Is it time for a sales tax? Some Oregon lawmakers say it is
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PORTLAND, Ore. – It hasn’t been a popular idea in the past, but a group of Portland-area lawmakers think the time is right to propose a sales tax in Oregon.
The idea is to have a five percent tax on many things we buy, which would be coupled with tax breaks for homeowners and people with jobs. The proposal calls for cutting property and income taxes in half.
Even though voters have rejected other sales taxes a whopping nine times, supporters of the idea say that this time around some people could end up actually paying less in overall taxes.
State Senators Mark Hass and Ginny Burdick, as well as State Representative Tobias Read, are behind the idea. All three are Democrats.
Hass believes Oregon’s tax system puts our schools at too much risk and that it is the most volatile state revenue system in the country.
No other state is as dependent on a single tax as Oregon is on its income tax.
Hass sees a five percent sales tax as the only solution to avoid massive teacher layoffs and growing class sizes.
“We got to get out of this boom or bust cycle,” Hass said. “When you look at Oregon’s revenue system, because of the income tax it’s up and down and up and down. It looks like the Matterhorn.”
He argues that aside from helping education funding, creating a broader, more stable tax base would help businesses plan better and it would also help other government-funded services manage their staffs and resources.
The sales tax would be applied to items like cars, clothing and toys. Food, prescription drugs and utilities would not be taxed.
The plan also includes cuts to the capital gains and corporate taxes.
Renters would get some kind of rebate since they wouldn’t benefit from the drop in property taxes.
Lawmakers will debate the proposal when the next legislative session starts in the new year.
Read more: Details of the proposed sales tax
will never pass I will NOT vote for a sales tax unless property tax and income tax are removed completely.
I will be doing my part to make sure it goes 10/10 in getting voted down. I would be fine with a sales tax if they eliminated income tax altogether and could not bring it back without a vote, but they want all 3. Eventually income and property taxes would creep back up to where they were to begin with and the sales tax will double.
regardless if it will work or not how do we not get a vote on it.thats a total loss of control whats to stop them from doing anything else they want
Mark Hass, you will not get reelected and your bill will not pass.
I am all for a sales tax. As long as they drop the income tax.
This wouldn't even be discussed if it were election time, when you vote next time remember who they are
@Pit Bull I started to write down thier names till I read that they were all democrats and I set my pen down because a democrat will never get my vote anyway.
 @Pit Bull Oregon/Portland voters will remember. And re-elect them.
The parasites are at it again...These people are the worst of the worst.
Good grief. Why do the citizens have to CONSTANTLY be on guard against our own government and the deeds they would exact upon us in the name of "governing"?? Note to you politicos - GIVE US A FRICKIN' BREAK FOR A CHANGE!
@OregonOrator One simple word "Progressives".
as a victim of the tax rape from calif. politicians for over 50 years of my working life, I can promise you that any break given to get this passed will quickly go away and the taxes will continue to rise. Anyone that believes a politician on any thing much less a tax hike is destined to be supporting them forever. I saw sales taxes go from 3% to almost 10% and when you add the city and county taxes that will quickly be added it will break your back. Each one of these politicians need to be voted out of office asap.
The day that they make us have a sales tax is the day they need to delete the income tax. Washington has a sales tax but no income tax. There are enough lower income families here that no one in the middle class or below can afford to be double taxed!
Read the comments... Portlander's have a good grip of reality about this absolute nonsense!
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http://www.katu.com/politics/Is-it-time-for-a-sales-tax-Some-Oregon-lawmakers-say-it-is-182461252.html
Ha...a couple of liberals there, not realizing that it's a liberal proposing this tax, are excoriating the mere suggestion of a sales tax... :->