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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 1994)
EDITORIAL Lane County could use transfer tax Four years ago. Line County received nearly SI 7 mil lion in timber revenue. Revenue from timber is fore casted to be nearly $5 million loss than that next year. A real estate transfer tax has been proposed to make up for this loss and will appear on Tuesday’s ballot as Measure 20-18. Over the last three years, Lane County has been slim ming down and cutting back The number of county employees has boon trimmed from 1,800 in 1980 to 1.300 today. There's been an attempt to salvage public safety jobs, though, because they are the No. 1 priority in the county anti must remain so. If the cutting continues, the ramifications will be felt throughout the county. Crime is increasing, not decreas ing. The need for human services is increasing, not decreasing. The cost of these services is increasing, not decreasing. And the money in the general fund to pay for the increases is decreasing If toe real estate transfer tax passes, the money would be funneled into the general fund, which would pay for services such ns the fail, health clinics, c riminal prose cution and many other law enforcement agencies. If the tax does not pass, cuts will be made and the county will surely feel them. In the next two years, 80 jobs could bo cut if the tax doesn't pass. The tax would affect only those people who buy or sell property and it would cost only about one-third of 1 percent — .35 perc ent - for buyers or sellers, depend ing on whether the tax is figured in before or after the sale. A $90,000 house would be taxed $315. For the majority of homeowners, however, buying and selling houses is not an everyday, or even yearly, affair. The tax also would reflect the actual selling price rather than the appraised price. If real estate value dropped below the appraised value, the tax would take the drop into account. The tax does not just affect homeowners, either. Much of property bought and sold is commercial — in fact, nearly -40 percont of the tax would result from tho trans fer of commercial and industrial property. As for renters, the cost would be difficult to pass on in the form of increased rent to them because the tax would bo fig ured into tho total cost of the structure ponding a sale. Homeowners who sell their property this year certain ly wouldn’t have to pay the tax next year. Property changes hands by everyone. There are no benefits for the rich compared to the poor or vice ver sa; the tax would bo relative to the price of the proper ty and that's it. Yes. it is a tax and no one wants another one. but the alternatives are worse. One alternative is a property tax that everyone would pay each year, the majority of which would fall on homeownors. Another possible tax is one on public utilities, which taxpayers would pay each month. Only what Lane County needs tho most is left to be cut. If Measure 20-18 passes, these services will remain. 1 Oregon Daily emerald l>0 B0« 3tM UX.It.f 0*l&0««'*0 ,h« OWQOn fW> [ m«r»V t% put*>Vhed cUJy Monday though f 'KlAy durtfig tha school y*a» «ncJ Tuasday and Thursday dur>ng the by the Oregon OaJy £me*aid Kofcuffcng Co , Inc . at the Urwer**y o# Oregon Eugene. Oegon Th# ? m*ra*J Opartfe* •ndepenckmtty the l>W*rs*y Wrt* at*om af Sixte 300 of me E ft) Mamorval Onion and >■» a mempar of the Associated Press Tha £ rrmmj <# prrvsfta property The untawlui 'emovp or use ol papers « prosecutable t>y law Managing Editor Editorial Editor Graphics Editor f raatanca Editor Editor-In-Chief Jane Barg Caftay Anderson Sports Editor D*v»d Thorn Editorial Editor Jail Paauiy Photo Editor A^ana Baum Supplements Editor Night Editor Jeff fNcshardt Slava Mwn» Je« PtcfcNtfdl Mchaei Sh^vJar Kaiy Solo Associate Editors Edward Kiapfenst^-’ Srudar* Qo*9mm*r*Actr***3 Reoacva Merrm. Ccynmwnrfy. I leather to Hbma». Hyh+r f Juc*tx>\ Ac*n*n*s#rafton Naws Staff L(y Bettmesin W^scm Chan Oava Charpcmneau Amy Coiumpo Jtm Oavta Mag Dadoipn Amy Devenpcw!. Taaha E*chensehar. Mas a F aids. Mar*.') f »her Sa?a^ i4and#f*on. Y,n l eng leong. Suxanne War*,t Manus Me* and Tnsta Noel. E sabeth Re*nsf,ern*. RobOe Reeve* Kata Sebounn la SHoocia Scott Simonson Stephana Sraaon Susanna Siemens Me hate Thompson. Amy Van Tvyl, Denar Was.* Oeoerel Manager Jody F4ed Advertising Director Mv» W*1« Production Managar Mchenr Rom Advertising & an Da* ». Sut*f Dut*a N .■ e Her* mar* Teresa tsaferxto Jeff Manor Jar am y Mason Mchaa> M#efte. Ke*s*y A««: Classified Becky Merchant. Manager Vctor M^a, S*m Tra Tec* Distribution; John long Ferenc Raaocrt Graham Smpson Businass: Kathy Cartona. Supervisor Jody Conno#y Production Dee MtCobb. E'-odur&on Ccwttnpfcy Shawna Ao«»e Oag Desmond. Taa Gau«nay Brad Jom. Jarwfs» RoMnd. NaR Thangv^. Dayton Yea Nawsroom .J46-S511 Osplay Advartising___*46-3712 Busmass Offtca 346-3512 DassiAad Advartlsing .346 4343 «»**>» •"*'* A $ooc*<£0 NxTOi Rlxc^ JWVW'TWS ISM frst rvt \w> of tm SamOFAUKflUOMSF A MY STfcRS OUR PRESOfHT <J#H> WTU BIS KM) OF UNSEMMfif ..GOODNESS/ mw vumw WORDOfTWlS PREVIOUSLY about CLINTON? -NO! I NEVER WDULP’Vt VOTED FOR UfM IF I HAD-?' J LETTERS Progressive-ski Since withdrawing rnv name from tin* District 40 race for state representative, many people have asked me win 1 withdrew and why I am supporting Floyd Prozanski. The answer is plain