Posted: 6/4/2006 9:12:21 PM EDT
So how much are you getting back from Oregon and have you got is spent yet? At $175 per thousand paid coming back, I'll be getting enough for something nice 
|
Excatly, but we all know it'll just got to some pork barrel project or right into soemone's pocket. |
I agree, sort of. I'd give them half of the return if they put it in a 'rainy day fund' which would support worthy programs which suffer during economic hard times. And never any 'earmarking' the rainy day fund with new programs. |
|
The only "rainy day" fund that I would trust would be one which required approval of the govenor, and that such approval required his immediate resignation and bar from any future political activity in the state. That way we could be certain that it would only ever be used in a dire emergency. |
|
How do you make read that in this story. It begins with: "Taxpayers expected to get big kicker checks in 2007" Goes on to say: "The projected $883 million tax refund would amount to about $175 for every $1,000 in personal income taxes paid in Oregon" I don't see anything about not getting a refund -- that is until you get to the story about Kulongwatsisname, who, as is traditional with Dem. govenors, wants to take the money and use it for his own purposes. The second link points to a story about how uncomfortable the Oregon Dems. are with his big mouth in an election year. |
He has not put it into legislation YET, it's comments on his remarks to reporters about putting it in the rainy day fund. Unfortunatley, if he does not decide to hang on to them, it won't be for "our" good, but more of a political move. I hope he leaves them alone for us, and it fails this November. |
|
I don't know if there is a kicker refund due for 2005 revenue (probably), but for 2006, tax income is proceeding at a much higher pace than was anticipated - thus a healthy surplus, which MUST be returned to the taxpayer. The Dems traditionally want to keep every penny they get - they will find a "good" use for it, and build that expense into next year's budget, requiring them to, of course, increase taxes since 2006 income was exceptional. Kulongoski is just saying he WANTS this money - its in his pocket now, and constitution or not, he wants to keep it, even if that means changing the constitution. In an election year, he is pissing into the wind. What his fellow dems are worried about is that its blowing back over them, as well as him. |
Saxton’s (our) chances took a good hit with Mary Starrett taking up the far right. Really pisses me off that the Constitution Party has to do this and isn’t looking out for the better good. If Ted does stay, we can probably kiss those kickers goodby. |
I think he is an unknown quantity at the moment. He appears to be a somewhat liberal conservative. That could actually be a good thing (unless you are a liberal loony or raving conservative). We will have to see. However, he is almost certainly better than the alternatives (Kulongoski, Manix). The biggest problem he has is that he doesn't have a strange name. That seems to be a requirement for OR govenor ... |
There is a proposal (there has been talk for YEARS) to build a Newberg/Dundee bypass. Basically branching off at Rex Hill, and going south of Newberg and Dundee to re-join the 99W at the 99W/18 junction. Of course, the merchants in Newberg and Dundee want feeders into the towns to keep som business. The BIG bone of contention is that the planners don't have any money to pay for this. They have federal matching grant money, but are missing the money to match... So they decided to go talk to an European company about them building this for essentially free, and running it as a toll road. IMHO toll roads belong on the east coast, not here. Fortunately, MANY people seem to agree with me, so there is some scrambling to see if they can make the idea of a toll road more appealing, or if not how to come up with the money. |
If they try that, my jeep is going to be testing out its 4x4 in ernest. No way I am going to pay a toll to come and go to my house  I think they were a little taken aback by the violence of the "NO F'IN WAY" response they got from everyone they asked. They are starting their traffic survey on 99W this week - so be prepared for even longer back-ups... |
| Well I guess I'm in the minority here, I actually think that new roads that are built should be toll roads. I'd really like to see a better 99W- I5 connector, and I'd definitely be willing to pay a toll for it. Would beat the crap out of sitting behind a dump truck doing 30 mph down TS road. |
Munk, are you drinking? Why would you bring up the kicker when it's at least a year off?  I'm confused. ps - the formula should be ((W2 *.09) /1000)*175 *assumes W2=amount of taxible income * state tax rate 9%* Me - Ginormous Liberty Safe. |
|
