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M/SUNNY Temp: 62 °F Wind: NW at 3 mph Wednesday, April 9, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 16, 2003 Libertarians decry pro-Measure 28 tactics By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Blackmail. That’s what Mitch Shults, chairman of the Oregon Libertarian party, calls the spending cuts proposed if Measure 28 fails. Outlined cuts to the budgets of school districts, state police, prisons and programs for elderly, poor and mentally ill people are designed to make the failure of the temporary income tax measure look as threatening as possible, he said. "If those cuts happen, the Legislators that allowed it would be tossed out, so they will make changes," Shults said. "No politician is willing to release felons onto the street as threatened." They are, however, only too willing to use threats, blackmail and scare tactics to push people into supporting an increased tax burden, he claims. "It’s absolutely crucial that we don’t let this pass," Shults said. "We have to cut off their air supply or they will keep taxing us." Shults brought his anti-Measure 28 message to Jackson County Wednesday night when he spoke at a gathering sponsored by Citizens for a Sound Economy, a conservative think tank and lobbying organization. He also offered the Libertarian party’s proposal for alternative cuts that would "enhance public safety and protect vulnerable populations." The proposal calls for a state hiring freeze that could save $41.6 million in the next five months and $200 million in the next two-year budgeting period. Also proposed is an update of state retirement-system mortality tables for a $50 million saving in the next five months and a $240 million savings. Other ideas on the list include cutting middle management, temporary wage reductions, privatization of the state motor pool and state Department of Transportation planning and engineering services, and the elimination of the state Economic Development Department and Liquor Control Commission. "There’s $553 million in savings over the next five months, and did I mention education or state troopers once?" he said. "No." The Libertarian party and the Taxpayers Association of Oregon are leading the opposition to the tax measure. Shults admits, though, that they haven’t created much noise yet. "Taxpayers complain quietly, while tax consumers complain loudly," he said. "We’ve heard from teachers and health-care providers who don’t want their budgets cut." Now, he continued, ordinary taxpayers must speak up, too. The income of Oregon residents has grown 5 percent annually in recent years, Shults said. State spending has grown 8 percent annually. If the two trends continue, by 2080 state spending will outpace the income of all its citizens, he claims. If voters reject Measure 28, state spending will still increase 5 percent. Therefore, he said, agencies won’t see cuts so much as smaller increases. Not so, said Tricia Prendergast, who works for Asante Child Development and serves on the Medford school board. In the past, the state has threatened cuts and then found funds at the last minute, she agrees. "This is not a threat, cuts have already been undertaken," she said. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S