Oregon Public Broadcasting

1st congressional district 2012 election 2012 session agriculture art arts author beer births books budget business central oregon college congress crime culture death penalty eastern oregon economy education employment energy environment eugene fishing food gangs gay rights health health care high school history homeless housing jobs kids law legislature literature living media mental health military movies music native americans obama occupy portland occupy wall street onthejob oregon our town outdoors parenting police politics portland portland business journal portland mayor pregnancy prison public health race rebroadcast recess recession religion republicans rural schools science shooting sports supreme court talking business technology teen theater trailblazers unemployment union university of oregon washington water weekend women youth

I am voting NO on both measures on principle for two basic reasons:  1) It is a fact, over the long-term,  overall taxes have increased while real income has declined.  2) Fundamentally, tax revenue is generated by private business that EXPORTS product and services. Increases in revenue need to follow this wealth generation not borrow it like the Feds.

Taking more money out of the private sector will erode the investment and revenue enhancement potential that generates tax revenue in the first place. The measures are a short term patch. The State needs to do more work to prioritize services that will enhance the economy while cutting those that do not. The legislature needs to go back to working on making hard cuts just like businesses have had to make to survive. Businesses have made cuts in benefits salaries, jobs, capital expenditures etc.

I am a middle income earner with zero tax deductions. I have two children in public schools. The Public Schools sent home lobbying information ("facts") printed - no doubt with public shool funds - advocating a yes vote on the measures by threatening with cuts in school days and materials. 

What is wrong? While  the proportion of overall public funds (taxes and fees) to incomes has steadily increased throughout State history. Tax Freedom Day has trended farther into the Spring over the years. Have we improved such major services such as education? I see that we are not doing a better job and our standing internationally has steadily declined.

Why is the State pushing the taxes on the wealthy earners? People don't realize that per IRS figures for 2006 (released in 2008) the top 1% of earners paid 95% of all income taxes. I am not wealthy but THAT is NOT fair.

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
view in context

Mr. Rolf refers to Pacific Corp and other utilities as "polluters" What people like Mr. Rolf fail to realize is that we are all polluters by the fact that we use energy produced by said utilities.  The only way to "cap" carbon emissions is by improved efficiencies of the most inefficient power plants (those in China for example) or reducing our usages.

posted 2 years, 7 months ago
view in context

Mr. Rolf refers to Pacific Corp and other utilities as "polluters" What people like Mr. Rolf fail to realize is that we are all polluters by the fact that we use energy produced by said utilities.  The only way to "cap" carbon emissions is by improved efficiencies of the most inefficeint power plants (those in China for example) or reducing our usages.

posted 2 years, 7 months ago
view in context