[This opinion piece by Archimedes Movement executive director Liz Baxter appeared in the Salem Statesman-Journal on January 23rd, 2010.]
Pass or Fail, The Tax Measures Won’t End Oregon’s Woes
Since the debate over Measures 66 and 67 began, there has been a lot of discussion about the reasons Oregonians should be for or against these measures.
In a campaign, there will be a winner and a loser, but what Oregonians truly need to know is regardless of whether or not the measures pass or fail, the fiscal issues Oregon faces will still be with us the day after the election.
During a campaign there is a race to have the voices of supporters and opponents heard, but what we need is an informed and educated public that will push for more thoughtful change for the state. Rather than only focusing on why Oregonians should vote yes or no on Measures 66 and 67, we should invest some energy in strategies to solve the economic crisis that impacts our ability to fully take care of our neighbors, community and families.
Many Oregonians do not realize approximately 90% of the state’s general fund budget goes toward funding education, public safety and health care services. As a result, when valuable revenue falls short, there is not a lot of flexibility when it comes to decisions about the use of scarce general fund dollars.
We probably all know of someone who is hurting. But, it is going to take more than additional resources to the state’s general fund to fix our broken system. The issues Oregon faces will only be solved by putting all players at the table and agreeing on what we want Oregon’s future to look like. We believe that both sides of this campaign have Oregon’s best interests at heart, but they disagree on how we get to that future Oregon.
These ballot measures alone will not improve an Oregonian’s health, education or safety, or lower the cost of these services. Changes to these systems require a much larger and broader conversation, and we need to find a way to talk about difficult trade-offs, especially in times of economic downturn. Steps need to be identified and then taken to keep our state moving forward.
Oregonians are not naive. We know sometimes stopgap measures are required to bridge hard times until we find a better way to do things. Voters need to go beyond the sound bites and learn what is really at stake regarding Measures 66 and 67. Not only do these measures have an impact on the taxes some of us will or will not pay, the measures also impact general fund resources available for Oregon’s public schools, public safety and health services.
The Archimedes Movement urges all Oregonians to become informed about Measures 66 and 67, join the conversation, and vote in the upcoming special election.
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