2— SANDY (O re.) POST Thur».. Au« W
IM S (Sec 1)
The Sandy Post
Editorial & Opinion
Scott N ew ton, e d ito r
The sales tax
is a fair tax
There are many good reasons for supporting Ballot Measure
1 and a few good reasons for voting against it.
Of all the reasons for voting for it, we consider one issue to
be paramount. The sales tax is a fair tax. If one can afford to
go shopping, buy a new car or eat at a restaurant, one can af
ford the tax.
When times are tough, people are more conservative and
put off big-ticket purchases, thereby reducing the tax bite.
In addition to being fair, the 5 percent sales tax would be
locked into the constitution and could only be changed by a
vote of the people. That makes our proposed sales tax dif
ferent from those of some other states, where residents have
seen the tax climb.
Another reason we favor the sales tax is because we believe
it will indeed “balance” the tax structure. The relief to proper
ty owners is long overdue, and Oregon’s income tax is too
high. We need to face facts. Major corporations are not mov
ing to Oregon because of the high property taxes the
businesses would pay, and the high income taxes the ex
ecutives would pay.
Furthermore, it doesn’t make sense to pay for schools
through property taxes, which are more appropriately spent
on police and fire protection, and city services.
At present a major portion of the money raised by property
taxes goes to the schools. The sales tax legislation is more
restrictive, limiting the annual growth of school tax bases
from 6 percent to 3 percent.
We also think the measure would help stabilize public educa
tion. The current system of letting property owners decide bet
ween their tax bill or the schools is not working. Local levy
elections are not adding 2 cents worth of intelligent dialogue
between school boards and the public. Concerned, involved
people — the same ones serving on our boards now — will con
tinue to make decisions based on need versus available
resources
Is the measure progressive? We think it is fair to lower-
income people because it exempts life's necessities —
groceries, utilities, prescription medicines and mortgage
payments.
What are the reasons for voting against a sales tax?
It will create another layer of government, and collecting
the tax will be an additional burden on businesses.
We believe the cost of collecting the tax will be easily offset
by tourist dollars, and businesses will be compensated for col
lecting the tax.
The best reason for not voting for the sales tax is that it will
indeed be a hassle. If Ballot Measure 1 passes we are sura to
hear people say, “ I remember when you could look at the
price tag and that’s what you paid.”
In reality, anyone who understands the basics of math will
soon be able to add the additional 5 cents per dollar to the cost
of purchase.
There is currently a problem with Oregon’s tax structure.
The sales tax may not be the best cure, but it is likely to be the
best we wil, see in some time.
The sales tax is fair. One pays it when one can afferd it.
Personally speaking
Underwear makes
mother unhappy
by JOY WOOD
door in the back and one of the but
tons was always missing, so the flap
One of my daughters and I were was halfway folded down if you didn’t
folding clothes one day, talking like watch it and keep it held up with the
women do, and all of a sudden she elastic of your bloomers.
said, “ This makes me so m ad!”
Then, too, there were the folds,
And so I asked, “ What? What overlapping at the ankles and wrists
makes you so mad?”
Because you wore them a ll week long
And she a n s w e re d , “ T h is and only changed them when you
underwear! That’s what makes me took a bath on Saturdays, the wrists
mad.”
and ankles of the long johns stretched
And so I asked her, “ Why does your out more day by day, and you had to
husband's underwear make you carefully wrap and fold them under
m ad?" And she held up a pair of her your long stockings and sleeves.
husband's shorts and said, “ We ll,
And the garter belts we had to wear
look at them. Just look at them. He's to hold up the stockings! They were
worn them every since he got out of something else.
the Navy nine years ago — and they
I told my daughter that in those
are still in good shape!”
days, underwear lasted And lasted. I
I said “ Oh,” and she continued “ I could always count on a new, used
suppose they are Hanes, or F ruit of hand-me-down pair every fall I had
the Loom, or whatever the Navy dozens of cousins as well as an older
buys Like that commercial where
brother
that old lady, Inspector 12, stretches
When I was about 10 years old, I
and pulls them. I ’ll bet that’s what complained to my grandmother
these are.”
about my sad situation, and she con
And then she held up a pair of her
soled me by saying that at least I had
undies and said. "Just look at these
bloomers to wear. She said when she
undies of mine. Barely a year old and
was about my age she had made
already they are in shreds There
herself a pair of bloomers, and that
should be an Inspector 12 for
when she proudly showed them to her
women’s undies.”
