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.”
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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