Voters say ‘yes’ to tax increase measures

UPDATE • Supporters see a ‘victory for schools’; opponents warn about voters’ mood

Pamplin Media Group, Jan 26, 2010, Updated Jan 27, 2010 (68 Reader comments)

A voter on a bicycle dropped off her ballot Tuesday morning in Multnomah County. Voters across the state were approving both Ballot Measure 66 and Measure 67 Tuesday night.

L.E. BASKOW / Portland Tribune

Oregon voters approved Tuesday two tax-increase measures that legislators hoped would keep the state budget in balance.

According to the secretary of state’s office, Ballot Measure 66 was approved by voters 53 percent to 46 percent. The measure would increase income taxes for high-income people earning $125,000 as individuals and $250,000 as a couple.

Ballot Measure 67 also was approved by voters 53 percent to 46 percent. The measure increases taxes for corporations and some businesses from the minimum of $10 a year.

The decision means the Legislature might not have to make drastic cuts next week when it convenes in a scheduled special session.

Supporters of both measures raised $6.84 million, with major donations from the Oregon Education Association, the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union.

Oregon Education Association President Gail Rasmussen called the statewide vote a “victory for schools.”

“Oregon voters said ‘no’ to more four-day school weeks and bulging class sizes and yes to corporations and the wealthy paying their fair share,” Rasmussen said Tuesday night. “Tonight’s results are a credit to the hard work of parents, educators, and thousands of Oregonians from every walk of life who stood up to protect our schools.”

Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney, a Salem Democrat, said Tuesday night’s vote was “a victory for the Legislature.”

Courtney said that most voters across the state saw that lawmakers took a tough stand to protect services and help guide state out of tough times. Even with the victory at the polls, Courtney said, there would be little celebration in Salem.

“We’ll still have to go into the February session and look at, at least, a $100 million shortfall,” Courtney said, some of it caused by rising demand for human services. “We don’t have to look at budgets the way we would have had to look at them, now that these passed.”

Loss would have hurt

Gov. Ted Kulongoski thanked voters for “voting to protect critical public services during this difficult economic period.”

“Even with this result, we still have some challenges before us,” Kulongoski said. “It is going to be a slow growth recovery from this recession for Oregon and the entire nation. We must continue working together if we want to position Oregon for economic success in the long term.”

Portland pollster Tim Hibbitts, whose polls last week showed shrinking support for both measures, called the races for the “yes” side just minutes after the 8 p.m. vote deadline.

He credited a well-managed campaign that was well-financed, with a well-honed “ground game” to turn out voters. But it’s not a mandate for general support of tax increases, since the taxes were narrowly targeted, he said.

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