August 12, 2013

The Oregonian: Unions and taxes- A combustible issue with readers

media mention

(Original Post)

By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian 
on August 08, 2013 at 11:14 AM, updated August 08, 2013 at 11:25 AM
My Wednesday post about the latest tax proposals from Our Oregon — a political group closely associated with the state’s public employee unions — has drawn more comments than almost any other story on Oregonlive.
revenuejpg-5dcc1e2f9c5f843d.jpg
The Oregon Revenue Department headquarters in Salem
Michelle Cole/The Oregonian
Most of the reaction is from critics of organized labor, as well as from those who particularly don’t like the way Our Oregon’s tax proposals target larger corporations and the well-to-do.
However, there were also supporters of Our Oregon’s contention that schools and public services need more money — and that the rising concentration of wealth shows that higher-income groups can contribute more.
One of the interesting exchanges was about Maryland’s experience when it raised taxes on people with incomes of more than a million dollars between 2007 and 2010. One reader provided a link about a study from Change Maryland, an anti-tax group, which claimed that the “millionaire’s tax” led many wealthy residents to flee the state.  Not so, says another reader, providing a link reporting on a study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.  The study said actual tax returns showed that the decline in millionaires was mostly due to the fact that their income had gone down when the recession hit, not because they had moved.
And, of course, there are still arguments here over the impact of the Measure 66/Measure 67 tax hikes (which Our Oregon played a big role in making a reality) on the state’s economy.
In any case, we don’t yet know if the debate in Oregon will be anything more than academic.  Our Oregon says it is just keeping its options open and hasn’t yet decided whether it will take anything to the ballot.  Still, with 10 potential measures filed now, the group sure looks serious.
–Jeff Mapes

By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian 

on August 08, 2013 at 11:14 AM, updated August 08, 2013 at 11:25 AM

My Wednesday post about the latest tax proposals from Our Oregon — a political group closely associated with the state’s public employee unions — has drawn more comments than almost any other story on Oregonlive.

Most of the reaction is from critics of organized labor, as well as from those who particularly don’t like the way Our Oregon’s tax proposals target larger corporations and the well-to-do.

However, there were also supporters of Our Oregon’s contention that schools and public services need more money — and that the rising concentration of wealth shows that higher-income groups can contribute more.

One of the interesting exchanges was about Maryland’s experience when it raised taxes on people with incomes of more than a million dollars between 2007 and 2010. One reader provided a link about a study from Change Maryland, an anti-tax group, which claimed that the “millionaire’s tax” led many wealthy residents to flee the state.  Not so, says another reader, providing a link reporting on a study from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.  The study said actual tax returns showed that the decline in millionaires was mostly due to the fact that their income had gone down when the recession hit, not because they had moved.

And, of course, there are still arguments here over the impact of the Measure 66/Measure 67 tax hikes (which Our Oregon played a big role in making a reality) on the state’s economy.

In any case, we don’t yet know if the debate in Oregon will be anything more than academic.  Our Oregon says it is just keeping its options open and hasn’t yet decided whether it will take anything to the ballot.  Still, with 10 potential measures filed now, the group sure looks serious.

–Jeff Mapes

 


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