Document text
Click Here 43 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, January 30, 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 Mail Tribune photo illustration / Jim Craven, Bob Pennell Voices of the Vote: One voice among many Opinions may be split over Measure 30, but Rogue Valley residents share several goals By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Talk to 60 different Rogue Valley residents about Oregon’s financial future and you’ll get 60 different ideas about what to do. We know. We talked to them. But if a monthlong Mail Tribune effort to ask ordinary citizens about Ballot Measure 30 revealed anything, it’s that Southern Oregon shares plenty of common ground. We like where we live. We value the intimacy and connectedness of our small communities. We all want quality schools, social care for those truly in need and a public safety system that answers when we call. Those were the easy ones. Advertisement But we also think last year’s state Legislature was more worried about politics than progress. We want corporations and special interests to stop dominating public debate. And some of us would, under the right conditions, support a sales tax. From Rogue River to Medford, White City to Ashland, residents of all political leanings, income levels and educational backgrounds revealed these key accords. Community members as diverse as an Ashland women’s book group and a Rogue River morning coffee club shared the same opinion of last year’s record-breaking legislative process. "They did a terrible job," said Madeline Hill, 62, who runs an Ashland senior living complex. "They failed. They should be ashamed of themselves." "It was terrible," echoed George Jorgensen, 69, a Rogue River retiree. "It’s a tough job, but they should do it to the best of their ability." Most groups shared the view that politicians allow special interest groups to dominate their actions. Specifically, a group of White City auto mechanics and an Ashland education consultant agreed that in tough times, unions such as the Oregon Education Association and Oregon Public Employees Union shouldn’t insist on wage hikes. "The OEA and the OPEU are part of the problem," said Susan Roudebush, 51, of Ashland. "What we feel frustrated about is shared sacrifice," said Mark Darris, 41, of Central Point, general manager of Technical Automotive. If there was one surprise in the limited consensus among local residents, it was support for a sales tax. Oregon voters traditionally have rejected the idea outright. But in several politically divergent groups, members suggested that a conditional sales tax could be a shared solution. Bryan Platt, 50, chairman of the Jackson County Republican Party, said he would support a sales tax offset by decreased income tax. "I would prefer a sales tax, but I am not willing to have the sales tax added to our tax burden," he said. "It would have to be an ‘instead of’ situation." That idea was also suggested by the group of Rogue River retirees and members of a young men’s Medford basketball team. "I would be OK with a sales tax if it gave us other tax breaks," said David Alexander, a 27-year-old Medford hotel manager. Despite such views, political experts cautioned against generalizing support for a sales tax. "I would argue that there is no shared consensus in the state of Oregon on a sales tax," said Bill Hughes, chairman of the political science department at Southern Oregon University. "What there is is a lot of desperation and a growing awareness that the Legislature has proven itself either incapable of or unwilling to face the fiscal realities of the state," he said. Whether Measure 30 passes or fails, Southern Oregon will continue to grapple with the fallout, citizens agreed. We’ll appreciate our riches of geography and community and struggle with the challenges of economics and support. As Dick Skevington, 79, a Rogue River retiree, observed: "This valley has always been a beautiful place to live and a poor place to make a living." 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