and without political mystique After attending various forums, campaign events and walking door to door, it is apparent to me that District 40 needs progres sive leadership in Salem Although Mike Sherloc k has a good rix ord as a lobbyist for gas Station owners and petroleum related issues, his interests and expertise leave much to be desired as a candidate for State Representative In plain terms, his reach for public office exceeds his grasp of the issues that concern the majority of vot ers in District 40 On the other hand, we can send someone to Salem who has demonstrated leadership in the areas that affect us most Many of us are concerned about Oregon's commitment to funding higher education, envi ronmental stewardship and our tradition of tolerance and human dignity. We have worked together to make our communi ty thrive 1 am confident Floyd will represent our interests and serve us well as state represen tative His list of endorsements is personable and covers a broad spectrum of issues, much like his service to the community If Oregon is to continue its progressive tradition, we must elect leaders who demonstrate commitment in these areas Together, we can solve the problems that we confront in our community and our state Together, we can elect Democra tic nominee Floyd Proranski for state representative on Tuesday. Don Stull Kugtne Strong record In the Emerald's candidate profile article of May 53. which did an otherwise fine job of describing my positions on a number of issues, a serious error was printed It was incorrectly reported that I was in favor of the continued cutting of old growth forests Nothing could be further from the truth! it was a simple mistake, hut I feel oblig ated to make sure the record is corrected I have a strong record as an environmentalist and have been endorsed by the league of Con servation Voters, as well ns envi ronmeiital activists sin li as Art Farley and Doug N’orlen My credentials including being chairman of the BRING Re< y cling Board, as well ns having served on a Bureau of Land Management Timber Sale Advi sory Board While sitting on that board a few years ago, 1 strong ly advocated for the preserva tion. not the destruction, of our old-growth forests I am opposed to cutting any of our ancient and old growth forests i am opposed to any clear-cutting of any of our forests I do support selective cutting and believe that harvest ed forests should retain multi level canopies I support wide streambed buffer zones that w ill protect our fish and our water Oregon's most valuable trea sure is its environment, and if elected to represent District 40 in the Oregon Legislature, I will work tirelessly to see that our children, and our children's children, can still cherish our natural forests, streams, and wildlife. Floyd Prozanski Democratic Candidate House District 40 Rescue BRING Twenty-three years of BRING Recycling will end without your support! The Glenwood Central Receiving Station (dump) con tract — BRING s financial cor nerstone — may Ik* awarded to the Weyerhauser Corporation. Without that contract to support our nonprofit operations, the eight BRING drop sites will close, the human voice answer ing lour questions will cease, the thousands of hours of court ordered community service may be lost and the innovation and independence of a community based nonprofit organization dedicated to reduction, reuse and recycling since the days of Richard N’iv.on will end Please call the county com missioners before Wednesday and ask thorn to support BRING. Only they can save BRING. Leslie Weinstein Member, Board of Directors BRING Recycling Tolerance I want to correct a mistake on the cover of your May 9 issue. You featured two photos of tint EMU Courtyard exhibition by the Power Team. The smaller of the two photos was actually Har ry Handley, a 6-foot-7-inch, 32f> pound member of the Power Team. Why didn’t you have an arti cle written to accompany these photos? University students need to know that this event was sponsored by the campus ministry of Chi Alpha, in coop eration with Lighthouse Tem ple's college ministry, Lost and Pound! This EMU Courtyard gathering was the second largest this year at the University! The crowd was estimated to lie twice the number that gathered a few weeks earlier for the "Gay Pride Rally." yet that event got much more coverage! 1 he crowd was cheering very responsively, though vour pho to caption appears to suggest that the jeers were equal to the cheers — which is far from accurate reporting. As a journal istic effort, the Emerald should set aside its prejudicial view in favor of accurate reporting Wo will all 1h> better for it! In an era of "tolerance" and "diversity" it appears that some may not lie "tolerant" enough to show a supportive crowd (of both Christian and non-Christ ian people) cheering on the Power Team Perhaps some are not "diverse" enough to report people publicly professing their faith m Jesus Christ and drawing one of the biggest crowds on i ainpus this year' The question remains: how "tolerant" and "diverse” is the Emerald? Can the Emerald actually report events accurately and fairly and in context? Or perhaps our "tol erance" and "diversity" is limit ed to only those we choose to include! Journalistic integrity and fairness is all we ask for ... and all we need! Brian O'Neill College Pastor Lighthouse Temple
