t .
FOURTEEN The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday April 12, 1979
tax check'
or politics may oe repeal
v -s
Tl
Dollar
off f
ByKathy Glanville
Eagle Netctpapers
SALEM It may give some
people a bit of satisfaction to
be able to check off $1 of their
state income tax as a contri
bution to a political party.
After all, at income tax time
there's not much else you can
do to direct the flow of money
from your pocket to the
government's.
More than one Democrat
put forth the argument last
week during hearings to
repeal the $1 checkoff adopted
by the 1977 Legislature.
At least one Republican
wasn't having any of it. Rep.
Bill Rogers, D-Vida, wryly
asked if the taxpayer wouldn't
get more satisfaction with
checkoffs for things like road
repair.
Debate on the issue has been
fairly lively as Democrats talk
about "reviewing the two
party system" and curbing
the power of "special inter
ests" while Republicans and
dissident Democrats question
the use of public tax money to
subsidize political parties.
But for all the talk, it's
doubtful the $1 checkoff will be
repealed this year. A Democratic-controlled
Legislature
passed the measure two years
ago and this year's Democratic-controlled
Legislature
isn't likely to let it die.
The $1 checkoff pulled in
$285,000 in 1977, and the
Democrats got $2 for every $1
checked off for the Republi
cans. Naturally, the Republicans
would like to do away with the
system. And not all Demo
crats are solidly behind it.
Chief sponsor of the bill to
repeal the measure is Max
Simpson, D-Baker. Al
together, nine Democrats and
31 Republicans are co-sponsors
of the repeal bill.
Simpson went after the $1
checkoff because he doesn't
like the way the Democratic
Party distributed it during the
last election.
"It is a fact that less than
one-half of the state's party
checkoff funds went to direct
aid for the candidates," said
Simpson. Simpson didn't get
any of the money, but he says
that's not why he opposes the
system.
"It is also a fact that 20 of
the 34 Democrats now serving
in the House didn't get a dime
of that fund."
Simpson charges that those
Democrats with conservative
views were the ones left out of
the pot.
"The conservative ap
proach best represents the
thinking of most Democratic
Oregonians," said Simpson.
"Yet the Democratic party
funds the liberal viewpoint."
The intent of the $1 checkoff
was to strengthen the state's
political parties and the law
isn't specific about how the
money is to be spent.
The State Democratic Party
gave direct contributions to 33
state representative candi
dates. Fourteen of those
Democratic candidates won
their elections.
The task of dividing up the
money stirred up a lot of
controversy, something Dem
ocratic party leaders say
shows how well the $1 checkoff
fund is working to revive the
party.
Rep. Wayne Fawbush, D
Hood River, said it's true that
the $1 checkoff fund was used
as part of a move to get the
"Hornets." the conservative
Democrats who formed a
coalition with the Republi
cans during the last session.
Simpson was a member of the
Hornets.
"The revolt among the
Hornets upset a lot of party
people, so there was a move to
get them," Fawbush said.
"Things are entirely different
this year, there won't be any
breaks in the ranks. People
are going to get money based
on need."
Fawbush says the furor over
the $1 checkoff misses the
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Phone 670-H22X
main point: The ever increas
ing cost of running for public
office.
"The whole question is who
gets elected and who pays for
it?" says Fawbush. "The
trend in elections is to spend
more and more money. I'm
not optimistic about the $1
checkoff changing that. My
goal is to get some kind of
expenditure limit."
Fawbush received almost
$4,000 from the $1 checkoff
fund.
He said his opponent spent
almost $26,000 to his $14,000 in
the last election.
Fawbush said his case is the
exception. He points out to
statistics which show that by
and large, the candidates who
spent more were the winners
in state elections last year.
"If something's not done,
elections are going to go to the
highest bidder," Fawbush
says.
Limits on campaign spend
ing have been thrown out by
the U.S. Supreme Court as
unconstitutional infringe
ments on the right of free
speech.
Proponents of campaign
limits argue that the poor
candidate has a right to be
heard by as many voters as
the rich candidate who can
afford television and radio
time. But the Supreme Court
hasn't been willing to stretch
constitutional guarantees in
that direction.
Fawbush said the $1 check
off may be amended this
session to appease opponents
with a different distribution
system for the funds.
