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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 5, 2003)
Œ lje Ç o r t l a n h (ß b g e r ü e r Page A4 March OS. 2003 O pinion 1 he Portland Observer Opinion articles do not necessarily reflect or represent the views o f The Portland Observer N-C H i e r , P u B L is H tn Charles H. Washington C « t C d i t o i - i 4 T I V t D IIIC T O I The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and w ill be returned i f accompanied by a se lf addressed envelope. A ll created design display ads become the sole property o f the new spaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage w ithout the w ritten consent o f the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition o f such ad. © IW 6 T H E P O R T L A N D Paul Neufeldt ___________ USPS 959-680__________ Established 1970 4 7 4 7 NE M artin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97 21 1 E D I T O I A s s o c ia Michael Leighton St a n a c Mark Washington D iit u iu iih h re E d it o * Wynde Dyer c h W * t T * *, P h o r o c ! David Plechl a OBSERVER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN W HOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. m n Posrutsrm: Send address changes to Portland Observer P0 Bos 3 1 3 7 , Portland, OB 9 7 2 0 8 P e rio d ic a l Po»ta<e paid In P o rtla n d , OR ■ S u b ic rlp tlo n s are $ 6 0 .0 0 per year 5 0 3 -2 8 8 0 0 3 3 • FAX5 0 3 -2 8 8 0 0 1 5 • EMAIL: q&its&xrtlandobseryeLSani SUbxrietiQn^KnidnMiçryçr.çQm ads@Dortlandobserver.com The Portland O bserver-O regon’s Oldest M ulticultu ra l Publication—is a member o f the National Newspaper Association—Founded in 1885, and The National A dvertising Repre sentative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, N Y , and The WestCoast Black Publishers Association • Serving Portland and Vancouver. End the 1929 Tax Break for Corporations by C harles S heketoff The first lesson in Oregon Corporate Taxes 101: Ifyou're paying them, get a new accoun tant. About two thirds o f Oregon ’ s corporations, or 23,000 corporations, pay ju st the $10 corporate minimum tax. Lawmakers establ ished the corporate mini mum tax in 1929, setting it at $25. Later that year, the stock market crashed and the Great Depression began. The 1931 Legislative As sembly showed its com passion by lowering the tax to $ 10. Ignored by the Legislative Assembly, it has been frozen there ever since. Even the most ardent anti-tax advocate would agree that the costs o f government rose somewhat over the last 70-plus years. So, while government can’t pay its tax col lectors or buy them office supplies at 1929 prices, Corporate Oregon gets to pay a mini mum tax at those pre-Depression rates. Ifthe Legislative Assembly had indexed the 1929 corporate minimum tax to inflation, the m inimum tax would be over $260 today - a bargain at twice the price. Individuals pay incom e taxes regardless o f their expenses and w hether they have something left over in the bank at the end o f the year. Households don’t get to avoid the tax col lector when expenses exceed income. Laid- o ff workers, who only collected unemploy ment insurance at a fraction o f their former salaries, even owe Oregon income taxes. Corporate income taxes, on the other hand, are only paid on profits. But many profitable companies are getting away with paying the minimum $ 10 tax because they enjoy so many generous tax breaks and accounting gimmicks. We don’t know which Oregon corpora tions are good corporate citizens paying their share o f Oregon’s taxes, and which ones avoid taxes through Enron-styleaccountinggimmicks and the use o f tax breaks. A corporate tax disclosure law would shine the light on the good corporate citizens, as well as those w ho’ve practiced Corporate Tax 101 and figured out a way to escape paying for the benefitsofthecivilized society in which they do business. Besides shedding light on who they are, the Legislative Assembly should raise the corpo rate minimum tax to at least the level it was in 1929 - $260 in today’s dollar terms. Such a change would raise about $33 m il lion a biennium. . - r Charles Sheketoff is the executive direc tor ofthe Oregon Centerfor Public Policy. It’s often easier to pick out the vehicle . . . ------------------- than the financing! For an answ er you can trust, . let y ° ur c re dit union help! . T '" \A/ I I I Serving all who live, work, worship or attend school m ihe ______ / \ J\n k I I t Federal C redit Union betters to the (Scditer Besides paying the Department o f Revenue a fair price for reviewing their tax returns, lean think o f a host o f public services that money could support - services that improve Oregon's businessclimate. 