Today the Emerald editorial board presents its endorsements for all 26 of the state ballot measures. Many of these are critically important to education funding. Please think about these issues and vote. Watch for the Emerald’s voters guide, a news supplement that will appear on Wednesday. On Thursday, we will offer our endorsements of the state and local candidates and the city and county ballot measures. Ballots must be returned by Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

Measure 83: YES

This measure allows veterans who served 210 days of active duty or in certain eligible operations later than 1976 to be included in the Veterans’ Home Loan program. Currently, veterans who served after 1976 are not allowed the benefits of this program and they should be.

Measure 84: YES

In 1996, voters approved this constitutional amendment requiring the Legislature to provide money to local governments if the Legislature mandates programs or services for those local governments. In other words, if you tell a city or county to do something, pay for it. The 1996 measure required a review in 2000. It’s still a good idea.

Measure 85: YES

In 1857, Oregon decided that in order to be a county, an area of land needed to be 400 square miles and have 1,200 inhabitants. It’s now 143 years later. This amendment would update the requirement, allowing new counties to be formed with less than 400 square miles if more than 100,000 people inhabit the area.

Measure 86: YES

Makes the state’s “kicker law” a part of the Oregon Constitution. The kicker law says that when state income exceeds the state’s estimates, the extra money gets returned to the taxpayers. It works fine as a law, but it doesn’t need to be added to the constitution. If our economy changes, our lawmakers need to have flexibility when dealing with taxes.

Measure 87: NO

Removes the “free expression” protection from sexually oriented businesses. Currently, if a locality wants to regulate where a sexually-oriented business is located, it can do so by showing actual or threatened harm. A business shouldn’t be refused existence simply based on the content of what they sell. We should protect free expression.

Measure 88: NO

Increases the amount of federal income taxes that are deductible on Oregon income tax returns, and would reduce the amount of money the state has to spend on services like education and public safety. It would cost the state $47 million in 2001-2002.

Measure 89: YES

Creates an investment fund from Oregon’s share of the tobacco settlement to be used specifically for health, housing and transportation programs to benefit the most needy Oregonians without using the principal from the settlement. Let’s use this free money for as many health-related causes as possible.

Measure 90: NO

Allows public utilities to raise rates in order to get a return on investments in utility property that is shut down. Essentially, Portland General Electric wants to raise electric rates to make money off of the closed Trojan nuclear plant. In 1998, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that PGE’s plan violates Oregon law. Then the Legislature voted to change the law. Last year, more than 53,000 voters signed petitions to have the changed law put to a vote of the people. Sorry that nuclear power thing didn’t work out, but no.

Measure 91: NO

Makes federal income taxes fully deductible on personal and corporate Oregon income tax returns. Would reduce state revenue by between $800 million and $1 billion, drastically reducing the state’s ability to fund education and public safety.

Measure 92: NO

Requires organizations to get specific written authorization from employees before allowing those organizations to collect money through payroll deductions for political purposes. This hampers one group of people’s ability to engage in the political process and is unfair to workers.

Measure 93: NO

Requires voters to approve nearly every tax and fee that any state agency implements. This unnecessarily ties the hands of state government to work efficiently and keep agencies running.

Measure 94: YES

Repeals the mandatory minimum sentencing requirements of Measure 11 and requires resentencing of criminals sentenced under Measure 11’s minimums. Measure 11 has hijacked justice in Oregon, so we recommend repealing it. But Oregon needs to increase rehabilitation efforts for juveniles and increase penalties for violent crimes like rape.

Measure 95: NO

Attempts to gauge “teacher performance” by requiring measurement of “student learning,” and would base teachers’ salaries on that “performance.” Teacher performance can’t be measured that easily, and pay should be based on skills and education.

Measure 96: YES

Prohibits the Legislature from making it harder for citizens to put constitutional amendments on the ballot. We support this because everyone should have an equal opportunity to put measures on the ballot. But citizens need to be more careful to not tinker with the Oregon Constitution for every private agenda.

