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PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, OCTOBER 14, 2016 KeizerOpinion KEIZERTIMES.COM Measure 97 Adding $3 billion in new revenue to the state budget is a great idea...on the surface. Sure, we want to be sure our schools have the level of fund- ing needed to improve education. Sure, we want there to be money to im- prove healthcare and we’d certainly like to see more services for our senior citizens. Measure 97 would increase the minimum corporate tax on corpo- rate gross sales that exceed $25 mil- lion. Corporate sales below $25 mil- lion would continue to be taxed at the current 0.1 percent rate. Some say the new tax would make big business pay its fair share of taxes in Oregon. Proponents continue on that it would mostly be out-of-state corporations with in-state sales that would be affected. Opponents say that regardless of the intent of the measure the added tax costs will be passed onto the con- sumer; some say that could be up to $600 per household per year in added expense. According to the 2016 State Busi- ness Tax Burden Rankings by the An- derson Economic Group of Michigan, Oregon has the lowest corporate tax rate of any state. That can be addressed another day. If Oregon has the lowest corporate tax rate in the na- tion shouldn’t corporations be fl ocking to our state? But, that’s for another day as well. We are not swayed by ar- guments such as Measure 97 would be the biggest tax in- crease in state history, or it is a hidden sales tax. We are swayed by the ar- gument that the measure does not put into state statute exactly where that new revenue would be used. As writ- ten the revenues from the new cor- porate tax would go into the general fund. Though supporters say it would be used for childhood education, healthcare and senior services, that is no guarantee. Future legislatures could direct that revenue into other areas. We say vote no on Measure 97 in 2016. Then the hard work must be- gin: Democrats and Republicans must, without excuse, come to agreement on areas to streamline and reduce the costs of government. Get the state’s fi - nancial and tax houses in order, show the people it can be trusted to work with billions of extra dollars. Any future measures similar to 97 should have revenues explicitly ear- marked for the areas most people would agree are important: education, wellness (physical and mental) and se- niors. —LAZ Community key to KNOW event success bent in District 25, brag about how he successfully worked with both parties in the legislature to get his bill passed during the last session. What was this bill that passed on an 89-1 vote? I did some research. His bill permits people to eat food in the lunchroom of a smoke or tobac- co shop. It’s nice that the folks who work in such a shop can now legally eat lunch where they work. But how many people in Oregon benefi t from this bill? Damn few. I heard the number eleven tossed about. This is an inconsequential, very poor example of bipartisan co- operation. He continues to push the idea that was his platform when he ran for an open seat in the legislature two years ago. He thinks ‘there are too many laws on the books in Ore- gon’. His solution is to eliminate two existing laws whenever any new law is passed. Arbitrarily crossing laws off the books makes a joke out of poli- tics and government, especially when a new bill is as inconsequential as his bill. Republicans, I’m sure you could fi nd a better candidate. But since you haven’t, I strongly urge you and ev- eryone else to vote for Sharon Free- man. This is just one of many reasons for my supporting Sharon Freeman. She is the ‘right’ candidate. Join me in supporting the more competent and thoughtful candidate. Barbara Doyle Newberg editorial letters To the Editor: On behalf of the Keizer Chamber Foundation and the members of the Keiz- er Network of Women (KNOW), I would like to thank the Keizer community and surrounding areas for their support for our our recent “Roaring 20’s” fundraiser. Monies raised during the benefi t will be used for our Keizer Chamber Foundation Gift Basket program. A huge thank you to all our local busi- nesses who continue their support and this year, sponsored tables for educators and staff from all of our lo- cal schools. The Keizer Chamber Foundation provides cultural and educational opportunities, charitable services and personal development programs to Keizer citizens. If you would like more informa- tion, or to see photos of the event, fi nd us on Facebook. Thank you for another great year. Audrey Butler Keizer Support for Freeman in Dist. 25 To the Editor: I’m supporting Sharon Freeman for state representative in House dis- trict 25 for many reasons. Here is just one. I recently heard Bill Post, incum- A vicious presidential debate By E.J. DIONNE JR. It’s not an American habit for a presidential candidate to declare that he