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46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, February 15, 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 14, 2004 If tax fails, cuts go ahead Kulongoski says there will be no special session to deal with budget holes By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Jackson County legislators don’t foresee a special session to balance the budget if voters reject an $800 million tax increase on Feb. 3. "I’m trying to get the public to believe that when government says something, that in fact that’s what happens," said Kulongoski, speaking to members of the news media this week. He said calling a special session to tinker with the budget would only send the message that Salem has a secret plan to fix its financial woes. "The Legislature has already made the decision," Kulongoski said. "I am not inclined to get up on Feb. 4, reach in my pocket and say I’ve got another plan." If Measure 30 fails, the Legislature has approved $544 million in automatic cuts to education, social services and public safety. An additional $244 million also will have to be cut by the governor to keep the budget balanced. Advertisement Rep. Alan Bates agreed with the governor’s assessment. "We will not have a special session," predicted the Ashland Democrat. Without the tax money, Bates said the county will have to live with the consequences of decreased public safety and further erosion of education. "If this thing goes down, we’re going to have 220 heroin addicts out on the street," he said, after recently talking to Jackson County health officials. "The schools aren’t going to close," he said. "It will be death by a thousand slices." Kulongoski takes issue with these sorts of predictions, saying both sides in the tax debate have exaggerated their claims. Opponents say Measure 30 will damage Oregon’s economy or that the state already has plenty of money. Supporters have said the sky will fall, or the state will turn into "Appalachia," he said. Bates responded in a telephone interview, "The sky’s not going to fall, but if (the measure) fails, there will be cracks up there." Medford Rep. Rob Patridge said he’s gotten mixed reactions from other legislators about holding a special session if the measure fails. He thinks the cuts already earmarked by the Legislature for schools, health services and public safety will stand. The only question is how the governor lops off $244 million more to keep the budget balanced. Barring any dispute over these additional cuts, Patridge said a special session is "unlikely." Kevin Mannix, state Republican Party chairman and an opponent of Measure 30, told the news media this week that the state could avoid these cuts if it made government more efficient. The state, he said, has a higher ratio of middle managers than he thinks is necessary. The state budget, despite recent economic woes, has still grown by 4 percent, Mannix said. "There’s something wrong with this picture," he said. "When are we going to say to the governor and Legislature — ‘enough.’ " Kulongoski said the state has become more efficient, cutting $2 billion out of the general fund in the past two years. "We have had the largest salary freeze in the state’s history," he said. The governor admitted he made a mistake when he first entered office this year by saying he opposed any tax increase. At the time, state economists pegged revenue projections at $11.4 billion. By May, those projections had dropped to $10.4 billion, he said. Senate President Peter Courtney, a Democrat, also told members of the news media this week that he doubted a special session would be called. But House Speaker Karen Minnis thought a special session might be needed. "The ballot measure may put us back to square one," she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, 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