The failure of Measure 30, the state’s budget-balancing income tax measure, was no big surprise to most Oregonians.
Oregon voters rejected a similar income tax increase only one year ago.
The lack of surprise, however, did not prevent feelings from running high at support and opposition camps in the Eugene area Tuesday night.
At the No on 30 party, hosted by the Lane County Republican Party, attendees were confident of a strong defeat and were quietly jubilant when the results began coming in around 8 p.m.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” said Jay Bozievich, the party’s spokesman, while watching the election results run across a bikini-clad contestant on “Survivor: All Stars,” CBS’s popular reality show. “I’m actually surprised it’s failing in Lane County.”
The measure barely failed in Lane County, with about 51 percent of ballots marked “no” in unofficial returns Wednesday afternoon.
Tuesday night’s unofficial returns, with 80 percent of ballots counted, showed Measure 30 failing statewide, with approximately 60 percent of votes against increasing income taxes. Benton County, home of Corvallis and Oregon State University, is the only county that approved the measure as of press time.
“I’m just tired of paying taxes,” said Trudy Lyne, a member of the Republican Women of Lane County. “I think the money is there.”
Lyne was one of about 30 people gathered in the sports bar of the Oregon Electric Station on Tuesday night to watch the election results. The crowd cheered as the initial results rolled in and Measure 30’s failure seemed imminent.
Bozievich said he anticipates that the Oregon Legislature will convene for a special session.
“I’d like to see them look at having a conversation about what is a priority for the state,” he said. “What are essential functions?”
He said state police, state courts, K-12 education and health care for the neediest Oregonians should be a priority, adding that he thought the measure’s failure would bolster Oregon’s economy.
“I think that Measure 30 failing will actually be a good thing for the students in the University, because I think it will bode well for them to get a job in Oregon,” Bozievich said.
Across the Franklin Boulevard bridge in Glenwood, Yes on 30 supporters gathered at Roaring Rapids Pizza Co. and expressed a very different view.
“It’s just sad,” said Oregon Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene. “I don’t think people really understood the implications of this. I think, long term, it really has the potential to harm our economy.”
Newly-appointed Oregon Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, blamed the lack of understanding of the measure’s implications, in large part, on false information.
“It’s frustrating that we have individuals that are giving misinformation without being accountable for what they say,” he said.
Prozanski said the Legislature has tried to prioritize spending and was simply forced to slash budgets, contrary to critics’ contentions.
When the Legislature last convened, it made a list of official cuts in case Measure 30 failed. Nearly $545 million is scheduled to be taken from public safety, human services and education.
While legislators already made some cuts in their last session, their hands were tied in some areas, Prozanski said. He said voter initiatives required that much of the general budget go to mandatory minimum sentencing and certain K-12 education programs.
“It’s a reality that voters of Oregon are not willing to pay for the services that they are demanding,” he said.
He does not expect the Legislature to convene until the special session set for June.
While Prozanski anticipates that Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski will try to soften the impact of cuts, he said the end result will not be much different from what the Legislature has already scheduled.
“Where are they going to find the money that we couldn’t find in the seven-and-a-half months we were there?” he said.
Kulongoski was more upbeat in a statement he released Wednesday morning, however.
“I remain optimistic about Oregon’s future,” he said. “As Oregon’s governor, I have focused my energy on growing the economy, helping to create jobs and preserving our quality of life. I will continue to do that work for the next three years, through the tough times and the brighter days that lie ahead.”
Certified medical assistant Leslie Seese, who works at PeaceHealth Medical Group, is expecting more tougher times than brighter days, she said.
“So many of my patients are on the Oregon Health Plan — and just barely,” she said. “It’s stretching their budget just barely to pay for housing, medical and social services. They’re just going to be so impacted.”
More than 80,000 people could be cut from the Oregon Health Plan, according to an argument in favor of the measure in the voters’ guide.
Seese said she was angered and shocked, but determined to do her best to support her patients. She added that like many of the nearly 60 people gathered that night, she was also disappointed.
“Even with a face on the victims of this, they still vote no,” she said, shaking her head.