2151 N W Front Avenue Portland Oreaon 97209 ' (5 0 3 )2 19 4539 ® (8 8 8 )9 0 0 8559 www willamettefcu.com Portland communities ol Arbor I odge, Boise. Bridgeton, Buckman north ol S I Hawthorne, ( dihedral Park. C hina town, C oncordia west ot N I 33,J Avenue, C oncordia I niversity. Downtown Portland. I ast Columbia. Goose Hollow, Humboldt. Irvington west ol N.I 17th Avenue. Kerns, K ing west ol N I 24th Avenue, luiurclhurst vvcsl o f N I 32nd Avenue. Northwest Portland, Northwest Industrial Portland. Old Ibtvn. Overlook. Pearl D istrict, Piedmont, Portland Community t ollege-f aseade I anipus. Portland State University. Portsmouth, Sabin west ol N I 24th Avenue, St Johns, Sullivan 's tiuleh west o f N F. 20th Avenue, Sunnyside west nl N F 20th Avenue. University o f Portland. University Park, Vernon, and Woodlawn. Support Welcome, Still Needed The Oregon Commission on Black Affairs wants to thank you, the citizens ofOregon, for your support during this critical time for our state. The W ays and Means hearings are over. Thank you to the 25 plus persons who came from Portland, Salem, Corvallis and Eugene to testify on behalf o f continued funding for the O CBA and all o f the Advocacy/A dvisory Commissions. Y ou presence, testimony, faxes, and e-m ails have made a difference. It is important that your elected officials know your thoughts, concerns and issues re garding the cuts that have been proposed. The Governor, your Senator and your representa- tive need to hear from you and your family immediately! Even ifyou contacted them initially, they still need to hear directly from you via your per sonal appearance in Salem, viae-mail, fax and via telephone calls. Let them know that Oregon’s Commission on B lack Affairs and the other advocacy agen cies are a vital link between our communities and the issues we face: Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Office ofthe Governor, Room 160, 900 Court St., NE Salem, OR 97301-4047. Phone 503-378- 4582, Citizens message line 503-378-6827, Fax 503-378-3111. Sen. Peter Courtney, Senate President. P h o n e 5 0 3 -9 8 6 -1 6 0 0 , O ffic e S-203 sen.petercourtney@state.or.us. Sen. BevClamo, Senate Republican Leader, 5 0 3 -9 8 6 -1 9 5 0 , O ffic e S -2 2 3 , sen.bevclamo@state.or.us Rep. Karen Minnis, Speaker o f the House. P hone 5 0 3 -9 8 6 -1 2 0 0 , O ffic e H -269, rep.karenminnis@state.or.us Rep. Deborah Kafoury, Democratic House Leader. Phone 503-986-1900, Office H-395, rep.deborahkafoury@state.or.us Everette L. Rice OCBA Executive Director Justice Demands Restitution Thank you for the great article on repara tions and on activist Billie Jean McCray. (“Pay Back Time,” front page, Feb. 12 issue.) Ms. McCray spoke to an eager audience at the Radical Women public meeting and every one left with more knowledge about the history and demands ofthe reparations movement. The U.S. governm ent sanctioned slavery and then low-wage labor o f African Am eri cans, which made huge profits for business. They must be held accountable. Radical Women looks forward to more collaboration with the courageous men and women ofthe African American community who demand just restitution for centuries o f slavery and institutionalized racism. Jennifer Laverdure Radical Women ■Advertise with diversity in |Jnrthniò (Dbserinrr call 503.288.0033 or email: adsfc/ port land observer.com CoverThe UninsuredlVedt Motch KT16,2003 H ealth F air Free and open to the public! The public is invited to a health fair on Wednesday, March 12 in Pioneer Courthouse Square where free screenings and educational materials will be available as part of a week-long series of events to bring greater awareness about the plight of the more than 41 million Americans and 440,000 Oregonians without health insurance. Screenings and information include: S Blood pressure & diabetes screening S Children’s Health Insurance Program enrollment info S Disaster Preparedness S Fitness S Foot care & massage S Hearing & eye exams S Nutrition S Oregon Health Plan enrollment info S Senior Rx drug assistance info ...and much more! WHEN: Wednesday, March 12th 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. WHERE: Pioneer Courthouse Square Downtown Portland Cover the uninsured Week (CTUW) is a nationwide grassroots effort to highlight the urgency that action must be taken now to address this growing health care crisis. For more information about the health fair or any other Cover the Uninsured Week event in Portland, please call: 503-226-9353 or log onto www.covertheuninsuredweek.org