father, he forbad her to wear them
I agreed And so we got to talking
He really hit the roof, she said
about underwear. And I got to telling
And so, I asked her what kind of un
her about when I was a g irl. The
dies she did have, and she said she
underwear lasted then. We wore long
had worn pantalets Just single legg
johns. White cotton ones, under our
ings attached to a waistband. With no
bloomers, which were long legged (to
seat in them at all. And I asked her,
the knee) britches, with elastic at the
“ Then how could you swing, and
waist and the knees And the worst
play?” And she said, “ Well, little
g irl in town came to school one day
ladies of 10 or so didn't play.”
and swung high up in the swing so
Talking to my daughter that day
that everyone knew she didn't have
got me to thinking about this whole
her bloomers on, just her long johns
underwear business, and I got to
What a scandal!
wondering what could be done about
You could always tell when spring
it. And, I thought, maybe we should
had arrived as the girls came to
go into the ladies undies business I
school with their stockings rolled up
could be an “ Inspector 12.”
to their knees. My, but that was bold!
Well, you never know where or
No long johns on!
when you w ill come across an idea
The main problem with long johns
that w ill make you your m illion
was that there was a square trap
dollars
L egislative report
Lottery dollars build a foundation
The Oregon Legislature was faced
with a number of major challenges
and m ajor opportunities as the 1985
Legislative session convened »The
prospect of disbursing an estimated
$80 m illion in lottery revenue, ear
marked by the people of Oregon for
economic development, gave* us a
m ajor opportunity to lay the founda
tions for a new economic future for
Oregon.
Recently, Oregonians from across
the state have c ritic iz e d past
economic development efforts by the
e x e c u tiv e b ra nch fo r la c k in g
coherence and accountability. That
criticism combined with the linger
ing effects of the most serious reces
sion since World War II and the slow,
but significant economic s tr u c \ra l
evolution of Oregon’s economy, were
d ifficult and complex problems for
the '85 Legislature to inherit.
At the outset of the planning pro
cess the Joint House-Senate Trade
and Economic Development Com
mittee drew up a set of guidelines to
serve as a basis for allocating the lot
tery funds.
This was done after the committee
heard months of testimony from
Oregonians across the state on what
should be done ith the Oregon lottery
proceeds. The committee decided
that the single most important ele
ment in allocating the lottery money
was the creation of family-wage jobs
That was followed by the following
priorities: recovery of small towns,
development of rural areas, utiliza
tion of higher education’s resources,
support of small business, utilization
of Oregon’s comparative advan
tages, support of industries that com
pete in national or international
markets
With these guidelines, the Trade
ancj Economic Development Com
mittee sought to build programs that
would endure even after the initial
surge of lottery revenues declines
The committee recognized that the
projected proceeds constitute only a
drop in the $13 billion dollar bucket
of capital already available in the
private banking system, and in the
$700 m illion bucket of underfunded
infrastructure needs caused by re
cent funding reductions in the higher
education system
C onsequently, the co m m itte e
focused on the “ cutting edge” of
development and on programs that
could “ leverage” other funds
To be cost effective, the program
that the committee came up with
uses existing agencies with proven
track records whenever possible
Briefly, I want to take this opportuni
ty to give you a short list of exactly
where your lottery dollars went.
Oregon Resource and Technology
Development Corporation
Rapidly changing technology is
creating new industries and new
dynam ics w ith in tra d itio n a l in
dustries The Oregon Resource and
Technology Development Corpora
tion w ill foster innovation in existing
industries within the state. This w ill
be done with Seed Capital Financing,
Applied Research Grants and a
Columbia.
There has been $125,000 allocated
for an exhibition of the Magna Carta
in Oregon during 1986 And $500,000
was allocated for a “ Buy Oregon"
program that would match Oregon
businesses now buying goods and ser
vices outside the state with local
Oregon suppliers
“ Buy Oregon” is based on a suc
cessful pilot program now operating
in Lane County.
by Rep. Bob Shiprack
T e c h n ic a l In fo rm a tio n C le a r
inghouse A total of $10 m illion
dollars was alloT»ated for this pro
gram.
Higher Education
and Community Colleges
Education, training and research
through the higher education and
community college system are essen
tialto economic development.
