Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 1996)
Vol. XXX No. 6 Laney Fouse Editor-in-Chief Measure 44 seeks to increase the tax on cigarettes and change the distribution of the revenues gained from taxing tobacco. If passed, it is estimated to increase state revenues from $27 million in 1996-97 to $80 mil lion per year by 1998-99. Proponents of Measure 44 in clude the American Heart Asso ciation, the American Lung As- sociation of Oregon, doctors, nurses, research scientists, sev eral public health officials, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Gover nor John Kitzhaber. Health appears to be the key issue behind Measure 44. Those in favor want to reduce smoking in adults as well as teenag ers. Their goal is to discourage teen smoking by rais ing the cost and providing preven tion programs. In a report published in 1993 by the Na tional Cancer In stitute, evidence showed teens were discouraged from purchasing cigarettes be cause of higher prices. Other supporters feel extend ing the Oregon Health Plan is top priority. The plan provides health coverage for low-income Oregonians. Currently, a tempo rary tax of 10 cents per standard pack is distributed to the health plan. This temporary tax expires on Dec.,31, 1997. Those opposed to Measure 44 include former Governor Victor Atiyeh; President and CEO of Plaid Pantries William C. Girard, Jr.; State Senator Lenn Hannon; and other private parties. They argue Measure 44 is another ex cessive tax increase. Former Gov ernor Atiyeh feels it is unjustified to single out one group of Orego nians to pay taxes to a program that is everyone’s responsibility. The flip side of the coin is current policies have allowed in creases in fees paid to doctors and hospitals. This 47-percent in crease cost Oregonians $255 mil lion. According to Atiyeh, the fees cannot be reduced because other policies prohibit it. The passage of Measure 44 will re duce and redistribute funds to cit ies, counties, and elderly and dis abled transportation programs. Presently, 79 percent of the revenue from permanent cigarette tax goes to the state’s general spending fund. This also includes all taxes generated by other to bacco products. Current distribu tion dedicates the remaining 21 percent to cit ies, counties and the State Depart ment of Trans portation for general pur poses. All pro ceeds from the temporary tax go to the Oregon Health Plan. According to the Voters’ Pamphlet, Measure 44 will increase cigarette tax from 1.4 to 2.9 cents per ciga rette. Cities, counties and the State Department of Transporta tion will receive a smaller pro portion. A majority will be dis tributed to the Oregon Health Plan and tobacco use-reduction programs. It will increase the to bacco products tax from 35 per cent to 65 percent of wholesale prices. A “yes” vote on Nov. 5 will not only increase cigarette and tobacco taxes but establish new taxes. It will also change the distribution of those revenues. A “no” vote will not affect allocation of tax funds. Ciga rette and tobacco taxes will re main the same. It [Measure 44] is estimated to increase state revenues from $27 million in 1996-97 to $80 million per year by 1998-99. present at Authors’ Night Three Oregon writers read from their most recent works on the theme “Conflicting Cultures in Fiction” Craig Lesley, an English Instructor at Clackamas, read from his book The Sky Fisherman, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Diana Abu-Jabar was one of three Oregon writers to read at Authors’Night last Wednesday. Abu-Jabar read from her book Arabian Jazz. Tracy Clay Staff Writer Attendance at Authors’ Night, held last Wednesday, filled the Gregory Forum to near capacity. The host of Authors’ Night was Allen Widerburg. He pre sented three of Oregon’s best writ ers, Diana Abu-Jaber, Jennifer Cornell and Clackamas’s own Craig Lesley. Each read a piece of literature from their books deal ing with the evening topic, “Con flicting Cultures in Fiction.” They each read for approximately 20 minutes, and then the audience asked questions. Author Craig Lesley read from his latest novel, The Sky Fisher man. The story involves the in habitants of a small Oregon town located near an Indian reservation. The central characters include a young teenage boy named Culver, his mother and his Uncle Jake. Lesley read an excerpt from his story dealing with the discov ery of a murder victim. The man, Kalim, is an Native American missing from the local reserva tion. Culver and his Uncle Jake pulled him from the river. But the man did not die from drown ing; he had been shot. When Billyum, the reservation police officer, arrives, he checks the body bag. Culver suffers a pang of guilt because he had stolen $300 from the dead man’s pocket. Jennifer Cornell read from her novel Departures, which is a col lection of stories centered in Belfast, Ireland. She called her story “Start of the Season” the “most explicit story dealing with conflicting cultures.” The story is about a couple, Jean and Martin, who are in Italy for the first time. While there, they sit at the same-table as a just- married British couple. The couple acts very hostile towards them. Jean, who wants to be as rude to the couple as they are to them, is self-conscious about the fact that they are Irish. This is because Northern Ireland, where Belfast is located, is in chaos over a division between the Catholics and the Protestants. Diana Abu-Jaber read from Arabian Jazz. She read a hu morous excerpt about Aunt Fantana and her two nieces, Melina and Jemora, who are about to turn 30. They are both unmarried and the aunt is look ing for husbands for them. Fantana comments on how prissy Melina is and how con servative Jemora is. This book added a great touch to the night. News Br 7 e fs Friday forum to answer Measure 47 questions ASG President Mike Caudle (left) and ASG’s Advisor Norm Bernie (right) traveled to England last week as representatives of the American Student Association of Community Colleges (ASACC). While in England, Caudle and Bernie visited nearly a dozen community colleges and universities. The focus of the trip was to see how other colleges were coping with problems similar to those at Clackamas. A “question and answer” discussion on Measure 47 will be held in Gregory Fo rum, room 108C, on Friday from noon to 1 p.m. Presi dent John Keyser will mod erate along with Deans Dian Connett and Gary Dirrim. The subject of the discus sion will be how Clackamas will make transistions if Mea sure 47 passes. Faculty and stu dents are welcomed to attend. On the same topic, ASG Presi dent Mike Caudle will be in the audience Sunday on KATU’s Town Hall. The program airs from 6 to 7 p.m. Clairmont Hall holds open house The ESL and the Skills Devel opment Departments are holding an open house tomorrow from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. They invite ev eryone to visit their new location in Clairmont. Life Sciences present slide show The Life Science Depart ment will hold a slide show as part of its fall science se ries tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. in Pauling 101. The discus sion will focus on mushrooms and their role in the forest ecosystem. Everyone is wel come to bring lunch and a friend to the show.