would imprison his oppo- nent. Donald Trump, reeling from the release of an 11-year-old video recording his lewd and repulsive comments about women, went there anyway. And while he said he was “very embarrassed” by his talk of grop- ing and assault, Trump decided that salvation lay in dredging up old scandals involving his opponent’s husband. Of Bill Clinton, he said: “There’s never been anybody in the history of politics in this nation that’s been so abusive to women.” Trump seemed to think that the comparison would somehow make him look better. Trump stalked the stage, inter- rupting Hillary Clinton, repeatedly attacking her for “lying,” and assail- ing the moderators, Martha Rad- datz and Anderson Cooper, saying at one point that the debate was three against one. It was the petu- lant and often boorish performance of a man aware that his campaign was at the edge of extinction. Clinton hit back hard on Trump’s history of sexist com- ments, his refusal to release his tax returns, the untruthfulness of many of his claims and charges, his pro- posal to ban Muslim immigration and his closeness to Russian Presi- dent Vladimir Putin. But Clinton remained calm and confi dent, her demeanor refl ect- ing the reality of the debate: That Trump’s meandering and often ill- informed answers and his angry aggressiveness would play badly with voters harboring doubts about whether he has the temperament to be president. He left those doubts in place, and he may even have other views deepened the quiet qualms of his own running mate by openly dis- agreeing with Mike Pence’s views on U.S. policy toward Russia and Syria. Clinton knew that she did not have to do much to take advantage of the troubles the video created for Trump. She argued that it should not be viewed in isolation but as part of a pattern of sexism and abu- sive comments about women. “It represents exactly who he is,” she said, and showed he was not fi t for the presidency. The paradox of the evening is that everything Trump did to turn off swing voters nonetheless com- plicated the path for Republicans who want to drive him out of the race or, at the least, cut him loose from the rest of the party’s ticket. His aggressiveness gave him more control over the second de- bate than he had in the fi rst, and his belligerence is precisely what his base loves about him. By the end of the encounter, he had done little to make the contest genuinely com- petitive, little to reassure Republi- cans who are thinking of jumping ship, but more than enough to rally his strongest supporters. They will remain an army of resistance to moves against him inside the GOP. This, too, may have been a victory for Clinton. The most substantively shocking moment in the debate came early on. Speaking of Trump’s instabil- ity and untrustworthiness, Clinton said: “It’s just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country.” Trump immediately shot back: “Because you’d be in jail.” Nothing could have done more to reinforce fears of Trump as a dangerously authoritarian fi gure. Friday’s video almost certainly ended any chance Trump has of becoming president. Clinton un- derstood this and acted accord- ingly, believing that Trump would do her work for her. He largely did. Trump’s desire to fi ght back fero- ciously kept him in the race but left him badly wounded and made some of the wounds deeper. He was thus more dangerous to his party after the debate than he was before it began. For Americans looking for uplift, the night offered very little. Clinton came the closest, opening and clos- ing with an appeal to bring Ameri- cans together, and offering a grace note when both candidates were asked to praise something about their opponent. Clinton praised Trump for his children, and used it as a way of reintroducing her theme of a more united and tolerant na- tion. Trump praised Clinton for the very trait she most values in herself: her ability to stand up, fi ght and re- main in the arena. But that was about the only in- spiration there was to be had. This is a vicious campaign that will for years make it hard for lovers of the American political system to pro- claim that ours is the greatest de- mocracy in the world. Trump rose to fame as a reality television star, and his quest for the presidency has brought everything that is offensive and dispiriting about the genre into the center of U.S. politics. It will take us a long time to recover. (Washington Group) Post Writers Regulations have a place in the nation Keizertimes Wheatland Publishing Corp. • 142 Chemawa Road N. • Keizer, Oregon 97303 phone: 503.390.1051 • web: www.keizertimes.com • email: kt@keizertimes.com SUBSCRIPTIONS NEWS EDITOR Eric A. Howald editor@keizertimes.