SALEM (Special) — The people will end the agony
Tuesday.
Tuesday Oregon voters go to the polls to cast ballots
for or against the McCall Tax Plan.
They will also cast away the confusion of counter
charges piled upon charges from opponents and
proponents of the plan which have marked the last few
weeks in the legislature.
For the first time in more than 100 years, a special
election is being held during a legislative session. And
By NAN HENDERSON
Of the Emerald
the atmosphere in the Capitol clearly reflects the pen
ding election. Legislators can look forward to ad
journment in a few weeks if the plan is approved. If not,
they may remain cooped up in the dim Capitol
throughout the summer hammering out an acceptable
alternative.
Pessimistic administrative assistants have been
filing requests for Thanksgiving off.
The climax of the constant confusion here perhaps
came Friday when Secretary of State Ciay Myers an
nounced possible legai action against the Portland-based
“Oregonians Against New Taxes” which has headed the
campaign against Ballot Measure 1.
Myers said he, as the State’s chief election officer,
was responding to a complaint from a “Eugene citizen”
that some of the radio tapes produced by the Portland
group were “false and misleading.”
i
Tax plan debate
picks up pace
He ordered that the tapes be taken off of the air since
“experts from the Department of Revenue and the
Attorney General’s Office” advised him that the radio
spots “are clearly not factual in several instances, and
are, in general, completely misleading.”
Myers’ announcement came during a hastily called
news conference held about 1 p.m. in the Capitol News
Room.
About 5 p.m., the opposition responded with a
hastily called news conference of their own. Multnomah
County Commissioner Frank Ivancie, a co-chairer of
“Oregonians Against New Taxes” said that the tapes in
question had been pulled but not because of the an
nouncement by Myers. Ivancie said that a change in
tapes had been previously planned.
He refused to directly answer repeated questions
from members of the Capitol Press Corps about the
accuracy of the tapes in question.
“They are as accurate as any statements flying
around the State on this tax plan,” Ivancie responded.
He said, “As far as we know now we say they are not
misleading.”
The tapes in question ask, “How about those 55
major corporations that will get a $16.5 million tax
break?” Myers said that the corporations will not
receive a $16.5 million total decrease, since some of tht
property tax decrease will be offset by the increases
income and excise taxes.
The episode typified the tax plan campaign—waged
by the mathematically elite of the state who can un
derstand the flying figures, charts and graphs many
times manipulated and stretched over the ever-elusive
truth.
Last week also saw the disclosure that the cor
porations which will supposedly receive tax breaks—
Analysis
including Weyerhauser and Georgia Pacific—are among
126 corporations helping to finance the campaign against
the plan.
Weyerhauser and Georgia Pacific each contributed
$1,000 to the total pot of almost $40,000.
It was also revealed last week that the opponents of
the plan were spending about twice as much as the
proponents who have primarily been funded by in
dividual and labor corporations.
May Oregon voters miraculously sort through the
mire and trek to the polls Tuesday with clear minds
about the value of the proposed plan.
Anyone unsure of where to vote can call the County
Courthouse today or Tuesday. The Polls, as usual, will
be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Solons clash on campaign trail over tax plan
Photo by Josh Marquis
Hansell fights tax machine
By DKEX HEIKES
Of the Emerald
Stafford Hansell is busy these days
traveling around the State to battle the
lorces of Tom McCall, Jason Boe and other
proponents of the McCall Tax Plan.
Hansell is one of the most vocal op
ponents of the proposed tax relief plan. In
the past few weeks he has averaged two
speaking engagements a day, not to
mention numerous interviews and ap
pearances in the news media.
Tuesday the Republican representative
from Umatilla County (district 57) jour
neyed to Lincoln City for lunch and a
speaking engagement. That night he spoke
at McNary High in Salem.
Hansell is a hog farmer from Hermiston
(just outside of Pendleton) who has lived
his entire 59 years in Oregon. He is a down
home type of guy. He iikes salt-water
taffy, the coast, sunny days and farming.