The legislature appropriated $33 4
m illion in lottery funds over a three-
year period to construct classroom,
office and laboratory facilities at
four of the state’s m ajor campuses.
These buildings w ill house pro
grams with significant impacts on
the state’s economic development
prospects They include an Electrical
and Computer Engineering Building
a t O reg on S ta te U n iv e r s ity ,
Biological and Advanced Science
Building at the University of Oregon,
Laboratory Building at Oregon In-
stitutde of Technology and a Profes
sional Schools Building at Portland
State University.
Streamlining and Improving
Small Business Loan Programs
Oregon has operated several small
lending programs designed to help
the state’s businesses obtain capital
needed for investment and expan
sion These programs have helped
about 120 of O regon's 60,000
businesses obtain new buildings and
equipment needed to hire additional
workers.
A bill passed by the Trade and
Economic Development Committee,
Senate B ill 722, streamlines the ad
m inistrative processes for these loan
programs and better targets their
assistance to businesses providing
the greatest economic payback for
the state.
The Oregon Promotion
and Marketing Fund
Oregon has unique scenic and
cultural attractions, industrial loca
tion sites with special advantages
and competent producers in the
forest, farm and fishery industries
Prom oting and m arketing these
places and products can increase
sales income to Oregon businesses
and attract tourists and relocating
firm s
There has been $3.4 m illio n
allocated for the Promotion and
Marketing Fund, $2 m illion has been
allocated for an Oregon pavillion at
the Expo '86 in Vancouver, British
provides $2 m illion funding for
feasibility studies, and joint financ
ing opportunity to su cie ssfq jly
revive a m itt
"
3 '* ’ ’
llu
S |H .
ial
H
Publie Work» Fund
”
Public works, such as roads, sewer
lines and water supply facilities play
a critical role in supporting the
growth and expansion of business in i
Oregon Yet Oregon’s infrastructure
is deteriorating to the point where
may lim it future growth
It will give us a good foundation
to begin the battle of
rebuilding the economy.
The Economic .Stabilization
and Conversion Fund
Many Oregon communities have
su ffe re d econom ic devastation
resulting from permanent closure of
one or more key employers.
Many of the m ill closings are due to
permanent and irreversible changes
in the technology and economics of
in d u s trie s such as tim b e r,
agriculture and basic metals The
Economic Stabilization and Conver
sion Fund w ill provide Oregon com
munities affected by plant closures
with the resources to deal with these
d ifficult situations Senate Hill 664
The Special Public Works Fun
creates a program specific-all
targetted to areas in which economi
development is prevented or substai
ttally restricted by a lack of adequat
public works
Some $23 2 m illion has been aj
propriated for infrastructure pre
jects.
Certainly the $80 m illion expet te<
in lottery revenues w ill not cun
Oregon's economic woes Km it w il
give us a good foundation to begin thi
battle of rebuilding the economy
That was our goal
not just short
term cures bu, a long term founda
lion for Oregon’s future
Letters to the editor
Brewster Trust Fund
used for exchanges
The fam ily of Alex Brewster would
like to thank all the people of this
community who have offered their
sympathy and prayers to us this past
week
To those who have contributed to
the Alex Memorial Trust I would like
to tell you how the funds w ill be used
It seems very important now to
establish something that w ill allow
Alex’s memory to live on and that
would also reflect his attitudes and
ideals
The Trust w ill establish a scholar
ship for travel and exchange student
activities To make it more perpetual
and hopefully a very significant and
growing fund, recipients would be
asked to contribute back to the fund
one-half of what they received at
some time in the future when Un-
are financially able The Trust coul
be- added to in the future
Alex had strong feelings aboi
scholarships and how they should b
administered so the example he si
would be the guide lor choice and at
ministration of the funds
Alex seems to have touched man
of your lives and we cherish ear
story and memory that has bee
shared with us I hope and pray, hi
short 20 years w ill continue to hav
an impact on those hi- knew We lov
ed him very much
Ginny, Ave, Kurt Carrie
Christy and Amy Brewster
and Vera Ayre-
•Sand'
Family says thank you
We wish to express our deep ap
preciation and heartfelt thanks to
Clackamas County Law Enforce
ment, Alpine Ambulance, friends,
relatives and neighbors for their
show of consideration, It,
ing in our recent difficult
The G riffe ths
Milo. Toni and Mary
I