What motivates Bill Sizemore and Don McIntire? What are they thinking? Why is it that they constantly insist on throwing bad tax break measures at us that only benefit the filthy, stinking rich? I don’t know the answer to these questions, but I will to tell you why I’m voting NO on Measure 8 and NO on Measure 91, and why I think you should as well.
Who benefits from this tax break? Definitely NOT your average college student. It’s a fact that TUITION PRICES WOULD RISE if either Measure 8 or Measure 91 passes. They would cut our state budget by more than $1 billion (maybe $2 billion) in a budget that has around $10 billion. Every estimate that I have heard about how much our tuition would rise has been between 20 percent and 90 percent. Can you afford that? I know I can’t. Want to know the only group that really benefits from these tax breaks? THE RICH.
You will not even see a penny of this tax break unless you earn $81,000 or more. Moreover, you might actually feel a tax increase if you earn less than $81,000, because of the fact that it will get rid of “the kicker,” which reimburses Oregonians if all tax revenue was not used during the budget process.
Sizemore has said that the cuts in programs would be no worse if Measure 91 passes than they were after the infamous Measure 5 passed years ago … NEWSFLASH: University tuition skyrocketed after that horrible measure. However, this measure is different than Measure 5 … IT’S WORSE. Measure 5 was a terrible tax cut that gutted many state programs and was a major setback to quality education in Oregon. K-12 class sizes went from being around the 4th best in the nation to about 25th. Measure 91 would make us even lower on that list, after we have to lay off thousands more teachers while enrollment increases.
I don’t know about you, but I know I don’t want to vote for measures that will just let a few millionaires buy an extra yacht or big-screen TV at the expense of quality state programs and education. These measures mean less money for the Oregon Health Plan, police and fire services, road repairs, K-12 education, state university budgets and anything else you can think of that’s funded by our state.
It’s time we unite to say NO to Sizemore and McIntire. It’s time to say that we’ve had enough of tax breaks that only benefit the rich and cut too far into good state programs and education. Vote NO on 8 and vote NO on 91.
Eric J. Bailey is the ASUO Student Senate vice president.