Opinion
The Skanner News Ballot Enorsements
“Challenging People to Shape
a Better Future Now”
B ERNIE F OSTER
Founder/Publisher
T
hese are our endorsements for the
ballot initiatives on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Whether you agree or disagree, you
should be sure to get out and vote.
B OBBIE D ORE F OSTER
Executive Editor
STATE
T ED B ANKS
Advertising Manager
YES ON MEASURE 77. Measure 77
amends constitution to allow the governor
to declare an emergency (a “catastrophic
disaster”) and begin recovery efforts more
quickly. Considering we’re expecting a
major earthquake some time in the next
30 years, it’s not a bad idea.
J ERRY F OSTER
Account Executive
L ISA L OVING
News Editor
H ELEN S ILVIS
Multimedia Editor
D AVID K IDD
Graphic Designer
M ONICA J. F OSTER
Seattle Office Coordinator
J ULIE K EEFE
S USAN F RIED
Photographers
The Skanner Newspaper, established
in October 1975, is a weekly publica-
tion, published each Wednesday by
IMM Publications Inc.,
415 N. Killingsworth St.,
P.O. Box 5455, Portland, OR 97228.
Telephone (503) 285-5555.
E-mail: info@theskanner.com
World Wide Web site:
http://www.theskanner.com
YES ON MEASURE 78. Measure 78 is
a “housekeeping” measure designed to
clean up language, misspellings and clar-
ify Oregon’s three branches of
government.
NO ON MEASURE 79. Measure 79
amends constitution: Prohibits real estate
transfer taxes, fees, and other assess-
ments. Critics charge that the law takes
control away from local governments and
should not be put into the state constitu-
tion.
YES ON MEASURE 80. Measure 80
allows personal marijuana, hemp cultiva-
tion/use without license; commission to
regulate commercial marijuana cultiva-
tion/sale. While we have reservations
about some aspects of the law, we sup-
port a common sense effort to start
regulating the pot industry and bring its
profits into the tax coffers. This is the only
measure that, if passed, could potentially
CREATE revenue for the state.
National Newspaper Pub lishers Associ-
ation and West Coast Black Pub lishers
Association.
All photos submitted become the
property of The Skanner. We are not re -
4
4
5
4
4
4
4
5
5
STATE OF OREGON
Yes on Measure 77
Yes on Measure 78
No on Measure 79
Yes on Measure 80
Yes on Measure 81
Yes on Measure 82
Yes on Measure 83
No on Measure 84
No on Measure 85
5
MULTNOMAH COUNTY
No on Measure 26-143
4
4
5
CITY OF PORTLAND
Yes on Measure 26-144
Yes on Measure 26-145
No on Measure 26-146
way. Why should one group have a monop-
oly on casinos? We’d like to see
competition in the industry and if there’s a
shake-up in tribal casino management –
so be it.
YES ON MEASURE 81. Measure 81
Prohibits commercial non-tribal fishing
with gillnets in Oregon “inland waters,”
allows use of seine nets. This measure is
aimed at protecting the last wild salmon
runs in the Columbia River by banned the
use of gillnets—which capture everything
that runs into them, whether it’s endan-
gered fish or not.
NO ON MEASURE 84. Measure 84
Phases out existing inheritance taxes on
large estates, and all taxes on intra-family
property transfers. Few Oregonians will be
impacted by the cost of an inheritance tax,
but everyone would be impacted by the
loss to the state economy of an estimated
$50 million to $175 million a year, depend-
ing on how it would reduce capital gains
taxes, according to the state Legislative
Revenue Office.
YES ON MEASURES 82-83. Measures
82 and 83 amend the state constitution to
authorize establishment of privately-
owned casinos and mandates percentage
of revenues payable to dedicated state
fund. It’s a shame the campaign has been
suspended but we are supporting it any-
NO ON MEASURE 85. Measure 85
amends constitution: allocates corporate
income/excise tax “kicker” refund to addi-
tionally fund K-12 public education. One of
the biggest problems the Oregon legisla-
ture has is that its tangle of anti-tax laws
Fax: (503) 285-2900
The Skanner is a member of the
Ballot Measures
makes it hard to budget -- for anything. The
kicker is a major culprit because it literally
makes it impossible for the state to save
money – kicking it back to corporations
that are not even based here. Make
sense? We don’t think so either.
MULTNOMAH COUNTY
NO ON THE LIBRARY LEVY. 26-143
Form Library District with permanent rate
to fund library services. We are worried
about piling more taxes onto households
in tough times. It’s not that we don’t sup-
port the libraries, but as Multnomah
County Chair Jeff Cogen says without this
measure, things will stay the same. So we
are making the tough call of passing on
this one, this time.
CITY OF PORTLAND
YES ON THE SCHOOLS BOND. 26-144
Portland Public School District Bonds to
Improve Schools. We didn’t support the
last schools bond because it was too cost-
ly and poorly written. This measure has
built-in citizen accountability, which is
important because we do not have faith
that school district bureaucrats will spend
our resources wisely. If the measure pass-
es, we will be holding the district’s feet to
the fire on how these dollars are used.
YES ON FIRE AND POLICE DISABILI-
TY RETIREMENT REFORM. 26-145
Amends Charter: Changes Provisions of
Fire Police Disability Retirement System.
We all support our Fire and Police
Departments, but dedicating 26 cents on
every tax dollar the city takes in for their
disability plan is a burden that we can’t
continue to bear.
NO ON THE ARTS TAX. 26-146 Restore
School Arts, Music Education; Fund Arts
through Limited Tax. We love arts in the
schools – they actually help kids learn
many other subjects. But this measure
taxes every working adult “over the pover-
ty line” $35 a year, with part of the money
going to the ballet, the symphony and the
opera. Many people are still the working
poor even if they are above the official
“poverty line” – and these people should
not be tapped to subsidize the ballet, the
symphony and the opera. As much as we
love those things too.
spon sible for lost or damaged photos
either solicited or unsolicited.
© 2012 The Skanner. ALL RIGHTS RE SERVED.
REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART
WITHOUT PERMISSION PROHIBITED.
Coming Next Week
To see The Skanner
News on your smart
phone go to
theskannermobile.com
or scan this QR code
with your app.
Lew Frederick
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Local news
Opinions
Jobs, Bids
Sports
Entertainment
Music reviews
Bulletin board
RSS feeds
Page 4 The Portland Skanner
Earl Blumenhauer
Chip Shields
Who will be the best candidates to
support the issues that matter most to us?
Check in and see.
October 17, 2012
Vedell Nelson registered voters this month
outside the Voter Depot on Northeast
Killingsworth Street. Get out and use your
vote!