Hey... nice thread ressucitation fellas. Calculate the amount and send it in or refund my overpayment in April and move on... WTF... they purposly over tax us? then have a dept that calculates the amount, then send some back to us??? and we are supposed to be happy that the .gov has basically set us up with the most expensive non-intrest bearing savings account known to man?? the kicker is the stupidest fucking thing ever devised by the state... and it is in the constitution? |
Go to the ODOT website and look at the public/private partnership stuff. He's talking about the Newberg-Dundee bypass. A private firm would build and maintain the bypass and charge a toll for a certain time period (like 99 years). To ensure people use the toll they are also talking about tolling existing roads near the area to force people onto the new bypass. There are some other private/public partnerships proposed like on Hwy 26 and I-205 I think. Go to ODOT's website and read. The last legislature REQUIRED ODOT to explore these P/P. If ya don't like it vote the bums out and write your people in Salem who were elected to represent you. |
My understanding is it was a ballet initiative (not the state) - a sort of tax revolt by those citizens tired of gov't spending whatever it had. The deal being what ever extra revenue the state has over it's budget for the year goes back to whom it belongs... us. I bring this back from the dead as I haven't heard anything on it for a while and don't know if we're getting it or not.... |
True, but what if private industry budgeted like the state did...Oregon has just enough common sense to make sure we get the kicker. Optimistic thinking. |
Kicker is born of the initative process. State Gov't does a 2 year budget - they guess how much they will make in tax revenue and budget to spend every dime. If they get more the ~2% more than they guess, they can't just spend it - they, by constitution, must return to tax payers in the ratio in which we contributed. There is are both business and personal kickers and the asshats in Salem HATE IT. That's all I need to know. |
If they want to toll roads, then bump the speed limit up to 100. I'd pay for that 
|
Before you agree to that, think of the people who live on that road, or who use it to travel to and from home. Its a stupid idea. Toll roads belong on the east coast, and should stay there. If one cent of public money goes into any road, it should be free to travel on it. If the private company pays all the costs of planning -- rights of way, EPA, all the other studies, buys up the land without any help from the government, re-imburses for all the studies (+ interest), builds and maintains the roads to state standards, pays for policing of the roads, EVERYTHING, then, yes, I can see allowing them to impose a toll for using it (taxable income, of course). Otherwise, NO TOLL ROADS IN OREGON! |
|
If they want toll roads they need to repeal the gasoline tax first. I remember spending about $40 traveling around 200 miles through northern Italy toll road highways a few years back. I also had to buy a $45 highway sticker for Switzerland. It's free to drive on sideroads there but you have to buy the sticker if you want to get on the highway.  Curiously Germany and France had the best highways and they were free!So where do I buy my yearly hwy 99W toll sticker? Do I need a hwy 99E sticker as well? How about the I5 sticker that allows me to travel over 55mph? Then I also need my tollway 205 sticker and the Tualatin/Sherwood Road tollway sticker (since people use it to bypass 99W). Going from one side of Portland to the other could easily cost $20 if they set things up like some places in Europe. Next I expect the city of portland to charge for radio and television transmission signals to pass through the city limits. That will be $50 a year per radio and $125 for every TV you own. They do that in Germany! |
|
I too favor toll roads, and have no issue paying my own way, I really detest having extra taxes piled on for services that I have never, nor will ever use/be able to use. |
Bad link. Looks like they lost their domain name to a squatter. Mary Starrett? Just googled - looks like she's Kevin Starrett's (Oregon Firearms Federation) sister. The Constitution Party scares me. ETA: .net not .org www.constitutionpartyoregon.net/ www.marystarrettforgovernor.com/ |
I think it was close to $15 to get from Orlando to the coast. Had to stop about every 5 miles to pay, I even paid 1.25 to use an exit ramp that went to another toll road. That's 1.25 to get off the road, 1.75 to get on the other. No option to get off at this particular ramp. I Hate Toll Roads. As far as the Constitution party, they have a cool name and sound neat at first, but they are too fundamentalist for me. I'm a small l libertarian and will vote that way from now on. I refuse to bow to the fear-mongering of the Republican party. They are now very close to the rats on RTBA issues, and otherwise run by fundamentalists. Some of the biggest increases in the budget and federal goverment ever. Not to mention the establishment of the American Gestapo. |