, 32 percent opposed and 18 per- cent undecided. A poll released in June by Salem’s Action Solutions showed 41 percent would support IP28, with 23 per- cent opposed and 35 percent undecided. The questions in the three polls were also differ- ent. For example, the Action Solutions poll asked voters to respond to a short ver- sion of the ballot title. DHM Research asked voters to respond to a longer version of the title. The iCitizen poll paraphrased the title and summary, and also called it “the Business Tax Increase Initiative,” a term that will are going to finally improve not appear on the ballot. our badly underfunded Traditionally, support for schools and critical services, ballot measures falls as cam- large, out-of-state corpora- paigns get underway. The tions are going to have to iCitizen poll found that IP28 start paying their fair share.” support drops sharply (par- ticularly among Republican What is IP28? voters) if respondents are The initiative has been offered an opposing argu- certified for the November ment. Although the tax could election but not yet been provide needed funding for given the measure number popular state programs, sup- that will appear on voters’ port drops to 55 percent if ballots. It is sponsored by a respondents are told oppo- coalition of labor, social jus- nents claim the tice and small busi- additional tax bur- ness organizations ‘This called Our Oregon. den will hurt busi- nesses in Oregon. It would impose a is a “This is a very 2.5 percent tax on fluid issue,” says the sales of “C” very Mark Keida, iCit- corporations that izen’s director fluid exceed $25 million of research. He a year, generating an said the language issue.’ estimated $3 billion explaining the a year in additional Mark measure that will tax revenue. The appear on the bal- measure says the Keida iCitizen’s lot is favorable to funds are to be spent director of supporters. But, on education, health research. he noted, “Support care and senior ser- disappears fast if vices, although the an opposition argument is Legislature could change mentioned.” that. Rebecca Tweed, who is Our Oregon is supported helping lead opposition to largely by public employee IP28 as campaign coordi- unions, including the Ore- nator for Defeat the Tax on gon Education Association. Oregon Sales, found the poll The measure is opposed hard to believe. “This poll by much of the business is dramatically inconsis- community, including the tent with other public poll- Portland Business Alliance ing, including polls the Port- and the Westside Economic land Tribune has published Alliance. A report released previously. in May by the Legislative “As the nonpartisan Leg- Revenue Office found it islative Revenue Office would slow income, employ- made clear in its IP28 anal- ment and population growth ysis last month, the bulk of during the next five years. this $6 billion tax on Ore- Among other things, the gon sales will be passed on report said IP28 would be to consumers through higher equivalent to a $600 per per- prices for groceries, medi- son tax increase each year. cine, electricity, gas, insur- The Legislative Reve- ance, phone services — nue Office also found that, essentials people buy every although only about 1,000 day. The more Oregonians corporations would pay the learn about IP28, the less additional tax, they account they like it.” for 88 percent of the cor- Asked to comment on the porate retail trade in Ore- new poll, Katherine Dries- gon. Utilities such as Port- sen, press secretary for the land General Electric and IP28 campaign committee, large grocery and depart- said, “When you look across ment stores would be among the country, Oregon is dead the entities required to pay last in corporate taxes. Ore- the tax. gon voters know that if we The iCitizen poll showed support for IP28 is strongest among Democrats, men and young voters. Young voters are the least likely to return their ballots. When the opposition argument is added, support for IP28 drops among all demographic categories, but especially among Republi- cans (from 47 percent to 29 percent). Support for three more Pollsters also gauged support for three other bal- lot measures headed for the November ballot. Initiative Petition 68 would prohibit the sale in Oregon of prod- ucts made from 12 types of exotic or endangered ani- mals. Backers of the mea- sure, known as the Wildlife Tracking Prevention Act, expect to submit more than enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot in the coming days. The iCiti- zen survey found 85 percent of respondents favored the measure. Responses to the other two proposals were far less conclusive. The poll found that 50 percent of respon- dents oppose Senate Joint Resolution 4, a legislative referral to remove the man- datory retirement age for judges in the state, which is 75. Only 36 percent sup- port it, while 15 percent are unsure. Interestingly, older voters were the most likely to support keeping the man- datory retirement age. Initiative Petition 49, which would restrict the Legislature’s use of emer- gency clauses on legislation has support from 35 per- cent of voters polled, but even more (39 percent) are unsure. The iCitizen online poll of 555 registered Ore- gon voters was conducted between June 23 and 27. The data were weighed to U.S. Census benchmarks for gender, age, region, educa- tion, income, and race. The margin of error for the full sample was plus or minus 4 percent. on tap for July 30 The Daily Astorian The annual Paavo Nurmi Run is scheduled for Sat- urday, July 30, as part of the annual Finnish-Ameri- can Folk Festival in Naselle, Washington. The race, named after the famed Finnish run- ner, starts at 8 a.m. Nurmi (1897-1973) was an Olympic gold medal win- ner in 1920, 1924 and 1928. He was nicknamed the “Fly- ing Finn,” as he set 22 ofi- cial world records at distances between 1,500 meters and 20 kilometers, and won nine gold and three silver medals in his 12 events in the Olym- pic Games. At his peak, Nurmi was undefeated at distances from 800 meters and upwards for 121 races. Throughout his 14-year career, he remained unbeaten in cross country events and the 10,000 meters. The Paavo Nurmi Run is a 5K (3.1 miles) course. Reg- istration is $15 for the run/ walk, which does not include T-shirt; a $25 registration fee includes a T-shirt. There will be limited race T-shirts avail- able July 30. Participants can preregister before July 15 to ensure receiving a race T-shirt. The course will begin and end at the Naselle High School track. Runners