. How much is the
soles lox supposed to
be?
Measure I
would initiate o 5
percent soles tax on
goods This rate can
only be raised by a
statewide vote
Vkiono Bqw
iugene widen’
Is the money going lo be used
toward schools os they profess it will?
According to the Voter's Pomphlet,
public school and community college rev
enues will increase by $9$3 million per
fiscol year with o soles tox Public school
expenses will increose by $4 million each
year because of taxes on purchases
How does the
soles tox benefit both
stores and con
sumers?
There is no
direct benefit to stores
or consumers
Consumers and busi
nesses will have to
Ucvtd Vonderfip
(ugene reudent
pay 5 peicent on most goods, lowering
the buying powei of the dollar According
to the Oregonian, businesses will pay a
leduced 3 percent on production machin
ery and equipment in manufacturing,
forming ond mining
Is all of the
sales tax money going
toward colleges or
public schools’
According to the
Voter's Pamphlet,
soles tax money is ^
earmaiked specifically m, rotating
for public schools and
community colleges. Universities will only
benefit horn the tox indirectly through
government savings on public schools
/#
"I think it's insane
Since Tom McCall,
legislatures in Oregon
have been trying to
get a sales tax passed
unsuccessfully I think
it's going to be the
biggest blow to the
economy
- CoHCob
Vonauw. Utah
“I |ust think that the
sales tax is really
important I hope
everyone votes yes
Without a sales tax,
high schools like
Churchill and other
small schools will
close down"
- lore O'Hoalfy,
lunor at South Engww
Higli School
##
Legislator argues against sales tax
SALEM (AP) — Cutting state spending and improving effi
ciency. not a sales tax. are the answers to the school funding
problems, m cording to a legislator who opposes the tax
Rep Boh Tinman's debate opponent, state school Superinten
dent Norma Pnulus. said Friday she supports a sales tax to sta
bilize school finance and not to int rea.se spending.
The two fin ed off before the Salem City Club over the rt per
cent sales tax measure that's up for a statewide vote Nov ')
Tiernan. a Lake Oswego Republican, hammered away at gov
ernment outlays and said more cutting and careful spending
are needed.
Tiernan said he favors more state funds for si hoots He con
tended the money is available in the current budget bet ause law
makers did not i ut as mm h as they should have
"Make your government forte itself to be more effii lent bv
defeating the sales tax, he said.
Passing the sales tax would provide about SI billion a year for
schools But Tiernan said that would not prevent lawmakers
from then trimming other state aid to st bools to provide for dif
ferent uses
Bureaucrats and lobbyists "are lit king their chops” at the
prospcH.t the tax will pass and free up other state tunus, 1 tor
nan said
Panins said many efforts are being made to produce a leaner
education s\ stem.
We are absolutely committed to giving you a better product,"
she said.
Hut she said the state is 'off-kilter" bee ause of uncertain
s< bool budgets and the effects of economic problems on chil
dren
"We will not he able to get ourselves back on track until we
solve the school funding problem," she said.
Tiernan acknowledged schools face difficulties, but said a
sales tax is not the cure
Just because we have a problem doesn't mean we need to
shovel money at it. he said.
Paul us said sales tax foes who claim it would be o record tax
increase fail to sa\ that it also would give the biggest tax cut ever
in Oregon hv slashing property taxes by SH35 million in 1996-97.
Homeowners no longer would pay property taxes for school
operations under the measure
Community opinions about sales tax issue
By Rebecca Merritt
Of&QOn DtUfy f rr*»fjMk1
Tin* assignment seemed simple enough
Armed with n tape recorder, notebook
and pen, I set out with our photo editor to
roam popular Kugene hang outs, talking
with a few lo< nls along the way. Our mis
sion to find out what the Kugene com
munity thinks alaiut Ballot Measure 1. the
proposed sales tax Oregonians will vote
on Nov. And. to ask if voters had any
questions the F.mrrahi too Id help answer
in our week-long sales tax series
After talking to 2r< laigene residents, stu
dents, businessmen and tourists. I realized
Questions about the sales tax can't lie
REPORTER’S
answered in three
letters or loss
From tho "What
is it?" to tho
"Lot's have a
dream date with
Bob Packwood contest instead." response,
it became obvious the sales tax issue isn't
ns simple as people would like to think
Our afternoon started with a drive to Val
iev River Counter However, t'nwmld report
ing is against mall rules, so we ended up
at the comer of Fifth Street Market. A lack
of agreeable human resources downtown
forced us to finish our interviews near the
EMU and the University Bookstore.
By the end of the afternoon, 1 was able
to divide the diverse group of interviewees
— ranging from high school juniors to
retirement home residents — into five cat
egories: Those who don't want a sales tax,
ever. Those who wouldn’t mind a sales tax
as long as they could he guaranteed the
money goes strictly to education. Those
who think it's about time Oregon joined
the rest of the nation by shaking off its sales
tax phobia (one University employee refers
to Oregon's proposed sales tax ns a return
to sanity). Those who just don't care And
finally, those who really don't have a clue
what the sales tax is, or they just haven't
taken the time to decide what they really
think about the measure (their voters' pam
phlet makes a great coaster).
Call me strange, but the last group of vot
ers really scared me — especially those
who are students So. before discussing
how Eugene is going to vote on the sales
tax, I felt obligated to educate those who
asked "What is it?"
Ballot Measure 1 calls for a 5 percent
sales tax on most retail goods. It inn only
lie raised by a statewide vote. Exempt from
the tax are food for home consumption,
housing, medicine, gasoline, utilities, farm
animals, feed, seed and fertilizer.
Sales tax money would lie earmarked for
the funding of public schools, including
kindergartens and community colleges,
and is supposed to replace school revenues
lost from 1990's Ballot Measure 5. Accord
ing to the Oregon Voters' Pamphlet, the
sales tax would increase public school rev
enues bv $953 million each year. The tax
S IOQ-1
In the wake of 1990's Measure 5, lawmakers have a
PROPOSAL FQ^ftREGON
REGIONAL SALES TAXES
HOW OREGON RANKS
Oregon ranks 20th
m state and locol taxs
collected in 1991,
which totaled
$2,016.87 per capita
(the national average
is $2082 99), and
12th in personal
income collected
/ /
WHAT'S PROPOSED
A 5 percent sates tax on
goods starting May 1, 1994.
Principal exemptions: gro
ceries, prescription medication,
fuel and shelter
SPECIFICS
■A vote in 1998 whether to con
tinue the soles to* program
Sales tax revenue is dedicated to
funding public schools
Sales tax rate will not increase
without a vote of the public
Jiff t'ASLAY/f
also means an Increase of about 7 percent
in corporate income taxes.
Despite the uninformed few, however,
the majority of people I talked with last
week are concerned about the impact of
a possible sales tax and are seriously con
sidering how they will cast their vote.
“1 really don't know if I'd want to pay
a lot of extra money, but it's really the last
hope we have,” said Karla Stenius. a junior
at South Eugene High School.
Many voters said they think the tax is
necessary for both public schools and
universities but are worried schools won't
actually net the money. One out-of-state
resident said he thinks the sales tax is a
good idea but should he started on a slid
ing scale so it won't be a shock to busi
ness.
Those opposing the measure said a sales
tax would be a blow to Oregon’s economy
and small businesses will suffer.
• •» «V‘'