We Won! Measures 66 & 67 pass by a wide margin: Voters Pass Tax Increases

[stevedeshazer]

http://www.kptv.com/yourvote/22350578/detail.html

Voters have approved two ballot measures that will increase taxes on businesses and wealthy Oregonians.

FOX 12 political analyst Tim Hibbitts said Oregonians have approved both Measure 66 and 67. With 80 percent of the expected votes counted, both measures had 54 percent approval.

Measure 66 raises taxes on household income at and above $250,000 and $125,000 for individual filers. It also reduces income taxes on unemployment benefits in 2009.

Measure 67 raises business taxes.

The Oregon Legislature approved both tax increases last year, and business groups sponsored a referendum campaign to put them to a statewide vote.

The revenue from the new taxes, $727 million, is expected to account for about 5.5 percent of the general fund in the next two-year budget.

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This will be ignored, of course. Massachusetts = Big Story. Oregon = Zilch.

[LWolf]

1. I am thankful.

We'll still have another 3 million to cut in my school district, after a 5 million cut last spring, but that is half of what we would have been cutting if the measures hadn't passed.

We hope to save as many jobs as possible.

My own included.

[BlueIris]

2. I'm surprised. I didn't think they were going to pass.

I guess it's better that they did. (They better keep you in your job, LWolf!) I just hope voters will be willing to continue to pass necessary tax increases after the impact of these measures has set in. (IMO, we need to pass a sales tax like a normal state, and I'm worried Oregonians will be less likely to support the passages of any form of sales tax now--using the "but we already have 'too many' taxes" excuse.)

[cascadiance]

4. Sales tax is more regressive than income tax... Better to raise the latter!

... and target those that have gotten off way too easy since the Reagan era...

That we don't have sales tax I think is great. Not having sales taxes helps local business contend with internet sales, etc. if there's no difference in what Oregonians pay at the store for the same products, and it helps those with less money but who have to spend a bigger proportion of their income than wealthier people. And online businesses that want to locate here have less to worry about in terms of charging sales tax on their sales, since they don't have to "special case" sales to home state residents in Oregon like they might have to in other states.

[insanity]

5. I disagree to an extent

Sales tax, unlike income taxes, are more easily adjusted for inflation. Yes it is regressive in that it puts more of a percentage burden on low-income earners, but that can be subsidized to make it more leveraged. Plus there is the fact that the wealthy make more expensive purchases which add more to the coffers than income taxes alone. Oregon's major tax problem is still the property tax fuckups of the 90s.

I'm thrilled we got these passed with huge margins though.

[cascadiance]

6. Income taxes are a lot easier to target different income levels than sales taxes are...

And therefore help a state be able to try and benefit those really hit hard by financial times like this and force those who have benefitted too much to pay more. I imagine Washington must have a nightmare trying to figure out how to raise revenue without getting many of those in lower and middle income levels really and legitimately angry with them in doing so, with their sales tax only system.

[existentialist]

3. Just wondering

I guess I could look around a bit more but so far I have not found this posted on other forums on DU--and it should be posted on other forums.

[Yurovsky]

7. Now if this can only get some traction on the Federal level...

or we can just keep rolling along letting the uber rich and megacorporations pass along their obligations/responsibilities to the working class...