Measure 97: YES

Stops farmers and ranchers from using body-gripping traps and poisons until after they’ve tried other methods. This is humane and rational, and animal owners can still get a permit to use traps from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Measure 98: NO

Bars public employees from using payroll deduction to give money for political purposes, just because the state’s payroll department would have to process those payroll deductions. Again, similar to Measure 92, this singles out one group of people and makes it harder for them to participate. That’s not democracy.

Measure 99: YES

Creates a state commission to regulate home care workers for the elderly and disabled. The commission would be sure that home care workers are properly trained and registered, and would represent home care workers for collective bargaining purposes. This is a win for the elderly and disabled and a win for home care workers. Only Satan would oppose this measure.

Measure 1: YES

Similar to Measure 84, this makes the Legislature cough up money when they make demands. Measure 1 says that if the Legislature sets school quality goals, it must provide funding to meet those goals. Simple and fair.

Measure 2: NO

Another measure overly complicat
ing our lawmaking process. Measure 2 says that if 10,000 voters get upset about an administrative rule and sign a petition, the Legislature would have to review and vote on the rule. It’s easy to get 10,000 people upset about darn near anything in Oregon. If we can so easily double- and triple-guess our government, it can’t work effectively.

Measure 3: YES

Requires a criminal conviction before seizing private property. Currently, the government can seize a citizen’s property if they think it was used in a crime, even if the citizen has not yet been arrested or convicted. Gee, do you think we should be sure they’re guilty before we take their stuff?

Measure 4: YES

Would establish a trust fund for the tobacco settlement money, just like Measure 89. But unlike 89, this measure would use the money only for the Oregon Health Plan. Either way, Measure 89 or 4, we think protecting the settlement money and using it for health-related services is a good idea. If both measures pass, the one receiving the largest percentage of “yes” votes would become law. But if half of the state votes “yes” on one measure and “no” on the other, they could both fail. Best vote for both of them.

Measure 5: YES

Requires unlicensed gun sellers to perform background checks — just like licensed dealers do. This is simple: Everyone selling a gun in Oregon should be required to do a background check on the person buying the gun.

Measure 6: YES

Moves Oregon toward real campaign finance reform. This measure establishes a campaign fund, so that if candidates for state offices voluntarily limit spending and show public support for their candidacy, they receive money from the state. The money for this fund comes from eliminating the tax deduction taken by businesses and wealthy individuals for huge campaign contributions. Even better, if a candidate’s opponent refuses to abide by the spending limits, the candidate gets additional money to match the uncooperative opponent. This measure is a step in the right direction, and it shows how clear and concise a law can be if it’s written by an experienced professional, instead of by Bill Sizemore.

Measure 7: NO

Requires state and local governments to pay property owners if anything the government does can be shown to reduce the property value. In other words, if the state establishes a nature reserve near someone’s land, and the owner cries that the development value of that land is reduced as a result, the state would have to pay them — for development that hasn’t happened. Taking private property currently requires compensation. Claiming value reduction is too broad. This would cost state and local governments $5.4 billion. Yes, billion.

Measure 8: NO

Limits the state’s spending ability — to 15 percent of the state’s income in the last two years. Every two years, the state budgets for the next two years. Sometimes investments need to be made. The Legislature should have the flexibility to spend more than 15 percent if needed. Voters could pass a law if they want a balanced budget, but this constitutional amendment is unnecessary and severe. Measure 8 would reduce our spending ability by $5.7 billion. How would we fund higher education?

Measure 9: NO

Would prohibit public schools from “encouraging, promoting or sanctioning” homosexuality. The vaguely written Measure 9 isn’t about protecting children or fairness in curriculum. It’s about the OCA wanting homosexuals scared, silent and suppressed. The OCA has toned down the wording of its recent measures to avoid the charges of bigotry and hate-mongering it inspired in past years. However, Measure 9 is the same bigotry, just in a nice, shiny “protect our kids” package.