ELECTIONS
Voters pass property tax limits,
reject private school tax credits
By Robert Ward
Emerald Editorial Editor
With 73 percent of the precincts counted. Bal
lot Measure 5. a constitutional amendment that
would set property tax limitations in increments
over the next five years, was passing 52 percent
to 4H percent.
Property taxes help fund many basic services
including schools, police and fire departments,
libraries, parks, ambulance service and road re
pairs.
State Sen. Grattan kerans said replacing the
lost revenue Measure 5 takes away will Ire the
Legislature's number one priority.
"We have to find a fair and progressive solu
tion to the problems" the passage of Measure 5
presents, he said.
Al and Mary Bradley, retired homeowners in
Eugene, said they voted for Measure 5 because
they "are sick and tired of being taxed to death
The Legislature can make it up through higher in
come taxes or a sales tax. Don't penalize home
owners.”
Kerens said a sales tax is one avenue the Legis
lature will explore, but Oregon voters have con
sistently opposed it
School funding is a big concern of opponents
of Measure 5. Uirrv VVarford, assistant to the pres
ident at I,ane Community College, said the pas
sage of Measure 5 could result in a $5 million to
$(> million cutback at LCC over the next five
years.
Besides the school funding issue, Kerens said
he is concerned about funding for programs such
as Adult and Family Services, alcohol and drug
rehabilitation, and the Children's Services Divi
sion.
"We must be careful not to put all our eggs in
one basket.” he said The slate can't relv on any
one tax or revenue source to make up the lost
monies because of Measure 5, he said
Under Measure 5. school-related taxes would
(>e slashed from the current levels of about $20
per S1 .(MM) of assessed property value to $5 per
St.(too by 1095. Non-school taxes, mostly mu
nicipalities. counties and utilities, would In- im
mediately limited to a total of $10 per $1,000
The Legislature is required to make up the lost
school revenue from Measure 5, hut only for the
first five years It does not have to make up the
lost revenue of cities, counties and non-taxing
school districts
This is the sixth property tax limitation meas
ure in the past 12 years.
Ballot Measure It, which would permit par
ents to choose which public school their children
attend, was failing 70 percent to .10 percent with
85 percent of the precincts reporting. The meas
ure would also allow families tax credits for send
ing their children to non-publit schools
Mary Wilson, a proponent of Measure 11. said
parents should be able to send their kids "to a
good school, instead of letting the state (let ide for
them.
However, according to Sam Drin ker. Measure
It would "allow parents to send their kids to re
tig ions schools, which raises the (issue of) separa
tion of church and state
He said Oregonians clearly believe Measure I 1
would divide si hools into "good and bad
But Wilson said schools are already that way so
parents should tie allowed to send their children
to good schools
Hallo! Measure 2 would amend the constitu
tion to allow school districts that merge to com
bine their tax liases without adding an automatic
(i percent This measure was referred to the voters
by the Legislature without any opposition Mens
lire I 1 was leading with H5 percent of the pre
cincts reporting f>5 peri out to .ITi percent
Seat belt, workfare measures pass
By Daralyn Trappe
t meiaId Reporter
All Oregonians will be re
quired to buckle up beginning
Dec 7 as a result of of the pas
sage of Ballot Measure tt
The measure was passing TO
percent to 47 percent, with 7:t
percent of the statewide vote
counted
The law will require all driv
ers over the age of Mi to wear
safety (rolls and to secure pas
sengers under the age of lti in a
safety belt or child seat. All
passengers over the age lti will
be required to secure them
selves.
I he measure also requires car
owners to keep safety belts in
working order. Drivers, owners
or passengers who violate the
law will be subject to Class I)
traffic infractions.
Privately owned commercial
vehicles and other vehicles not
required to have safety belts
will be exempt, as will people
who are issued a certificate of
exemption.
"We expect this will save
thousands of Oregonians from
disabling injuries," said John
Tongue of the Oregon Lifebelt
Political Action Committee,
"it's a very important public
safety issue — it's rational and
reasonable."
Oregonians rejected a similar
referendum two years ago.
"I think it passed because of
the volunteer efforts of over
2.000 people in the medical
community,” Tongue said
Measure 7. whi( h appeared
In tie passing late Tuesday
night, will establish a work
program in which re< ipienls o!
government-funded wages
such as welfare and unemploy
ment benefits will he re
quired to work at jobs paying
‘id percent of minimum wage
in lieu of those benefits.
The three-year pilot program
will be set up in three counties,
to l>e determined at a later date,
if it receives federal approval.
With 73 percent of the vote
counted, the measure was pass
ing ,ri7 percent to 43 percent.
•‘It's too bad that people
don't really understand what it
does,” said Anne Taliaferro of
the No on 7 Committee
No one from the proponent
group, Oregonians for Full Em
ployment, was available for
comment.
Measure 3, which would
have granted a tax exemption
for members of the Public Em
ployees Retirement System,
was being defeated tit) percent
to 40 percent with 73 percent of
the ballots tallied.
“I think the reason it's not
passing is because it's confus
ing." said supporter Jack
So 11 is. "The explanation is
confusing, and anything that
confuses voters, they’ll turn
down."
C.H. Buehler. of the opposi
tion group Citizens for Tax Fat
uity. said he believes the meas
ure did not pass because it
would have established an un
fair lax system
"This sends a message to the
Legislature that they need to
cornu u|> with something (tetter
a lair tax system lor .ill em
ployees. public and private."
Huehler said
The defeat of this measure,
however, could force the state
to refund S.ili million a year to
federal employees.
As of late Tuesday night.
Measure 1 was still too close to
call, with 52 percent in favor
and 4H opposed after 7'A per
cent of the votes were tab
ulated
The measure would grant
metropolitan service district
electors the right to self gover
nance over metropolitan mat
ters
Greg Me Mur do, of the
proponent group Committee for
Self-Governance, said he was
not surprised by how close the
vote was given the fact that it
only affects districts in the
Portland area
"People can't figure it out."
McMurdo said. "You have peo
ple voting statewide on an is
sue that doesn't affect them."
If it passes, voters in the dis
tricts will be allowed to estab
lish their own charter, revise
and amend it.
The governance of these
areas "should Ire up to the vot
ers of these districts rather than
the state legislature.” he said
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THE PAR SIDE
By GARY LARSON
11 /
it's just a miracle you pulled through, George. ...
Why, It was only a few hours ago the whole
family was deliberating on whether or not to
wring your neck."