Continued from Page 1
drastic cuts in all levels of gov
ernment services.
If Measure T> passes. "We
would never have last-minute
elections to fund schools
again." said Tom Dennehy, a
co-author of the measure,
which was put on the ballot by
initiative petition.
Dennehy. a retired professor
from Reed College, and the oth
er co-author, a Portland-area
businessman, designed the
measure, believing Oregon's
system of funding schools pri
marily through local property
taxes is too burdensome for tax
payers and businesses. Proper
ty taxes make up 60 to 70 per
cent of public school funding
The measure’s supporters be
lieve that the state's General
Fund, made up mainly of in
come tax revenues, can take up
any slack a cut in properly tax
funding for schools would
cause.
Dennehy sees projected
growth of Oregon's economy as
being a sufficient replacement.
"The influx of more people
working in the state ... and the
natural projected growth flow
ing into the state's General
Fund will be enough." he said.
"We are making first claim to
that growth — for relief in
property tax. ...We can have
our cake and eat it too. It will
be sufficient."
But the opponents of the
measure, many of them educa
tion-oriented organizations, say
those extra funds simply will
not exist.
John Marshall. Oregon
School Boards Association’s di
rector of legislative services,
calls Dennehy’s proposal "blue
smoke in mirrors." He believes
Measure 5 promises voters "a
free lunch” that later will cost
the state much.
"It will force the legislature
(next year) to make school
funding a priority that it cannot
make with out a drastic reduc
tion in state-wide programs."
he said "We hope our cam
paigning will get the message
out that it is not the free lunch
that the proponents say it is."
To make their point. Mar
shall and other opponents
point to Gov. Neil Gold
schmidt’s budget preview, re
leased last week.
The preview, which projects
budget figures for the 1991-93
biennium, predicts lh.it of the
state's $5.5 billion in revenues
for the General Fund, only
$214 million will lx- left after
government spending. Of those
extra funds a $143 million safe
tv margin is required to com
pensate for unexpected costs,
leaving $70 million for new
programs
During that same period,
$701 million would lie required
from the General Fund for
schools if Measure 5 passes, at
cording to the state-produced
fiscal impact statement pre
pared for the measure
Uv juxtaposing the $70 mil
lion in leftovers with the $791
million Measure 5 would re
quire. opponents attempt to
support their possible scenario
of looming school funding cri
ses and a gasping state budget.
The financial impact state
ment is one of several that will
not accompany their respective
measures on the Nov. t> ballot
because of missed certification
deadlines by the Elections Divi
sion officials and subsequent
court rulings last month.
r
VOTE '90
Measure 5
(Juration: Shall constitution
set limits on property taxes,
and dedicate them to fund
public schools and non
school government opera
tions?
SUMMARY
• Amends constitution. Lim
its t*>*i t -1 property taxes
for public schools to $lf>. and
property taxes for non-school
government operations to $10
per $ I (HM) of market value.
Schools limit gradually de
creases to $5 per $lOtMt in
1095-1990 and after. Govern
ment operations limit re
mains same
• Limits do not apply to gov
ernment assessments, service
charges, taxes to nay certain
government bonds. Assess
menls. service charges shall
not exceed cost of making im
provements, providing ser
vices
• General Fund to replace,
until loot), school funds lost
due to school limits
1
4J
Continued from Page 1
$500.(too and $1 million
According to Nguyen, the state government supplied
2H t> percent of the entire education budget during the
1988-89 biennium. Figures for 1989-90 are not all In. but pre
liminary estimates put state si hool funding at 2H 7 percent a
negligible rise.
Heiligman said 4j operates on a $90 million annual budg
et Should Measure .5 pass, the district could expect to lose an
estimated $14-10 million in property taxes the first year Fori
ing legislators' hands. Heiligman said, is not the way to go
utxiut fixing the educational system
"It isn't all the legislature's fault." she said. "They've
referred plenty of things to voters, all of which have been
turned down
"As far as making (lawmakers) do something, putting a
gun to their heads is not the best way This is no solution. I'd
rather see people work toward a positive solution "
The cost of Measure 5 would lie extraordinary. According
to a financial impact report authorized by the Klee lions Divi
sion. the measure would cost the state General Fund roughly
$250 million in 1991-92. That figure rises to over $1 5 billion
four years later.
"I don't see how the state can pay for it," Nguyen said.
"We need another source of revenue."
Another solution, albeit a short term one, would be to use
the state reserve, roughly $101 million, to help pay for the
first year of Measure 5 Hut opponents reject such a plan
"Suppose we use the reserve," Nguyen said. "What hap
pens after that?”
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a public lecture by
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Gerlinger Alumni Lounge
ml to:
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Thursday 29 November, 1990, 7 JO p.m. EMU Gum wood Room
J. Baird Caliicott, Professor of Philosophy, Univ. of Wisconsin
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