Whatever they do, the $1
checkoff won't help curb
campaign spending. The $1
checkoff has a sunset provi
sion which means it is
automatically repealed in
1981, and Rebublic - Gov.
Atiyeh has said he would
repeal any attempt to resur
rect it.
OUR IFRflOILV
RnrFAwiiiET
1 0 fl I A If mill . -
$W lJhs$ BONELESS
MAMS
fTlK fyUrTri WESTERN FAMILY, 5-7 LB.
VERAGE, WATER ADDED
7
EASTEH UULUHINU
UJ LB.
y$ IF SLICED Lb 1.89
'ST
BEEF TOP
SIRLOIN STEAK
BONELESS,
USDA CHOICE BEEF
L3
BEEF TOP
ROUND ROAST
BONELESS,
USDA CHOICE BEEF
I LB.
SPEEDI-CUT BONELESS H AMSr :S. $2.03
$1.69 CUREMASTER BONELESS HAM
Hormel. .h Lb.
$3.49
HURRY!
ENTER THRIFMAY'S
EASTER COLORING
CONTEST
Pick up an entry form and more details
in the store. Contest will be divided into
3 age groups with a winner from each
group.
PRICES EFFECTIVE 7 FULL DAYS
APRIL 11 THRU APRIL 17, 1979
WE RESERVETHE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES
LEAN GROUND BEEFe,
TURKEY PAN ROASTs wift's. Light & Dark, 2 Lb Pkg. . . Ea. O. 45 TURKEY HAM Longmont, 2-214 Lb. Average Lb. $1.69
BAR S BONELESS HAM
fnAverage Lb $2.79 TURKEY PASTRAMI S
Or Turkey Ham,
8-Oz. Package Ea.
1.59
vie welcome
FCC3 SIM?
SHOPPERS
BUTTERBALL
TURKEYS
9-21 LB. AVERAGE
V J VLB.
:
I- jnmwiirtT
Ljr
BONELESS
HAM SLICES u 1.99
SWIFT'S. 9 VARIETIES
SAUSAGE Brown & Serve, 8 Oz Ea. llbU
ARMOUR'S PAN SIZE
SLICED BACOW20 Pkg Ea $1.19
LENNON'S, PORK mmg
LINK SAUSAGE 1.79
ARMOUR
SMOKIES,. Pkg Ea $l.59
MORRELL
SAUSAGE Lb$1.99
FRY!
'M HALF
WASHINGTON GROWN
DAYS FRESHER
Co) (cm a
(oypj9
HAWAIIAN PUWCHRed. 46 oz 63
NUCOA MARGARINEpoundPkg 59
LIBBY'S TOMATO JUICE46 0! s 69
WESTE R N FAM I LY ASPAR AG U S cut, and TiPs. is oz 99
GOLD MEDAL FLOURiou, Bag 1.69
NALLEY'S CR UNCHI-O'S Assorted Varieties, 8 Oz 89
CHIFFON DINNER NAPKINSAs,or,ad,6ocoun 59
JOHNSON'S EXTRA-ABSORBENT DIAPERSpkg of is. 2.29
FRISKIES BUFFET CAT FO OD Assorted Varieties, 6 .5 -Oz 4FOR 1
mi W HB5 t os
I
DARiGOLD SHERBET
FRESH START POWDERED,
DETERGENT $ A V
84-OZ. 1 lJ
NEW COLD POWER XE
LAUNDRY DETERGENT
POWDER, 49-OZ. SIZE
ASSORTED FLAVORS,
LIGHT AND TASTY
HALF GALLON
DARIGOLD SOUR CREAM nm 69'
LSruuvL.is vvnirriivu vntm Kim '
WESTERN FAMILY CREAM CHEESE s o 59c
fSSURE AWTI-PERSPIR AWT l
L HcHJ 6-OZ. SPRAY CAN 1 "7 O Th-OZ. ROLL-ON J O
El I p sri mw.w m mm I il
f Pr)i " a r n m tf NEW STORE HOURS: " fSSlteif
JPdTID IC 1 fTl TTPJ! IflffflW OpenEveryDay8a.m.to10p.m. fl
rc llrMIIJJ S 0 InJUUllil ll UU IT U 30SS.W. 11thAve.(ButtercreekHwyO,Hermiston rjl
yj LMifeTia Hmf In The All New Sagebrush Plaza 3tgrj,
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