He’s not a giant at close to 5’8” and has
undoubtedly had to loosen his belt several
notches over the years. A full head of
graying, black hair gives the soft-spoken
representative an air of distinction. It is
almost a disappointment when you find out
this Oregon version of Colonel Sanders is
actually a well-educated man who enjoys
things like state politics.
Mary Lou Hansell is Hansell’s
bookkeeper and driver during the
legislative session. She is also his full-time
wife. Mary Lou Hansell did the driving to
Lincoln City.
The North Lincoln City Lions Club was
very receptive. The Lions' program
director said the turnout was the largest of
the year. Lunch, the pledge of allegiance, a
song and the Lions’ roar preceded Han
sell’s speech.
Hansell told the club that he had become
aware of “awesome forces being used by
our governor, his agencies, the Speaker of
the House and President of the Senate to
push the McCall massive tax increase
program.” He came down hard on the
governor and his methods for publicizing
the plan. He particularly objected to the
use of taxpayers’ money to transport
supporters of the plan around the State to
speak . He said proponents of the plan were
using “arm-twisting intimidation of op
ponents.
“Opponents of the plan suddenly
realized their opposition would keep their
own legislation from getting to the floor.
Unable to recognize the ‘gospel’—based on
ability to pay, 85 per cent to benefit and
only the rich corporations to pay—was to
stand in the way of completely unrelated
legislation. In addition, failure to accept
the gospel’ could be a factor in the loss of a
committee position. Chastising of the
opponents became a political reality.”
Hansell accused the press, radio and
television of supporting the “massive
brain-washing job” by repeating McCall’s
“gospel.”
He went on to say that this “gospel” was
nothing more than a “big lie.”
Hansell said all state agencies were
falling in line behind McCall, afraid to
oppose a plan that is supposed to benefit 85
per cent of the population. “Many
profitable corporations including
Weyerhauser, Georgia-Pacific, Southern
Pacific, Union Pacific, Bell Telephone,
Crown Zellerbach, Pacific Power and
Light and Portland General Electric will
hav^ no additional tax liability and some
will actually have a tax advantage.”
(Continued on Page 14)
Eymann sells tax plan
By GEORGE BUDDY
Of the Emerald
The 3500 citizens of Oakridge must have
God on their side. The town is nestled in
the foothills of the Willamette National
Forest, about 50 miles down Highway 58
from Eugene.
There’s so many pine trees down there
that it looks from a distance like a lush
green carpet watered by the green and
blue flow of the Willamette River. One look
at all this and you know it’s more than an
accident of nature.
Oakridge is part of Rep. Richard
Eymann’s 44th legislative district, and last
Wednesday he drove down to do some
informal campaigning for the Governor’s
tax plan which will be presented to the
voters on Tuesday.
The public meeting in Oakridge was held
in the community hall which is, naturally
enough, nestled among pine trees in a
small park. Eymann and his wife Juanita
arrived shortly before the start of the noon
hour meeting. Eymann’s administrative
aide, Jack Craig, was also along as the
driver.
The community hall was filled with
about 60 of the leading citizens of
mm
Oakridge. The first thing they did when
they started the meeting was to go around
the tables and introduce everyone — from
the police chief to the high school principal
— while boxed lunches of A & W chicken
were consumed by the hungry audience.
The 53-year-old Eymann got his chance
to present his argument for the tax plan
after the local business of the Oakridge
community was taken care of. The
Speaker of the House, a key supporter of
the Governor’s program, concentrated on
the advantages of the plan: rent relief, tax
equity, local control — all the usual things.
And when he was done, the citizens had
their chance to question the Speaker about
rent relief (“Is it enough?”), tax equity
(“What about us small businessmen?”),
and, of course, that all-time favorite
concern of citizens everywhere, local
control (“Will the state be setting the
salaries of teachers?”).
So Eymann fielded these and other
questions with the steady assurance of a
man who knows what he is doing.
“The bill provides explicitly that local
control of schools will be maintained,”
Eymann told the people of Oakridge. “The
state isn’t getting in the business of setting
teacher’s salaries.”
(Continued on Page 14)
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Photo by George Buddy