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Derek Wiley news@keizertimes.com One year: $25 in Marion County, $33 outside Marion County, $45 outside Oregon PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY ADVERTISING Publication No: USPS 679-430 Paula Moseley advertising@keizertimes.com POSTMASTER Send address changes to: PRODUCTION MANAGER Andrew Jackson Keizertimes Circulation graphics@keizertimes.com 142 Chemawa Road N. LEGAL NOTICES Keizer, OR 97303 legals@keizertimes.com EDITOR & PUBLISHER Lyndon Zaitz publisher@keizertimes.com BUSINESS MANAGER Laurie Painter billing@keizertimes.com Periodical postage paid at Salem, Oregon RECEPTION Lori Beyeler facebook.com/keizertimes twitter.com/keizertimes A couple of Americans running now for high public offi ce—Donald Trump, nationally and Bud Pierce in Oregon, are calling for cuts in regula- tions and less red tape. That kind of pie-in-the-sky stuff just may be easier to promise than deliver. Neverthe- less, what’s got me more than a little nervous is what and where regula- tions and red tape will be cut and to what extent the eliminations will mean a greater danger to our health and safety. But, let’s get specifi c on regula- tions and red tape: For offi ces, will it mean the smok- ing of cigarettes (again), cigars and now “joints” will be allowed? Will ergonomics in the design of desk furniture and other works stations be lumbered out? Will heating and cooling of offi ce spaces be reserved only for CEOs and other executives? Will sanitary conditions be provided and will the buildings be maintained in repair for safe use? Will all the ma- chines in daily use be maintained to avoid leakage of toxic substances into the air and spills on the fl oor as slip- ping hazards? For homes, will asbestos reappear in the form of insulation in attics and walls, countertops, fl ooring and ceil- ing-fi nish surfaces? When repairs or improvements are made, will there be any further effort to control the release of asbestos into the environ- ment? Will lead in paint make a re- turn to homes (and auto fuels)? Will all things bought for home use be potentially and readily combustible? Will there by any control over the quality and lasting ability of home building materials? Will outlets be any longer designed to keep small children from electrocu- tion? Will there no lon- ger be breaker switches that automatically shut things off when an elec- trical problem occurs? For outside construction work, will steel-toed shoes still be required for work entailing heavy objects? Will outer ware still be available for various kinds of outdoor work, like special gloves to handle hazardous materials, hard hats for work where objects may fall to harm workers, and special clothing that’s to be worn when handling materials that can cause skin lesions and the like? When working at heights above 10 feet will fall protection continue to be re- quired? Will trucks laden with loads to dump or deliver continue to use noise-making devices to warn that the truck is coming at workers in re- verse gear? Will respirators still exist? For farm work, will every safety protection be maintained? Will farm workers be protected from inhaling dust from fertilizers and other mate- rials that are used in the cultivation of ground, its preparation for plant- ing, and in its harvesting? Will safety devices such as automatic shut-off or dead-man switches keep farm work- ers from getting entangled in or shut down immediately when it happens in the use of farm work machinery? Will silos and barns no longer be de- signed to keep workers safe but be- come death traps again? For business and industry, will practices in those places be ‘anything gene h. mcintyre goes’ again? Will any business and industry that uses heavy metal toxins in their processes be able to simply pump out their spent materials into the air, rivers, or into the ground? Will the air be more heavy with airborne particles that have not been fi ltered in any way? Will reporting on what the business and industry is doing by way of record-keeping and reporting not be kept or required while anyone or organization with a protest can be told to just go away with no le- gal recourse against what’s lawless or illegal? Will the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) drop dead and Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) be buried? (Although with waivers and special exemptions by the DEQ, more often nowadays its regulations already go unenforced.) There are many more examples of regulations and red tape that make American life more safe and livable today than any time since the Indus- trial Revolution got under way in the mid-1800s. The reader can surely add to my list of thankful-they-exist spe- cifi cs. All I want to know is whether the list of those protections that will be proposed by he who becomes president and governor are planned for obsolescence under their admin- istrations? I’ll vote accordingly. (Gene H. McIntyre’s column ap- pears weekly in the Keizertimes.) Share your opinion Email a letter to the editor (300 words) by noon Tuesday. Email to: publisher@keizertimes.com
