m
ti-sales tax fight begins
SALEM (AP) — Several Democratic Party
leader* formally launched a campaign
Wednesday to defeat a sales tax measure that
goes to the voters at a Sept. 17 election.
State Democratic Chair Judy Carnahan of
Klamath Falls told a news conference the party
has formed the No Sales Tax Committee to
fight the plan, which is supported by some key
Democrats in the Legislature — including
Senate President John KHzhaber of Rosuburg
and House Speaker Vera Katz of Portland.
Carnahan, a former state senator, said
Oregon Democrats have been opposed to the
sale* tax for 50 years and that the party's posi
tion against the latest plan is an expression of
grassroots opposition.
But Kitzhaber and Katz said the develop
ment only points out that Democrats are divid
ed on the issue Lawmakers of both major par
ties supported the tax plan, they noted.
Katz said the sates tax isn't a partisan
issue and that it's "unfortunate the party did
not wait for an open debate on the matter" as
the election c ampaign develops further
Party loaders supporting the 5 percent tax
plan, which will go before voters Sept. 17.
believe U’s the method to stabilize school fun
ding, a goal which al! Oregon Democrats sup
port, Carnahan said.
The disagreement over the sales tax
within the party reflects the same disagree
ment among voters, she added.
Gilbert Campbell, an Albany attorney who
will head the anti-sales tax committee, said the
tax “represents a major shift from those most
able to pay to those least able to pay."
He added that the sales tax wilt hurt
school districts, which it is aimed at helping,
by reducing the growth rate in a school
district's property tax base and limiting the
number of local elections at which school
districts can raise money.
The Democrats' alternative to the sales tax
will include their “homestead exemption"
plan, which calls for exempting the first
$25,000 of a home's value from property taxes,
said Sen. jan Wyers, D-Port land.
VVyers said revenue to make up the drop in
property taxes would have to come from "a
mix" of other sources, including the income
tax
Atiyeh quiet about business trip
S A LEM (AP) — Gov. Vic Atiyeh left Wednes
day for a 1 Vi-day trip to an undisclosed part of the ’
country to try to woo a hew business client to'
ptogon. • ^ .
Before departing, Atiyeh was tight-lipped
about the nature oftHe trip, saying that the com
pany involved had asked him not to reveal any
details..' • . .....
•At his regular .weekly news conference
earlier In the day,, the governor declined to say •
even'in-generalterms what part of the country he
was headed for.
However. Atiyeh said that "more capital in
vestment, more jobs"-for Oregonians will be at
• stake in the negotiations. * ..
■ "It will be a substantial number bf jobs" if"
•.Oregon-is chosen, the governor said. **•
United refuses to renew talks
CHICAGO , (AP) — ■ Unfted / Airlines' on
■ Wednesday rejected a call to resume talks with its t
striking pilots, dashing hopes far a quick;setih?
ment in a walkout that has crippled the nation's
largest air carrier for nearly three weeks. °
United.said in a statement that it had inform
ed the National Mediation Doajd it would not at
tend a proposed Thursday meeting with
mediators and the Air Line Pjlots Association in
Washington D.C.
Representatives of the 5.000 striking pilots
already had agreed to the meeting; .The board's
call to resume talks, .under-federal law. wap a re
quest .rather than .an order. The board had made
the request on Tuesday, i ' ' , . .
: United said in a mailgram to the board that
its position on .a backtorwork agreement, the re
maining sticking point in the strike.- had not
changed:... . * '< . . •' ' •'
.- The company said it “will not bargain" with
. the pilots' union concerning the status of three
employee, groups honoring picket lines.
United said those groups — flight attendants,
management pilots and 500 newly-trained United,
pilot# who have not started working — are out tif
“the pilot union's jurisdiction.
Goldschmidt urges tax revision
PENDLETON (AP) — Former U.5. Transpor
tation Secretary Neil Goldschmidt, expressing
hopes that tax revision would help attract in
dustry to Oregon, said Wednesday he will vote
for the sales tax next fall.
Goldschmidt made the comment during a
question-and-answer session with members of the
Pendloton Downtown Association. He visited
Eastern Oregon on a week-long tour that he says
will help him decide whether to run for governor
on the Democratic ticket next year.
Goldschmidt, a Nike Inc. executive and
former Portland mayor, says he will announce his
decision by July 4.
The sales tax vote, Goldschmidt said, will be
the nrst chance tor Oregonians to change the tax
structure since 1974. If it is defeated, he said, it
will send negative signals to business.
If the measure is defeated, the next governor
and legislature will have to "come right back"
with another tax revision plan,, he said.
Goldschmidt said education is the largest in
dustry in Oregon, and while that speaks well for
the state's emphasis on education, "it doesn’t say
much for our economy."
Oregon still doesn't have an agenda for at
tacking its economic problems. Goldschmidt
said. He said the state needs to concentrate on a
short agenda and "do the things that are critical
very well.’
Two plead guilty in waste case
(AP) — Two employees of a Springfield
railcar repair company have been fined $2,500
each in a case involving the disposal of hazardous
wastes.
U.S. Magistrate Michael Hogan imposed the
fines Tuesday against Richard Taggart, 33. of Spr
ingfield and Keith Egan, 36, of Pleasant Hill.
The men, employees of Evans Railcar Divi
sion, pleaded guilty to making false statements to
a state Department of Environmental Quality
inspector.
Taggart said May 7 he lied when he told a
DEQ investigator last June that no hazardous
waste material had been stored at the business
other than what the investigator could see in his
inspection.
Egan. Taggart’s supervisor, pleaded guilty
April 30 to aiding and abetting Taggart by failing
to tell the DEQ investigator that “certain waste
solvents" had been moved off the premises.
The DEQ investigation was prompted by a
telephone call last July reporting the dumping of
hazardous waste, officials said.
Both the DEQ and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency looked into the company’s
practices for disposing flammable solvents used
to clean painting equipment.
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