Thank you to my fellow Oregonians! Measures 66 and 67 Pass "Handily!"

[HuckleB]

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/01/oregon_measure_66_measure_67_e.html

"It looks like Oregon corporations and high-income earners will pay higher state taxes as voters weighed in Tuesday on two hotly debated measures.

The Oregonian has determined that Measures 66 and 67 will pass.

Measure 66 raises the income tax paid by households earning at or above $250,000 a year or individual filers who make $125,000 or more. Measure 67 raises the state's $10 minimum corporate income tax.

Together they generate an estimated $727 million, which has already been budgeted by the 2009 Legislature for public schools and other state services.

..."

----------------

WOO HOO!

:toast: :bounce: :party: :thumbsup: :fistbump: :headbang: :yourock: :woohoo: :applause: :patriot:

[Make7]

1. Sweet! ( n/t )

[roguevalley]

36. I hope it starts a tidal wave. GO, OREGON! -- Rogue Valley

[Arugula Latte]

2. I'm so proud of my adopted state!

We sent in two yes votes from our house ... Thank goodness people had the sense to pass these measures. Take that, greedy rightwing complainers! Oh, and if you don't want to pay $150 in taxes on your business, don't let the door hit ya on your ass on your way out of the state!

:woohoo:

:toast: :bounce: :party: :beer: :applause:

[DaveinMD]

4. if your business can't pay 150 dollars

your company has larger issues. I say this as a business owner.

[HuckleB]

5. EXACTLY!

[cascadiance]

39. And businesses will "move away" if they have to pay $140 more?...

Give me a break! It would cost more just to get a plane flight to another state, let alone move a business there!

[HuckleB]

9. Indeed. The propaganda from the right wing is ludicrous.

Oregon does not have restrictive taxes, even with the passing of this measure.

In the '90s, I worked for a business publication company, and I had to read most of the nation's business magazines. For several years, Oregon's businesses rated it as being very business friendly, especially for small businesses, and Portland was singled out as being a great for a small business. Then the PBA decided they wanted an even better deal, and they began pushing propaganda about how Portland was not business friendly. Despite no tax increases and no policy changes, suddenly those magazines were no longer rating Portland and Oregon as business friendly, largely because the businesses had motive to change perception. Propaganda is successful, but, at least in this case, it's BS.

Some actual data can be found here where Oregon is rated as the 14th "best" state for business tax climate:

http://www.taxfoundation.org/research/topic/52.html

This five-year-old study also shows Oregon's business tax burden as being very low:

http://www.ocpp.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?page=issue040123

And another piece on the matter:

http://www.blueoregon.com/2009/03/oregon-business-taxes-were-number-2-lowest.html

And one more:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/mapesonpolitics/2008/08/oregon_state_and_local_tax_bur.html


HOORAY FOR OREGON!

Finally, things are a little more fair for everyone!

[stevedeshazer]

14. Aw c'mon. That's not what Lars Larson said!

According to Lars, well, it's Lars! He sez we have really, really, really high taxes.

Psst. That's why he moved to Warshington. ;)

[HuckleB]

16. Poor Lars. He really needs to get a smarter accountant.

[depakid]

27. Lars isn't exactly a sterling example of Tillamook high school's academic prowess

[HuckleB]

28. LOL!

As I've always noted, it doesn't take brains to make money.

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

3. Silly pot smoking Oregonians, raise their income tax.

this is kinda stuff that happens when you encourage everyone to vote with your mail in ballots. :toast::smoke:

[me b zola]

6. Yay for us!

:toast:

[HuckleB]

10. Woo Hoo!

:toast: :yourock:

[leftinportland]

7. We done good....

Bet the Oregonian just hated to publish that headline!

[Arugula Latte]

8. Oh, how sweet that will be tomorrow morning to see that!

[HuckleB]

11. The new "publisher" is not going to sleep well tonight!

[Quantess]

17. He'll be grumbling and tossing and turning.

That, or he'll drink his sorrow away until he passes out into dreamless sleep. :)

[onestepforward]

12. Congratulations to Oregonians!

Good job! I hope that our president will take note!
:patriot:

[HuckleB]

15. Thank you! And I do, too!

:toast:

[pa28]

13. You know what I really love about this?

A big money "no" campaign failed once again. The public actually takes the time to read the measure, understand it and then take the trouble to vote.

