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Click Here 46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, February 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend January 18, 2004 Greg Schuster, 28, a Jackson County sheriff�s deputy from Medford, is torn over how to vote on Measure 30. He says, �You keep paying more into it, but you don�t see what�s promised.� Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell — On Medford basketball court, Measure 30 vote is a toss-up By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Clayson Whitney spends his weekdays making money as a Medford real estate agent and his weekends making points on a city league basketball court. Like several of his buddies on the Whitney Land Co. team, the 28-year-old is torn over how to vote on Ballot Measure 30. On one hand, Whitney figures it’s his duty to help make sure schools and social services have enough money to run. "I hope to have kids one day," he says. "I want the old people to be happy and I want the schoolchildren to be happy. A lot of people don’t think about the needs of the community." On the other hand, Whitney gets a sizable business depreciation allowance on the Lincoln Navigator he drives. He’d lose that write-off and pay more taxes under changes proposed by the state Legislature. Advertisement "I’m about three-fourths for it," says Whitney. "But you’ve got to think about it." Medford basketball buddies Greg Schuster, a 28-year-old Jackson County sheriff’s deputy, and David Alexander, a 27-year-old hotel manager, agree. Schuster’s got two school-age kids and he values education. But he sometimes feels like he’s being nickel-and-dimed for supplies and, now, more tax dollars. "You keep paying more into it, but you don’t see what’s promised," he says. "Where is that money going? I’d like to see it come back to services everyone depends on." Alexander says Oregon’s tax system needs a fix, probably through a sales tax accompanied by corresponding decreases in other categories. But the referee for the men’s Sunday game, Manny Crump, 53, of Talent, does not share their dilemma. For him, there’s no question that a few dollars a month for a temporary income tax surcharge, even with the associated other taxes, makes sense. "What about education for the kids?" says Crump, who runs the basketball league and works in distribution for an Ashland newspaper. "What about the underprivileged? You’ve got to take care of what’s in front of you." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times