Atiyeh still undecided on tax reform issue
By KEVIN HARDEN
Of the Emerald
Republican gubernatorial chal
lenger Victor Atiyeh refused
Tuesday to either support or con
demn Oregon's controversial
property tax limitation measure,
saying there was still enough time
for him to make a decision on the
issue.
Speaking at a meeting of the
Eugene Rotary Club. Atiyeh said
the measure is a "crossroads” for
the state, but refused to lend his
support to its purpose.
"I don’t think that it is important
that I come out on either side of
the measure nght now," Atiyeh
said. We have until Nov. 7. so
why should I rush into a decision
without all the facts?"
The tax limitation measure did.
however, represent a nationwide
problem that must be addressed
by the governor of Oregon almost
immediately. Atiyeh said.
"I find it very interesting that, not
so much the number of measures
that are going to be on the
November ballot, but the number
of controversial ballot measures
before the state right now," he
said. There is real unrest growing
in the state, but this is a sign that
people are trying to find their way
out of it."
Whether Atiyeh would lead the
voters out of their unrest remains
to be seen. Although Governor
Bob Straub said last week he
would work vigorously against any
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Emerald photo
Victor Atiyeh
property tax limitation, Atiyeh has
yet to take a firm stand on the
issue.
Because he hasn’t taken a
stand doesn't mean he isn't think
ing about the measure, Atiyeh
said As the campaign progres
ses, Atiyeh has been forming an
alternative measure to the tax limi
tation measure that will probably
be implemented if he is elected,
he said.
“What I am thinking about is
what will happen if this measure
passes,” he said. “That’s what
we re looking at right now.”
Atiyeh sharply criticized Straub
for condemning the tax limitation
measure while trying to maintain a
record of tax reform during his
administration.
“There has been no real lead
ership on property tax relief for the
past four years,” Atiyeh said. “And
now he's (Straub) going to try to
tell us that he has been a friend of
the state's taxpayers. If he does I'll
be able to clearly show by our re
cords that he hasn't and isn't a
leader on tax reform.”
It would be “hypocrisy” for the
state legislature to call a special
session to try to deal with the tax
limitation problem, Atiyeh said. A
compromise measure on the tax
issue would only compound mat
ters during the heat of a cam
paign, he said.
"I think that we don't know
what’s going to happen on this
measure," he said. “But what ever
happens, a governor is going to
(Continued on Page 9)
Center bonds challenged,
Group asks for recall
By KEVIN HARDEN
Of the Emerald
Despite an overwhelming vic
tory for the Eugene Civic Center
project last month, some city resi
dents don't like their tax dollars
going for the construction of a
building that may just be empty
after November.
According to Louis “Frank"
Bonson, a Eugene building con
tractor, there are a handful of
reasons why the civic center
should not be built. One of those
reasons is the impending tax limi
tation measure.
The project was approved by a
3-2 margin during the June 27
special election. Although several
school district budget levies were
defeated, the civic center bond
sale was almost the only tax
related measure passed in the
election.
But that should not be taken as
a voters’ mandate. Bonson said at
a news conference Tuesday. The
$18.5 million project is following
closely on the heels of a statewide
tax revolt that could ruin plans for
year-round use of the building.
"There is every reason to be
lieve that, in the November elec
tion, Oregon voters will follow the
lead of Proposition 13 in California
and vote to severely reduce prop
erty tax levies," Bonson said.
Estimates of the amount of city
money that could be lost if the tax
limitation measure is passed run
as high as 40 percent of operating
revenue. If that happens, the civic
center could become just another
large, empty "luxury item," Bon
son said.
"Will we have to lay off police
and firemen to pay the civic center
cost?” he asked.
Because the center will only
benefit a few theater patrons,
Bonson, Toni Nathan, head of the
city's Libertarian Party, and sev
eral area residents have filed an
initiative petition with the city
council to prevent the sale of the
civic center bonds.
That petition may not get into
the hands of its supporters, how
ever. City Attorney Joyce Benja
min said Tuesday morning the peti
tion is not authorized by state law
and cannot be circulated.
Citing a 1972 Oregon Supreme
Court decision based on a similar
situation in Yamhill County. Ben
jamin said that state law does not
allow bond issues to be recalled
once they have been approved by
voters.
The petitions cannot be circu
lated without a ballot title, Benja
min said, and the city will not pre
pare a title for the group's petition.
Why is Bonson and his group
fighting the civic center project
after the election?
"That's a real good question."
he said. “I should stand a lot of
blame for that. But I think the city
fathers should stand a lot of blame
for getting us into something they
didn't know we were getting into in
the first place.”
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