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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency services Bunk beds would give comfort to kids sleeping on floor Get Up & Go: Dec. 11 Since You Asked: Goin' fishing? Yes, if you have no bananas Three businesses close as tourist season ends Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Fire displaces Ashland couple and their baby Tires slashed on nearly 20 cars in north Medford Gunfire reported again in west Medford neighborhood Emergency services Politics and Elections Time running out for O&C funds GMO vote recount still shows little change GMO labeling votes recounted under careful watch in Jackson County Kent Bush: First Amendment doesn’t mean what you think it means East Medford's the charm Education A lesson in giving Hedrick student council works to clean up the language Table Rock solid: Elementary school praised for keeping attendance up Eagle Point superintendent invited to White House Eagle Point secures perimeter of Table Rock Elementary with new fence Environment Coalition asks for defense of GMO ban Home Help: Make your new house feel like home Bighorn sheep reintroduced along Klamath River Jackson County judge dismisses one Mt. View Paving case Advisory warns of blue-green algae bloom at Lost Creek Lake State News Congress keeps Coast Guard helicopter flying U of O, grad teachers reach deal Oregon seeks steward to buy Elliott forest Ernest Brace, civilian POW in Vietnam with John McCain, dies at 83 Judge declines to halt GMO recount certification Nation - World Grand jury won't indict Ferguson cop in shooting Obituaries Johnny William James Linda Katherine Heitkamp Mary Louise France Carolyn Sue Corzine Death Notices Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories Warriors keep on rolling Columbia gives No. 1 Kentucky a scare Wiggins, Wolves stun Blazers 90-82 OSU’s hire is a game-changer Andersen to OSU Varsity 541 College Sports Columbia gives No. 1 Kentucky a scare OSU’s hire is a game-changer Andersen to OSU Raiders land at 13th in postseason NAIA Top 25 Hall of Fame welcomes Bellotti Pro Sports Warriors keep on rolling Wiggins, Wolves stun Blazers 90-82 Bryant's late flurry lifts Lakers Blazers make it five straight Browns make the move, will start Manziel Community Sports Keeping Fit: Runners need to do more than run to stay in shape RESULTS/STANDINGS LOCAL EVENTS Business Latest Stories K-BAR ignites agriculture boom beneath Table Rocks State lags on grocery inspections Blog: Bear Creek Plaza next up on the market Silvio Calabi: The world loves a Wrangler Jackson County judge dismisses one Mt. View Paving case Real Estate News More sales, but no change in residential housing median price Dear Monty: Violation of HOA rules creates conflict Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban People In Business People in Business, Dec. 3 People in Business, Nov. 18 Transportation Allegiant Air will resume Medford-Phoenix service May 22 Agriculture K-BAR ignites agriculture boom beneath Table Rocks Southern Oregon wine industry had a robust 2013 Farmers file suit over GMO crop ban Lawsuit seeks to overturn Jackson County's GMO ban or net $4.2 million for farms Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Opinion Latest Our View: Sentencing reform pays dividends Letters to the Editor, Dec. 11 Dana Milbank: Jonathan Gruber's bad day George Will: The plague of overcriminalization Matthew T. Mangino: UN takes a swipe at torture in America Editorials Our View: Sentencing reform pays dividends Our View: Find middle ground on timber policy Our View: Making sense of Medford crime numbers Our View: Land takeover a sincere but empty gesture Other Views: OSU rape case is a teaching opportunity Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Dec. 11 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 10 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 9 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 8 Letters to the Editor, Dec. 7 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: SOU pool decision short-sighted Guest Opinion: It's time for biologists to let OR-7 go dark Guest Opinion: It's time Oregon put a price on carbon Guest Opinion: Are we the preferred path to global devastation? Guest Opinion: Fight for the rights of independent voters will continue Lifestyle Latest stories Religion news: Atheists launch holiday advertising campaign in Deep South Marketta Gregory: There is only one enemy Community blog: Choose presents cooks can cherish, not regift Michelle Teheux: The best gift isn’t what you think Blog: Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire . . . Food Community blog: Choose presents cooks can cherish, not regift Roasted vegetables are rich, flavorful Food for Thought: Meal-planning hacks to help you dine fast and healthy Kitchen Call: Hints for gluten-free holidays Community blog: Merry Christmas 10 Barrel! (Big Brewery vs Small Independent Brewer) Home and Garden Remodeling your attic: Know the details before you start Dear Monty: When a lawyer’s fee is four times higher than the quote Home Help: Make your new house feel like home Troubleshoot common water boiler problems Dear Monty: Ten helpful home-listing tips Health Community blog: Unsubscribe.com Community blog: Redefining Family Dr. Murray Feingold: Say it like you mean it Community blog: Guiltless Holidays Better for our Health HealthStyle: Develop an attitude of gratitude Hiking Biking Faith Religion news: Pope aims to expedite sex abuse rulings Religion news: Seattle-based mega-church dissolves Religion Briefs Milestones and Achievements Time running out for O&C funds Hire 'em and pray for snow Madi-Stiles A New Song Rogers-Horn Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas It's a Hamazon holiday at the Playwright Public House TMTO presents 'A Christmas Carol: The Musical' Andy McKee plays Rogue Theatre Theater review: 'Fiddler' charms audience in magical Camelot performance Theater Plumbing the depths of meaning TMTO presents 'A Christmas Carol: The Musical' Theater review: 'Fiddler' charms audience in magical Camelot performance Bedford Falls comes to life at Randall Camelot presents 'Fiddler on the Roof' Music Andy McKee plays Rogue Theatre SOU presents all-percussion concert Shae Johnson releases 'Can You Feel the Music' Jeff Kloetzel releases 'Long Time Coming' A new guitar slinger in town Community Events It's a Hamazon holiday at the Playwright Public House 4 Things to do this Week Soroptimist holiday home tour features four houses this weekend Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists 2014 Providence Festival of Trees Dining Ooblies Artisan Waffle Sandwiches Brunch at Loft Brasserie The Bohemian Club Thanksgiving comes early at Taprock Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Our View: Sentencing reform pays dividends ... Since You Asked: Goin' fishing? Yes, if you have no bananas ... Batten down the hatches: Wind and rain sweeps across the region ... Our View: Sentencing reform pays dividends ... Since You Asked: Goin' fishing? Yes, if you have no bananas ... Batten down the hatches: Wind and rain sweeps across the region ... OUR VIEW Our View: Cost is a poor excuse for local pot tax MailTribune.com Writer Posted Oct. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am Posted Oct. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Social News Jackson County last week became the latest local government to slap a tax on recreational marijuana, just in case Ballot Measure 91 passes and just in case the courts throw out clear language in the measure prohibiting local taxes. County commissioners cited increased costs to the county if marijuana is legalized, but have provided no specifics. They should do so before asking voters to approve a new tax. The county tax isn't official yet, and would go to voters next March if Measure 91 passes. In addition to a 25 percent tax on the sale of recreational marijuana, the commissioners endorsed the same tax rate for medical cannabis. Measure 91 includes a statewide tax of $35 per ounce on marijuana flowers, $10 per ounce on leaves and $5 per immature plant. The revenue would be shared among state and local governments, with 40 percent going to schools, 35 percent to state and local law enforcement and 25 percent to drug treatment, prevention and mental health programs. Measure 91 says the state marijuana law, "designed to operate uniformly throughout the state, shall be paramount and superior to and shall fully replace and supersede any and all municipal charter enactments or local ordinances inconsistent with it. Such charters and ordinances hereby are repealed." That sounds clear enough to us, but it hasn't stopped cities and counties across the state from enacting taxes in hopes of being "grandfathered in" if the measure passes. We're not lawyers or judges; the courts will have to sort that out if the time comes. The sudden desire of local officials to tax recreational marijuana, we suspect, is motivated more by opposition to legalization than by any desire to capitalize on a new retail industry. It's fine to have concerns about the unknown consequences of legalizing marijuana use, and we share some of those concerns. The Legislature might need to make changes in the law as circumstances warrant. But it's hard to see how Measure 91 would impose any significant costs on local governments that they don't already incur. Police now spend time and resources chasing illegal marijuana growers and sellers; it's logical to suppose that burden would be less under legalization. Collecting and enforcing a sales tax, moreover, would represent new costs to the county and to local municipalities. The tax rate written into Measure 91 was carefully calculated to keep the retail price low enough that it wouldn't encourage more black-market sales. Piling local option taxes on top of that could have that unintended effect. The marijuana taxes are considered low-hanging fruit by officials in some cities and counties where they would not expect to get pushback from the usual anti-tax crowd. That and their opposition to marijuana in the first place seem to be fueling the rush to pump up the price of pot. But if the statewide measure passes, they owe it to their constituents to prove their case before piling on with more taxes and bureaucracy. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Oct. 26, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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