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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1976)
Ballot Measures State No. 1 If State Ballot Measure No. 1 passes, home and farm loan eligibility would be granted to post-Korean and Vietnam-era veterans along the same guidelines as currently exist for World War II and Korean War veterans. The measure would also grant the loan to World War II veterans who lived in Oregon for two years between the date of their discharge and Dec. 31, 1965. Currently, the two years residence must have been be fore December 31, 1952. If approved, an estimated additional 25,000 veterans would qualify for the state vet erans’ loan. State No. 2 If State Ballot Measure No. 2 is passed, the State Supreme Court will have the authority to suspend or censure judges in the state for misconduct. Cur rently, the Supreme Court only has the authority to remove judges from office. In addition, the measure ex pands the grounds for such ac tion. Presently, judges may be disciplined only for conviction of a felony, failure to perform duties, habitual drunkenness, illegal drug use, or willful mis conduct in office. The list of of fenses will be expanded to in clude general incompetence, willful violation of any rule of judicial conduct, use of dangerous drugs, and willful misconduct in office related to performing judicial duties. The Joint Legislative Com mittee which drafted the measure says passage of the measure would give the Sup reme Court broader powers and more flexibility in the type of discipline it can administer. It further states “only the most serious types of judicial misconduct reach the Sup reme Court, and many cases of lesser misconduct go un questioned." The committee says removal is seldom, if ever, used because the Sup reme Court may feel that such action is too drastic. However, opponents of the measure say its passage would give too much power to the Supreme Court over lower court judges. They also state that judges, elected by the people, should be removed by the people, and that recall is a better way to go. Supporters refute this by saying recall machinery is al ready in existence, and judg ment by colleagues is often based on close technical scrutiny rather than by public image. State No. 3 If State Ballot Measure No. 3 is passed by Oregon voters, the state s senior citizens will be provided with low-rent housing which will cost them approximately 20 per cent less than the market rate. This ballot measure would allow the state to issue tax exempt general obligation bonds for construction of multi-family housing for the el derly. It would provide up to $180 million in funds for up to 15,000 housing units over the next five years. In order to as sure the project will be self supporting, some units may be rented at full market rate to renters other than senior citi zens. The Oregon State Housing Division would administer the housing bonds, seeking prop osals from the private sector and public agencies to build or rehabilitate rental housing for the elderly. The state would issue general obligation bonds at a low interest rate and then finance rental housing through traditional lending institutions and public agencies. The Joint Legislative Com mittee which drafed the meas ure says that not only will it provide 15,000 housing units for the elderly, but it will provide 15,000 jobs in Oregon as well. The committee stres ses the measure is "not a tax measure," since it is financed by using the state s credit. The Housing for Elderly Committee which also sup ports the measure says that 'nearly 42,000 elderly families live in housing that is either substandard or hazardous." The Women s Legislative Council, which opposes the measure, argues that it is a "permanent open-ended' fi nancial package." The council claims that the risk of default on mortgages is high, since Measure No. 3 is designed for elderly with a “limited ability to pay.” ‘Dntuc «tit£ t& Satvu t£e ODZ State No. 4 The Joint Legislative Com mittee which drafted the measure says passage would stimulate the economy by “creating new jobs through home construction, purchase and improvements.” It also says the measure would bring “eastern capital into the state through the sale of self-liquidating bonds to ac quire the loan funds.” State Treasurer Jim Redden says the bond issue has been rated AAA by Moody’s Investors Service — the best possible rating. But opponents say the measure would place the state in a position of competing with the private sector in the loan business. They further con tend that the scope of those eligible is too broad and would include some who are not nearly as deserving as others, and that by qualifying with two or more different periods of service, a veteran could apply in another state in addition to Oregon. But proponents say other states are not our concern, and that the rights of all vete rans from any era should be equal. State Ballot Measure No. 4 would allow mass transit dis tricts to levy a motor vehicle registration tax for use by mass transit after a vote of the people in the district. The measure originated in the Legislature last year, and was referred to the voters be cause it requires a change in the state constitution. It would permit individual mass transit districts to hold elections on imposing vehicle registration fees of up to $5 per year. A constitutional amendment was accepted by state voters in 1942 requiring all funds de rived from motor vehicles to be used exclusively for road related projects. The proposed change would allow the regist ration fee to be used for mass transit districts. Proponents of the measure say that it would give mass transit distnct residents grea ter control over the district by allowing them to vote funding by the registration fee. They also note that it will not in crease taxes in any area where voters do not approve the fee on a separate ballot. Opponents of the constitu tional amendment say that passage of the measure would undermine the protection now afforded the road fund that can now be used only for motor vehicle-related uses. Critics say that too much of mass transit is already funded by taxes, and bus systems should become more self-supporting. Countv No. 5 If the county ballot measure passes for construction of the new jail, the proposed Adult Corrections Center would be located between Willamette and Chamelton streets, north of 5th Avenue. It would ac comodate 288 inmates with a capacity to expand if neces sary. The building would in clude a unit for short-term mental health emergencies. The estimated effect on the County No. 6 If the county-wide library plan passes, it would provide borrowing privileges for all county residents at any par ticipating library, a bookmobile service staffed by a librarian, a system of intra-library loans for patrons, and a courier service that would allow books to be checked out in one town and returned in another. Costs for the plan is set at 10 cents per $1,000 cash value. That would amount to about $2 per year for the owner of a $20,000 home, a tax increase critics call unfair. “People out in the country will be receiving the same ser vice as people in the cities who will be paying a higher tax rate," says Jack Jones, Springfield city councilman. But proponents of the plan say 90,000 Lane County resi dents currently have no library. and there are only 13 counties in the state who don’t have county-wide service. Tax money raised would be broken down three ways. County services and administ ration would receive 31 per cent of the funds for a book mobile, a courier service, books and a coordinator. A reimbursement fee of 14 per cent raised from out-of-city taxes would be provided to each existing library honoring the proposed universal library card. The remaining 55 per cent would be refunded di rectly to those jurisdictions that have libraries presently. But Lois Stroda of the Junc tion City City Council sums up a conceptual disagreement shared by many. ‘‘We don’t feel any more responsibility in bringing library books out to the hinterland as bringing groceries out to those people. ’’ property tax rate is an increase of 48 cents per $1,000 value. A homeowner with a $30,000 home would pay $14.40 per year, an added burden critics call unnecessary. With an average of 150 in mates a day and only 119 beds available, the need for a new jail is urgent, according to Capt. Paul Bailey, Lane County director of corrections. But critics of the measure say the jail plan is too expen sive and alternatives to the present situation have not been explored. Orpha Thomas, who has re viewed the plan since its incep tion, feels that the existing jail can be remodeled for less money than the cost of build ing a new one. She claims the county taxpayers cannot af ford the present $11.7 million proposal, but might pass the ballot measure if a jail could be built for “six or seven million dollars.” But Bailey points out the proposed construction would provide more th3n just a new jail, and that the adult correc tions center would fit in the reg ional corrections plan prop osed on the state level. Bailey also says the jail could ease the burden on the overloaded penitentiary in Salem. “As a taxpayer I think money would be better spent taking care of people the first time in stead of waiting until they end up in state prison,” he says. I ENDORSE NANCY HAYWARD COMMISSIONER I support Nancy Hayward tor re-election to the County Commis sion because of her strong position in support of Land Use Plan ning in Oregon. She stands virtually alone among this year's candidates in her support of planning for the preservation of our State. PETER GLAZER UO LAW SCHOOL Nancy Hayward lor Conwmssonef Committee Don South. Treas , 1195E 21 si. Eugene, 97403 5/3/76
