Measures 8 and 91 are not what they seem for taxOavers
Guest Commentary
Dave
Frohnmayer
On Election Day, being
careful about our deci
sions is always a good
idea. But as a fiscally '
conservative Republican and for
mer Oregon Attorney General,
there are some things I believe call
for particularly careful scrutiny:
• Money
• Fairness
• Changing our Constitution
• The future of our state.
Those are just four of the rea
sons Oregon should look carefully
at Measures 8 and 91, and then
vote a resounding no.
I’ll start with Measure 91. This
measure offers individuals and
corporations unlimited de
ductibility of their federal taxes
from their state taxes. It sounds
great — more money for taxpay
ers, right?
But most Oregonians won’t see
a dime if Measure 91 passes. Be
cause it would cancel the kicker
next year, the majority of Oregoni
ans would experience what
amounts to a tax increase. The
state Legislative Revenue Office
reports that a typical family of
four earning $81,000 would mere
ly break even; typical families
earning less would actually lose
money.
Yet this is a $2 billion tax break.
Who benefits? The top six percent
of individuals enjoy a whopping
69 percent of the personal income
tax benefit.
The $2 billion hit represents al
most 20 percent of the state’s gen
eral fund, which supports health
care, public safety and other vital
services — including Oregon’s
public colleges and universities.
Not only is that the soul of unfair
ness, it is a direct hit to our ability
to invest in our future.
And then there is Measure 8.
Although it is advertised as a limit
on government, it is written in a
way that simply makes no sense
for Oregon taxpayers.
The limit of Measure 8 covers
far more than the spending of our
state tax dollars. It also covers
state spending of federal matching
funds and grants, and dedicated
fees that people willingly pay for
services. And it would cut $5 bil
lion in the next budget alone.
Measure 8 could force us to
send back billions of dollars in
federal funding that is rightfully
ours and pays for things like
transportation and services to sen
iors — and it wouldn’t even lower
our taxes.
As a matter of fact, Measure 8
would actually remove the incen
tive for government to find ways
to pay for services without relying
as much on taxes. For example,
universities could not raise tu
ition or accept donations to offset
cuts, because any extra funds that
come in would be counted against
the limit.
Neither of these measures is re
JL ^
ally what it seems. They are unfair
to most taxpayers. They are filled
with unintended consequences
that would be locked into our
Constitution. And they will harm
our economy, our state and our fu
ture. That is why an unprecedent
ed coalition has formed to oppose
these measures: Republicans and
Democrats, business and labor,
teachers and parents, seniors and
Oregonians from every walk of
life, from every corner of the state.
Tax reform and reasonable lim
its on government? I’d love to see
them. But Measures 8 and 91
don’t even come close. Please join
me in voting no.
Dave Frohnmayer is President of the Uni
versity of Oregon
Letters to the editor
Holding the bag
of governmental debt
The government is not really
paying down the national debt. In
the next 10 years, it will replace
$3.3 trillion of publicly-held debt
with government-held debt. The
government has no plans for re
payment. This policy is freeing
trillions of dollars to chase equity
investments and has helped to
create trillions of dollars of profits
for stockholders. It is the younger
generation that will be left hold
ing the bag for this debt.
The government is borrowing
r
trillions of dollars from the Social
Security trust fund. A repayment
plan should be in effect before
this money is loaned to the gov
ernment. It is likely that this mon
ey has been stolen. In any case, if
it doesn’t get repaid, then it has al
ready been stolen. It is the
younger generation that will be
left holding the bag for this debt.
Fraudulent government ac
counting is creating structural
deficits which can be expected to
average $400 billion to $500 bil
lion annually in the period 2015
2035. It is the younger generation
that will be left holding the bag.
We are receiving bad govern
ment. The media are doing an F
minus kind of job and are not
properly informing the American
people about what is really hap
pening. The politicians tell their
lies, the media repeat the lies and
the younger generation will be left
holding the bag. What a sordid
mess.
This is an excellent opportunity
for some outstanding journalism
on an important national issue.
Steven Gerdsmeier
Yorba Linda, Calif.
Nader helps Bush in polls
I hope that George W. Bush
writes Ralph Nader a long and
sincere thank you card. Polls
show Bush and Gore nearly tied,
and it is no secret that Republi
cans aren’t transferring their votes
to Nader, who has about 5 per
cent. Four years ago, when Clin
ton was ahead of Dole by a con
siderable amount, I supported
Nader. He appeals to people with
strong social consciences, which
is undoubtedly why he has gained
so much support in Eugene. How
ever, this time around, things are
different. An election is in the bal
ance.
Our next president will select
new Supreme Court justices, the
people who will be making deci
sions in our country for years. By
voting for Al Gore, you will sup
port an ethical man with strong
environmental policies and con
tinue the prosperity of the Clinton
years, without the scandal. Your
vote elsewhere could allow
George Dubya to give the rich gen
erous tax cuts, destroy public edu
cation, demean hard-working
teachers with school vouchers
and drill for oil in one of the most
pristine places on earth, the
Alaskan Wilderness Refuge.
Ralph Nader is a great person,
who has aided Americans and
consumers for years, but he will
not be our next president. The
bottom line is this: A vote for
Nader is a vote for Bush.
Olivia Rounidy
senior
French
®> We are people of many
different faiths.
We believe Measure 9 is
destructive to our children
and our schools.
We are taking a stand against
discrimination.
See our ad with over 1,000 supporters in the Register Guard
on October 21st.
Itag Join us at our service of'Resistance and Restoration: an
interfaith service in response to Measure 9'; October 26, 7pm,
at the Central Presbyterian Church, 555 E. 15th
SPONSORED BY RELIGIOUS RESPONSE NETWORK PAC,
David Bernstein, Treasurer, 1414 Kincaid, Eugene, OR 97401
VOTE NO ON 91