age. It seems to penalize the thrifty.
Any method of taxation, such as a
sales tax, which tends to i eventually
eliminate all property taxes can not, in
S justice, be lightly or selfishly Con
demned!
The factual data also shows that the
payment of à sales tax attaches no great
burden on any individual or family. Its
payment is as nearly "painless” as any
tax çan be. It comes in small amounts
ajad at periods of time more nearly
within the control of the individual
than almost any other form of revenue
raising. It also compels contribution by
the out-of-state tourist, the transient
worker, and others who now enjoy the
benefits and privileges offered by Ore
gon without contributing directly to
their support.
Shifts Tax Burden
The ¡¡f&ctual E data partially answers
the charge so often thrown at any sales
tax proposal that "it -shifts the burden
of taxation from z those most able to
pay to those least I able to pay.” The
so-called^ "burden” at issue appears, on
a factual basis, ,to amount to from $12
to .$32 a year for a four person family
in the aneóme groups of $1,000 to
$3,000. It is certain that a three per
cent salés,, tax on spending (food pur
chases are not subject to the tax) can
never exceed-’$-3.00 per hundred dollars
spent. Many of us can recall many in
stances where personal, unnecessary and
unprofitable expenditures have far ex
ceeded speh amounts, with no' tears
shed afterward! Many people who'
would pay senne small tax Via the easy
sales tax method áre now exempt from
sharing in the responsibilities of gov
ernmental support, yet enjóy tlaé same
protections and benefits which the pay
ers -make possible. Prudent people avoid
the glittering spellbinding of those who
advocate and promise "something for
nothing.” I
The reduction of property taxes, (a
direct result of the passage of the sales
tax) offers relief to the many who own
their own homès but lffrie else! The
salés tax "shifts” a burden f rom a Tew
11
to the many, a democratic procedure.
•It shifts part of the responsibility of
governmental support to those who now
enjoy its benefits but do not pay for
them.
Some speak of the laborer, the farmer,
the aged, the school teacher, the weal
thy, etc. as ‘‘classes” of people who are
to be injured or benefitted by a sales
tax. They should also recognize that
there are about 1,300,000 people in Ore
gon, all? of whom should contribute in
some measure to the wealth and pros
perity of the State. He should recog
nize the value to the State of the chil
dren who help raise and harvest out
Crops; the public servants who provide
the services that protect our lives and
properties; those who design, construct
and maintain opr roads- so-people and
goods Can travel safely; those who haz
ard their money in business and manu
facturing that all of Us may have the
/tools, materials, goods and necessities to
live better than the pioneers. A factory
worker knows that it takes a farmer
and a money investment ¡to provide him
with the means of existence. A farmer
knows that good roads, modern con
veniences, agricultural research and ad-
vice are desirable and valuable to his
livelihood. Businesses and manufactur
ing enterprises are necessary to permit
us to live in cities or to live anywhere,
in comfort, and depend on the coopera
tion of others for their ability to pro
duce. Those in public employment ren
der service' benefits in multitudinous
ways which affect the lives and com
forts of all. Sober ref lectioii reveals that
there are really no "classes” of individ
uals with rights above those of Other
human, beings. What we commonly rec
ognize as a "class” of people is still
basically just a few- human beings, a
minority, who would be completely
helpless if all other "classes” became
non-existent or unduly oppressed.
All Must Contribute
It is time for individual thought. The
progress of our State depends on clear
thinking by each person, on the exer-
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