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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=AACTIVIST@IGC.ORG href="mailto:AACTIVIST@IGC.ORG">Richard Mellor</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=444_discussion@topica.com
href="mailto:444_discussion@topica.com">“444“</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, January 28, 2010 10:33 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> [laborsmilitantvoice] Oregon voters pass tax increasing
measures by big margin</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><BASE href=data:>
<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Oregon voters pass tax increasing measures by big
margin</DIV><A
href="http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/01/voters_pass_tax_measures_by_bi.html">http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/01/voters_pass_tax_measures_by_bi.html</A>
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height=2 src="cid:002a01caa068$238915f0$6401a8c0@yourze8cxvr8tt" width=2></DIV>
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<H1
style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 18px! important; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN: 0px; COLOR: rgb(41,53,70)! important; PADDING-TOP: 10px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px">Oregon
voters pass tax increasing measures by big margin</H1>
<H4
style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 1px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px">By <A
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(48,92,182); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://connect.oregonlive.com/user/hesteve/index.html">Harry Esteve, The
Oregonian</A></H4>
<H5
style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 11px; MIN-HEIGHT: 22px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-TOP: 1px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px">January
26, 2010, 10:17PM</H5><SPAN class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-photo"
style="DISPLAY: inline"><SPAN class="photo-breakout photo-center large"
style="CLEAR: both; BORDER-RIGHT: rgb(223,228,235) 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 5px; BORDER-TOP: rgb(223,228,235) 1px solid; DISPLAY: block; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; FONT-SIZE: 10px; BACKGROUND: rgb(252,252,252) 0% 50%; MAX-WIDTH: 452px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 12px; MARGIN: 5px auto 10px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(223,228,235) 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 5px; BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(223,228,235) 1px solid; TEXT-ALIGN: center; -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial"><IMG
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height=303 alt="tax measure election night"
src="cid:002b01caa068$238915f0$6401a8c0@yourze8cxvr8tt" width=436><A
class=full-size-popup
style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FLOAT: left; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.75em; WIDTH: 40%; COLOR: rgb(48,92,182); TEXT-ALIGN: left; TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://media.oregonlive.com/politics_impact/photo/tax-measure-election-night-20897534f4a2bbea.jpg"
target=_blank>View full size</A><SPAN class=byline
style="DISPLAY: block; FLOAT: right; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0.75em; WIDTH: 60%; TEXT-ALIGN: right">Doug
Beghtel/The Oregonian</SPAN><SPAN class=caption
style="CLEAR: both; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px 3px; TEXT-ALIGN: left">Supporters
of the Yes on 66/67 tax measures celebrate as early returns project the passage
of the tax increases. Rob Melton, (from left) Eileen Wende, (holding sign) and
Roger Wende cheer as early returns project the tax measures passing Tuesday
night.</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><BR>
<DIV id=box
style="BORDER-RIGHT: rgb(51,51,51) 1px solid; PADDING-RIGHT: 15px; BACKGROUND-POSITION: 15px 15px; BORDER-TOP: rgb(51,51,51) 4px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 15px; FONT-SIZE: 13px; FLOAT: right; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: url(http://gov.oregonlive.com/images/yourgov.png); PADDING-BOTTOM: 15px; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 15px 15px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(51,51,51) 1px solid; WIDTH: 230px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51); LINE-HEIGHT: 16px; PADDING-TOP: 95px; BORDER-BOTTOM: rgb(51,51,51) 1px solid; BACKGROUND-REPEAT: no-repeat; FONT-FAMILY: Georgia, serif; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(241,241,241); -webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial">
<H4
style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 17px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; PADDING-BOTTOM: 1px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 12px; COLOR: rgb(153,0,0); PADDING-TOP: 1px; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px">Election
results</H4><A
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(48,92,182); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://gov.oregonlive.com/election">» County-by-county results, news
stories</A><BR><BR><A
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(48,92,182); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://blog.oregonlive.com/mapesonpolitics/index.html">» Reporter Jeff
Mapes' analysis</A><BR><BR><A
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(48,92,182); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="http://topics.oregonlive.com/tag/january%202010%20election/index.html">»
Archive of stories on Measures 66 and 67</A></DIV>Oregon voters bucked decades
of anti-tax and anti-Salem sentiment Tuesday, raising taxes on corporations and
the wealthy to prevent further erosion of public schools and other state
services. <BR><BR>The tax measures passed easily, with late returns showing
a 54 percent to 46 percent ratio. Measure 66 raises taxes on households with
taxable income above $250,000, and Measure 67 sets higher minimum taxes on
corporations and increases the tax rate on upper-level profits. <BR><BR>The
results triggered waves of relief from educators and legislative leaders, who
were facing an estimated $727 million shortfall in the current two-year budget
if the measures failed. <BR><BR>"We're absolutely ecstatic," said Hanna
Vandering, a physical education teacher from Beaverton and vice president of the
statewide teachers union. "What Oregonians said today is they believe in public
education and vital services." <BR><BR>The double-barreled victory is the
first voter-approved statewide income tax increase since the 1930s. Other
states, facing similar budget woes, are watching the outcome closely because
Oregon, after all, is a state that capped property taxes and locked a surplus
tax rebate program into the constitution. <BR><BR>The last time voters
approved a tax increase was 2002, when they agreed to bump up tobacco taxes to
help pay for the Oregon Health Plan. Voters rejected income tax increases twice
in recent years. <BR><BR>"You're going to find a lot of people are going to
be talking about this," said Kevin Looper, campaign director for Vote Yes for
Oregon, the main support group for the measures. <BR><BR>Looper was among
more than 300 supporters who packed the Wonder Ballroom in Northeast Portland to
watch results. Within 15 minutes of the polls closing, counties around the state
released a flood of vote counts and it became clear that both measures had
passed. <BR><BR>Multnomah County was key to the victory, with voters
approving both measures by more than a 2-1 ratio. There was deep support
elsewhere around the state, including Washington, Lane and Benton counties and
communities on the coast. Even in more conservative areas, support was stronger
than expected. <BR><BR>Overall statewide turnout was expected to be around
60 percent of Oregon's 2 million voters. <BR><BR>Tuesday's strong support
also validated a strategy by Democratic lawmakers to single out the rich and
corporations for targeted tax increases. <BR><BR>Campaign ads by supporters
highlighted banks and credit card companies and showed images of well-dressed
people stepping off private jets. They also hammered on the $10 minimum tax that
most corporations have paid since its inception in 1931. <BR><BR>Those
messages helped counter warnings by opponents that the taxes would lead to job
losses, worsening the state's 11 percent unemployment rate, and prompt wealthy
residents to move elsewhere. <BR><BR>"They did a great job of pounding,
'It's only $10,'" said Bob Tiernan, chairman of the state Republican Party. "We
got swamped by the union money." <BR><BR>Supporters spent at least $6.9
million, most of it coming from teacher and public employee unions. Opponents,
led by a coalition of business organizations, spent at least $4.6 million,
donated by wealthy entrepreneurs such as Nike's Phil Knight and Columbia
Sportswear's Tim Boyle. Opponents who gathered at the Grand Hotel in Salem were
optimistic early, but as the results came in, the mood quickly
darkened. <BR><BR>"It's disappointing and discouraging," said Pat
McCormick, spokesman for Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes. "The tone and
tenor was often venomous, trying to pit the haves against the
have-nots." <BR><BR>He said the business community now must figure out "how
to participate in a system that's largely disconnected from
us." <BR><BR>Lawmakers, who are scheduled to convene Monday in Salem for a
monthlong session, are expected to move onto other issues, such as tackling
Oregon's unique "kicker" law that rebates revenue surpluses totaxpayers and
reining in rapidly expanding tax credits for green energy
companies. <BR><BR>They also may be looking to repair a broadening rift
between the state's business leaders and Democrats who control both chambers of
the Legislature and the governor's office. <BR><BR>"It means the February
session won't be focused on cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from
schools, public safety and health care," said House Speaker Dave Hunt,
D-Gladstone. <BR><BR>"It's a great sign of hope that Oregonians continue to
be ruggedly independent and continue to be focused on a long-term vision for the
state." <BR><BR>Gov. Ted Kulongoski thanked voters for approving the
measures but tried to set a tone of reconciliation. "The election is over,"
Kulongoski said in a statement. "Tomorrow is a new day, and we must make a
commitment to put our differences aside and work together to make the best
choices we can for Oregon's collective future." <BR><BR><A
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: rgb(48,92,182); TEXT-DECORATION: none"
href="mailto:harryesteve@news.oregonian.com">-- Harry
Esteve</A></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></SPAN></DIV><br />--
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