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Much like the Oregon governors sales tax plan: Their numbers don't jive and if they needed money that bad why is the Governor on a huge spending spree with his budget proposals. We'd be throwing good money after bad by going to a sales tax............unless the income tax was 0.
The two dangerous features about the Lane County tax are that: voters did not need to approve of it first; and, once established, the commissioners can raise the tax rate whenever they feel they need more money - which of course is all the time.
Voters enacted limits on property taxes for the reason that the county commissioners were uncontrolled in raising property tax rates. Now the commissioners no longer have that power with respect to property taxes. The income tax is their new way to get around the property tax limitation. Lane County voters need to get a referendum going and repeal the tax decisively; otherwise I am afraid every county in the state will soon be enacting income taxes and we will back to spiralling county tax rates - just like before the property tax limitations were enacted. We will probably need another statewide initiative to control county income taxes.
Your statement that "Alternative tax plans or increased timber harvesting should have been part of the debate, but wasn’t" is simply untrue. The county spent the last year exploring alternative taxes with many public hearings on various options and has spent the last 15 years trying to get the federal government to allow a more balanced approach to managing our federal timberlands--all to no avial.
Even if you add the existing federal timber payments to the local property tax base, the combined rate is already lower than all but two counties in the state (it's basically the same as Hood River and a little higher than Clatsop). Lane County has cut its budget in 12 of the last 15 years, including cutting $30 million and 170 jobs during the last three years. Meanwhile, approximately 70% of the county's general fund is spent on public safety, which therefore has borne and will continue to bear the greatest burden of any cuts.
Now the county is faced with the loss of nearly 40% of its revenue base by the failure of Congress to continue making their payments or allowing for increased harvests on our federal lands.
And before you drag PERS into this, I would also point out that it was Lane County and the City of Eugene who commenced the litigation over PERS mismanagement that helped drive those rates to unsustainable levels.
It is very easy to criticize and find fault. Now its time for action. If anyone has a workable alternative to what the county did, I haven't heard it. As someone who lives in Lane County and will pay the tax, I regard it as far preferable to watching our public safety system collapse.
Whatever the real difficulties Lane County is in, an income tax would be ruinous. Lane County is in enough economic trouble as it is.
The only reason they adopted an income tax is because they know the voters have voted down property taxes in the past and will do so in the future. (And, the income tax is a way to get around the state property tax limitations, which Lane County would bump up against soon.)
The best thing would be for the County to take the hit, see what shakes out in terms of county services, and see how the voters like it. Maybe they'll go for higher taxes. I wouldn't bet the ranch on it.
How many folks do you know that make five or six figure income?
Most people I know struggle to maintain an income of five figures and give their families the comfort they want to provide.
Set aside the fact that these three Commissioners want to take an additional 30 to 50 bucks a month from me without me getting the chance to approve or disapprove it is just wrong.
I would not be against the new tax as much if the County Board would have attempted to seek a change in the state law that prohibits the taxing income of PERS, CITY, COUNTY, STATE, TEACHERS, FEDERAL AND RETIREMENT INCOME, no that would effect the income that they receive now and in the future. The simple fact that the County Board has sat back for the last 3 years and done "O" about the cut in federal funds that had a ten year drop dead date is even more of a breach in trust.
I’ll not willingly give another dime in taxes, no matter the rationale, until the playing field is leveled as far as PERS, CITY, COUNTY, STATE, TEACHERS, AND FEDERAL RETIREMENT INCOME IS TAXED AS AN EQUAL.
This is about those with the clout not even bothering to see what we would like to see done.
If you who are in the day to day trenches with me say we needed this tax and WE agree, no problem, but I, for one am absolutely incensed over the arbitrary ignoring of our collective voice.
Please support any ground swell of public outrage. We can’t allow ourselves to be ignored repeatedly.
J.
Springfield, Oregon
You are correct about the other hearings. I apologize for not mentioning them.
I have empathy for the county's struggle, and the tax is only part of it. My main focus of the article is how they enacted the tax. On the heels of a defeated tax and the spoken electorate the county needs to proceed with the trust and partnership with taxpayers. The county could have referred a measure to voters in a special election. The county could have sent voters multiple resolutions giving them a choice in which tax to choose. If not that, the county could have put a time limit on the tax like Multnomah County as a way of handling the crisis at hand and ensuring voters that the issue will be revisited for renewal, reform or revocation once things have settled. A sunset would help put strength behind the politicians’ promises and would help build confidence with taxpayers.
Having the state expand timber harvesting is something that was proposed by former Democrat State Representative Al King during the recent recession. It would have been nice to see that great idea move forward. The County could have sent every commissioner, every sheriff, every local mayor and every city councilor to Salem for a day to press for such a plan. That would have shaken up the State Capitol, and at least shown Lane County taxpayers that a big effort was made to remedy a longstanding problem.
The severity of the tax and the recent election meant the County needed to do better to move forward with the trust of the taxpayers. Taxpayers may seldom like a new tax, but they will respect their politicians when they themselves feel respected.
I read an article on the 22nd at Salem-News.com relating how the President's budget is likely to hit Oregon to the tune of $123 MM (not including the Timber payments). I wrote a brief post on it at rightOregon.org and immediately followed-up with a couple letters to my representatives. In writing these letters, I was trying to raise awareness to my rep's (both D's) that the Governor's expansive budget needs to be examined in the light of the potential shortfall. So far I've been satisfied with neither response I've received, one was a very kind, "yes you are correct and we're working on it" and the other sited the "rainy-day" fund as a remedy for this potential shortfall.
I fear that the Lane experiment could very easily become the solution to the looming federal funds shortfall.
geoffludt
rightOregon.org
"Most counties don't have the home rule charter that allows Lane County commissioners to enact an income tax"
If true, this gives some comfort in that most counties won't be able to enact an income tax by fiat to offset the shortfall.
geoffludt
www.rightOregon.org
Watch for a full page add in the Register Guard Thursday to find out where you can volunteer your time and sign the petition. Democracy only works if we the people are willing to get off our duffs and make something happen.
Thanks,