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Groups move ahead on tax repeal By AMBER FOSSEN Ashland Daily Tidings A petition drive to repeal a $1.1 billion income tax increase over the next three years is underway. "The legislature got frustrated, time was running out and the easiest person to hit was the taxpayer and that's what they did," said Bob Ekstrom, Oregon chairman of The Constitution Party of Oregon. The Constitution Party, the Republican Party, the Libertarian Party and other groups are banning together in order to secure the 50,000 valid signatures necessary to bring the tax increase to Oregon voters Feb 3. Petitioners have until Nov. 25 to gather enough support to refer the legislature's approved HB2152 to a vote. "By gathering these 50,000 signatures and bringing it to a vote in February, it will eliminate $335 million of the first year's income tax increase," Ekstrom said, noting the income tax is retroactive for 2002. Ekstrom said the state is not spending money wisely and should find ways to live within its means rather than hit citizens with increased taxes. "Some of the things that don't get widely published is that many state budgets include money for employees they don't have," Ekstrom said. "Seven percent of funds set aside are for positions not filled." Jim Bond, Oregon Education Association UniServe consultant, said the tax increase is imperative. "We're talking about another $414 million from the K-12 education portion," Bond said. "That's a lot of money considering the allotted $5.2 billion doesn't even reach the quality education model." Bond said it's time for Oregon voters to decide what they want for the future. "We're not doing our job taking care of kids period," Bond said. "[The tax increase] raises the revenue to $5.2 billion, but that still doesn't get us to where we were and it certainly doesn't meet the needs we currently have with exploding class sizes." "I just don't see how people can go into a classroom of 30 first graders and stay in there for more than an hour or, better yet, stay there for two or three days and tell me those kids are not being shorted and those teachers and education assistants are doing all that they can do." Bond said public employees in Jackson County gave back a minimum of $19 million last year because of budget cuts brought about after the failure of Measure 28 - a three-year income tax hike to pay for state programs - last January. OEA UniServe is in the process of collaborating with like-minded people on a possible campaign in support of taxes if the referendum is successful. An organizational meeting will be scheduled in October, according to Bond. Ekstrom said he anticipates an aggressive campaign by groups in support of the tax increase. "They're going to fight tooth and nail," Ekstrom said. "They're going to fight the signature campaign every step of the way and then they'll spend a lot of money campaigning against the measure. It won't be easy." In addition to the costs incurred by the parties both for and against the tax increase, state general fund money will be tapped if it goes to special election. According to Kathy Beckett, Jackson County election's clerk, more than $68,000 was spent on Measure 28 in Jackson County alone. Statewide, $1.5 million was spent on the special election. "It takes a lot to pull these things off and to think we just had one," Beckett said, referring to the Sept. 16 special election, which incurred similar costs. "You have to send a ballot to all those 109,000 people that were out there and those costs just don't go away." Ekstrom said the legislature should consider the possibility of referendums when making budget decisions. "The legislature should keep that in mind. Do we have the money in here for an election that will result in throwing this bill out?" he said. "I think they're betting on the fact that people won't stand up." Ekstrom said businesses statewide will be contacted in the next couple of weeks for petition distribution. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -