Money is the underlying controversy associated with Measures 23 and 27, which ask Oregonians to voice their opinions about health care and food labeling by voting in the Nov. 5 general election.
Measure 23 asks Oregonians if they want universal health care for all residents. Measure 27 asks voters to decide if genetically engineered foods sold in or from Oregon need to be labeled.
If Measure 27 passes, all GE foods — defined as foods containing more than one-tenth of one percent of GE material by weight — would need a label, prepared by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, on the outside of
its packaging.
Robert Buchanan, former director for the Oregon Department of Agriculture and Economic Development, wrote in the official 2002 general election voters’ pamphlet that the DOA estimates Measure 27 will add $118 million to general fund expenses. And this burden, he said, will be left on the shoulders of the taxpayers.
Proponents of this measure say Oregonians have a right to know what is in the food they eat. Taylor Stevenson, a member of the Yes on 27 Committee, said the United States is losing money because labels are not already being used.
“It’s ridiculous that America doesn’t have these labels because the rest of the world is ahead of us in the international market,” she said. “We’re losing money every year because we don’t have a standard for labeling.”
Charles Margulis, GE campaign manager for Greenpeace, said in the voters’ pamphlet that labels are already required in more than 25 countries, and he added that no price increases have resulted because of it.
Opponents of the measure say labels would be misleading and confusing and some add that there is no need for people to know whether their food has been genetically altered.
Bill Perry, director of government relations for the Oregon Restaurant Association, said the association is opposed to the measure because it will discourage the growth of Oregon businesses.
“Any products shipped out of this state will have a disadvantage in the marketplace,” he said.
If passed, Measure 23 would create health care finance plans for necessary medical services to all residents. It would also change the current workers’ compensation system and create additional income and payroll taxes.
Proponents of this measure say all Oregon residents should have access to health care, even if they cannot afford to pay for insurance. According to the voters’ pamphlet, thousands of Oregonians do not have access to health care, and many employees who aren’t provided with health care by their employers cannot afford to pay for it on their own.
“It’s a widespread reality that the current system is crumbling,” said Marc Shipiro, area director for the Yes on 23 Committee.
Shipiro said this is a realistic next step because there are no proposals for an alternate solution. He said the 11.5 percent tax to employers will be on a sliding scale and will not be much higher than the taxes currently being paid.
John Thomas, president of Pacific Benefit Consultants, wrote in the voters’ pamphlet that Measure 23 could cost his employees $25,000 more each year. He added that even backers of the measure say it will cost as much as $20 billion per year
to implement.
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Related Links:
Oregon Votes 2002: MEASURES
Endorsements: City measures
Endorsements: County measures
Endorsements: State measures