and walkers should be aware the course is a gravel road. Awards will be presented at 9:30 a.m. at the high school track, with a variety of awards and medals given to the youngest, oldest, fastest male, fastest female, and the runner who traveled the farthest to participate. A Pannukakku Breakfast (Finnish pancake) is avail- able for purchase beginning at 7 a.m. at the ESA, Alpha Theta booth located inside the school and will be available after the race. For more information, contact Haleigh See, at haleigh_see11@hotmail.com. Junes drives Astoria Ford past Cheesemakers, 5-0 The Daily Astorian TILLAMOOK — The Astoria Ford Junior State baseball team cruised past Til- lamook Tuesday night, 5-0, in the irst of a two-game series with the Cheesemakers. The Fishermen went with their young squad to easily defeat Tillamook, as Colby Junes started on the mound and pitched ive scoreless innings, with Will Reed pitch- ing the inal two innings. Defensively, Astoria Ford turned three double plays and also hit the ball well, as var- sity players Ole Englund, Jasyn Gohl and Trey Hage- man coached the team to victory. Astoria Ford returns to action at 6 p.m. Thursday, in a single game vs. Tillamook at Aiken Field. SCOREBOARD SPORTS SCHEDULE THURSDAY Junior State Baseball — Tillamook at Astoria Ford, 6 p.m.; Clatskanie at Warrenton (2), 4 p.m. FRIDAY Junior State Baseball — Madison at Astoria Ford, 5 p.m.; West Salem at Astoria Ford, 7:30 p.m. SATURDAY Junior State Baseball — Madison at Astoria Ford, 10 a.m.; West Sa- lem at Astoria Ford, 11:30 a.m.; Madison vs. West Salem, 2 p.m.; War- renton at Clatskanie (2), 1 p.m. Wolf delisting lawsuit against Oregon reinstated Associated Press PORTLAND — The Ore- gon Court of Appeals has decided to reconsider a lawsuit against the state that was dis- missed a couple months ago over its decision last year to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list. It means environmental- ists will have another chance to argue for an independent, judicial review of the delist- ing decision — as well as chal- lenge the validity of House Bill 4040, one of the Legisla- ture’s most controversial new laws this year that ultimately led to the case’s dismissal in late April. “The issues presented by this judicial review and by HB 4040 are complex mat- ters of public importance,” Judge Erika Hadlock wrote in the court’s decision Tuesday. “Without deciding what, if any, effect HB 4040 has on this judicial review, the court deter- mines that the issues of possi- ble mootness and the validity of HB 4040 are more appro- priately decided by a depart- ment of the court following full brieing.” The controversy stems from the Oregon Fish and Wild- life Commission’s Novem- ber decision to delist the gray wolf as endangered, a move aimed at managing the spe- cies’ replenishing population that environmentalists say was premature and based on ques- tionable science. As environmentalists were asking the court for a review of the delisting deci- sion, some Republican law- makers crafted HB 4040 as a means to block the case. The idea was that, with the Leg- islature’s stamp of approval that the decision was air-tight according to law, review- ing that decision was a moot Are you interested in participating in g a in a heart health study? Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife A female wolf from the Minam pack outside La Grande, is pictured after it was fitted with a tracking collar. The Oregon Court of Appeals, on Tuesday, has decided to re- consider a lawsuit against the state that was dismissed a couple months ago over its decision last year to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list. point and the case itself, therefore, would be too. The bill was blasted by many residents, conservation- ists and Democratic leaders, including Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio, as an overreach by the Legislature into judicial branch-matters and therefore potentially unconstitutional — an argument environmentalists reiterated in court this week. Oregon Attorney Gen- eral Ellen Rosenblum iled a “notice of probable mootness” soon after HB 4040 was signed into law, prompting the case’s dismissal on those grounds on April 22. Nick Cady, attorney for Eugene-based Cascadia Wild- lands, which brought the case along with Oregon Wild and the Center for Biological Diversity, said the case was reconsidered after they chal- lenged the constitutionality of HB 4040 and also the court’s process for the dismissing the suit. “It’s really a crazy, convo- luted issue that makes it that much more confusing,” Cady said. “Now we’re going to be dodging around the issue of whether or not (the wild- life commission) used the best-available science, which is why we were all here in the irst place, and now we have to also argue about separa- tion of powers and other legal nuances that’s just going to make this more convoluted.” Oficials at the wildlife department and Gov. Kate Brown’s ofice declined to comment. The Oregon Cattle- man’s Association, an inter- vener in the lawsuit that also helped craft HB 4040, didn’t respond to a request for comment. Mary Anne Nash, public policy counsel Oregon Farm Bureau, also an intervener, said in a statement her group didn’t take a position on Tues- day’s reconsideration. “However, nothing in the ruling pertains to the merits of the Commission’s decision to delist the wolf, which Farm Bureau irmly believes was good law and good policy,” Nash said. Dr. Diana Rinkevich and her research team are holding a recruit- ment event at Columbia Memorial Hospital on July 7th, 8th and 9th. Staf will be onsite to discuss the study and enroll those who are interested in participating. Diana Rinkevich, MD of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and Columbia Memorial Hospital (CMH) is conducing a study to determine how levels of eicosanoids, which are substances found in blood, difer between men and women and between women who are in menopause and those who are not. We are currently enrolling men and women aged 18 and older. Paricipants in this study will have one visit to the CMH Cardiology Clinic to complete quesionnaires, have vital measurements taken, and have a fasing single blood draw. At years one and two, you will receive a follow-up quesionnaire to be returned by mail. questionnaire to be returned by mail. For more information, please contact: Sarah Egan (503) 494-4614 egans@ohsu.edu 2111 Exchange St., Astoria, Oregon • 503-325-4321 www.columbiamemorial.org • A Planetree-Designated Hospital