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MONDAY April 5 , 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels February 17, 2004 Plenty of money, but going to the wrong places By Ken Gosling Talent With the failure of Measure 30, which I supported as an opportunity to gain time, Oregon sits at a crossroad in its drive to be a civil society. I am embarrassed when I realize that we have chosen increased classroom size, shortened school years and marginal health care for our most disadvantaged. It is as if my neighbors balanced their budget by choosing beer over food for their children. What kind of country are we that allows personal/corporate selfishness to supercede civil obligations? The money for schools, health care etc. is available, we just need to prioritize differently. The cost of Measure 30 per family seems trivial in comparison to the percentage of the state general funds allocated to subsidize one sector of our economy, a segment not representative of the majority. In the fiscal year 2000 (my source year for data), Oregon spent $1.143 billion and every Oregonian spent $334 in subsidies to promote and stimulate growth. In other words, we as taxpayers are underwriting the reason that our taxes are rising. They rise due to the increasing budgets necessary to build the infrastructure a growing population demands. When you drive down Siskiyou Boulevard in Ashland, note all the new signals, library and fire station that you have purchased. Under our present system, we have decided that it would be an excessive burden for developers (who financially benefit) and new home buyers (who are predominantly from out of state) to pay their fair share of these expenses. We do our best to subsidize their in-migration: 25 percent of the Oregon general funds expenditures in 2000 went to subsidize them. Taxpayers provide a net economic benefit to private businesses. Taxpayers and utility rate payers pay for services and infrastructure conveyed to the beneficiaries of new growth. The majority of us are paying for the right of a few to spoil our nest. I am not saying no one should move here, rather they need to pay their fair share. Fodor and Associates documented the following: In 2000, Oregon spent $1.143 billion in growth subsidies: 1. The biggest ticket item was $738 million in infrastructure subsidies to build new schools, roads, libraries, etc to support the new subdivisions. This is what's left over after insufficient System Development Charges (SDC's) were collected. 2. Economic development subsidies totaled $257 million. Included in this category are tax incentives to businesses and Urban Renewal Districts subsidies. All Oregonians are paying to gentrify Talent. 3. $33 million went to subsidize planning and development departments to assist developers. 4. $115 million to traffic and congestion costs. Not included are the costs of pollution, crime and other social costs of over population. In 2000 every new house cost taxpayers $26,000, and we received little from those dollars spent. We have a system where those with the greatest need must go begging for crumbs and those who cause the problems have their wallets padded. I suspect that we are not hearing about these subsidies due to the power of the building lobby, and the perceived impression that growth is inevitable and beneficial. Urge your lawmakers to address these issues: Stop all economic development subsidies. Force private businesses and corporations to stand on their own feet not on our shoulders. Mandate that new homeowners should pay for the societal costs of that home as current SDC's are a pittance of the real cost to society. Stop the annexation of farm lands into our cities, leading to greater taxes. Do you want to waste your taxes on subsidies, or invest them in our future? For more information contact: AGOregon.com. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: The new search is here! Click here for more information. .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams