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
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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