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Paying per mile will unfairly tax the working poor who can't afford to live near their jobs and rural Oregonians for whom a trip to the store or a Sunday church visit can mean dozens of miles on the odometer.

My family ranches and farms in rural Oklahoma. Like many small family farmers, they are already struggling financially - a pay-per-mile tax scheme could wipe them out.

Oregon is wise enough to eliminate sales tax, which regressively taxes the working poor. I would hate to see us turn around and punish those who can't afford our exorbitant close-in real estate prices while handing what is essentially a tax break to rich downtown condo-dwellers.

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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