[HuckleB]

18. I am amazed.

I shouldn't be, but in this nation, how can I not be?

:toast:

[Quantess]

19. So, ironically,

the "Vote NO" contributors paid a lot of money to fight paying money to the government (in many cases they gave more money to the "Vote No" campaign than they would end up paying in taxes), and they still probably lost!

[HuckleB]

21. EXACTLY!

[Quantess]

34. Cheers to that!

::toast:

[cascadiance]

41. I guess they spent too much money on USELESS ads on KPOJ here!

which probably ALL of the listeners ignored, being more informed than others that it was all BS propaganda! Nice try, but you would have been better off not putting these measures on the ballot and just paying your taxes.

[Arugula Latte]

45. pa28 -- Actually, the "Yes" side was better funded than the "No" side.

Amazingly, teachers' unions and others were able to outraise the corporate fat cats.

[Pithlet]

20. Go Oregon!

I'm happy for you :)

[HuckleB]

22. Thank you.

Cheers!

:toast:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

23. Take THAT, Bill Sizemore!

Hee-hee.

[HuckleB]

24. INDEED! Woo HOO!

:headbang: :yourock:

[MissB]

25. Lydia, did you know he is running for governor again?

(and so is Kitzhaber, but I digress).

Sizemore may have to run his campaign from a jail cell, but he seems determined to run for the republican nod.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

26. Hmm, the state's mood would seem to be not in Sizemore's favor

And didn't he run against Kitzhaber before and get his ass handed to him?

Who are the Republicanites going to run next, Denny Smith?

[MissB]

29. I might pay good money to see Smith cry again!

Likely we will be seeing governor Kizhaber in office this time next year. Sizemore has the best name recognition on the republican side.

[HuckleB]

31. I thought the GOPers all wanted the basketball player who couldn't shoot free throws.

[cascadiance]

43. Maybe they'll try getting a basketball player with nude pics on the net. Hey it worked in MA!!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2636901/greg_oden_pictures_portland_trailblazers.html?cat=14

[depakid]

30. Bill Sizemore's under indictment for tax evasion!

http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2009/11/30/bill-sizemore-indicted-for-tax-evasion-updated-with-sizemore-reaction/

Thought you might appreciate hearing that!

:hi:

[leftstreet]

32. K&R

[davepdx]

33. This is really good news...

all around for our state.

[HuckleB]

46. Yes, sir!

[Skittles]

35. Lead the way, Oregon

someone needs to

[saltpoint]

37. Once there was a Spanish guy who went looking for the Fountain of Youth.

So far as I know he never found it.

The Teabaggers are on a similar quest.

[HuckleB]

49. Great metaphor.

[dmosh42]

38. The Supreme Court will be after them! n/t

[LWolf]

40. This Oregon teacher thanks

all those "Yes" voters.

:yourock:

[depakid]

42. Oregon: providing a roadmap for other states to follow

Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, said he was physically shaking earlier Tuesday while meeting with other lawmakers to discuss possible cuts, which would have included termination of state-funded medical coverage for more than 15,000 seniors and disabled people.

He said voters delivered their approval of lawmakers’ choice to avoid such cuts by creating higher taxes. “It’s a statement that they had enough faith in the Legislature, that if this is what you want to do we’ll go with it,” he said.

Chuck Sheketoff, an advocate of the taxes and head of the Oregon Center for Public Policy, said the vote was being closely watched by other states where the recession has similarly cut into their ability to stretch tax dollars to pay for education and public services.

“It’s absolutely a road map for other states,” he said. “The road map is to ask those who are still doing well during the downturn to contribute more to the public infrastructure that helped them create their wealth.”

More: http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/news/cityregion/24396690-57/tax-measures-oregon-state-percent.csp

[cascadiance]

44. The more states that do this, then the excuse that business will "move away" no longer works!

Since there will be no place for them to "move to" to lower their tax liability, unless they want to follow through on their UnAmerican tendencies and leave the country.

[Eyerish]

47. Yay Oregon!!

:toast: :bounce:

[HuckleB]

48. Cheers!

:toast:

[earth mom]

50. Why in the hell doesn't this thread have 100+ recs?!

WTH DU, we can do better than this!

and


:woohoo: :bounce: :applause:

[HuckleB]

51. You got me!

I would think this would be a big lift after last week.

Cheers!

:toast: