Measure 24-93Arguments Against:THE WOODBURN CITY GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO INCREASE OUR GAS TAXES 10) The Price of Gas in Woodburn just isn't high enough to entice I-5 commuters to stop. 9) The Citizens of Woodburn can afford to give the government another $200,000 in taxes. 8) According to the Woodburn City Council, small businesses won't be hurt by an increase in taxes. 7) Why would anyone stop in Hubbard to buy gas when they can pay at least 3 cents more per gallon in Woodburn? 6) The State Legislature didn't raise your taxes, so somebody has to! 5) The City of Woodburn wants to win the race to $2 per gallon! 4) Ballot Measure 5 decreased our taxes so much we can afford to pay a few more bucks at the pump. 3) 43 cents per gallon in Federal, State, and Local gas taxes just isn't enough. 2) Nobody who lives in Woodburn really buys their gas here. 1) Our vote in favor of Ballot Measure 47's tax reduction was a mistake! We really want our taxes raised! The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Marion County nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument. Marion County does not correct errors in spelling or grammar. The voters of Woodburn sent a clear message to the government when we overwhelmingly passed Ballot Measure 47 to lower our taxes. But the City of Woodburn just isn't listening. Because Measure 47 means the City is getting less of our hard-earned money, the City has decided to try to increase our taxes another way ... this time at the gas pump. Not satisfied with the $100,000 it takes from us each year with a special 1 cent per gallon Woodburn gas tax, the City now wants you to triple that tax by adding another 2 cents per gallon! If this measure passes, we will be paying 45 cents per gallon in federal, state and local taxes for gas! The city claims it needs the money to fix local roads. But that's what the original penny tax was for.What has the City been doing with the extra $100,000 per year that we give it? The truth is that this new gas tax is just a scheme to get around Ballot Measure 47. By raising your taxes by at least $200,000, the City is just trying to recover the taxes it lost due to Measure 47. Don't be fooled. The government just wants more of our hard-earned money. That's why, unlike other Willamette Valley communities, the City of Woodburn taxes every from local businesses and telephone service, to utilities and hotels. The City of Woodburn has never seen a tax it didn't like. It's time we tell the Woodburn City Government that our taxes are high enough ... especially at the pump. The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Marion County nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument. Marion County does not correct errors in spelling or grammar. THEY CAN'T BE SERIOUS! ANOTHER 2 cents TAX PER GALLON ON GAS IN WOODBURN! THEY WANT US TO GIVE THE GOVERNMENT ANOTHER $200,000 A YEAR? DIDN'T WE JUST TELL THEM WITH OUR VOTE ON BALLOT MEASURE 47 THAT WE WANT LOWER TAXES? Talk about missing the boat! The City of Woodburn is trying to convince us that they need more money to fix roads. But before you hand over your wallet, you should ask a few important questions: 1) What is the City doing with the $100,000 it is collecting each year from the current 1cent Woodburn gas tax? 2) Who is going to bear the brunt of this tax increase, you or people traveling past Woodburn on I-5? 3) How can the City Council say this increase won't hurt anybody when everyone knows that taxes hurt everyone? There's no such thing as a free lunch; those taxes will be passed on to the consumer. 4) Have you ever seen the City repave a perfectly good road, yet ignore a terrible road? Is that how our money should be spent? 5) Are you willing to pay 3 cents in local gas taxes, 18 cents in federal gas taxes, 24 cents in state gas taxes, and who knows how much in future gas tax increases? 6) Has the City ever seen a tax it didn't like? Did you know the City already taxes hotels, your phone bill, your electricity bill, your cable bill, your local business, and your gas? How much money is enough? Clearly, the City of Woodburn thinks there will never be enough money. But, they just don't get it. Tell the City enough is enough. Vote NO on Measure 24-93 this November 4. The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Marion County nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument. Marion County does not correct errors in spelling or grammar. Dear Friends: The City of Woodburn is proposing an increase of our local gas taxes by $200,000! I am against this increase and would like to tell you why. As you know, in the past I have opposed huge boondoggle transportation projects, like the recent North-South light rail, and the Legislature's bloated special-interest transportation package. Neither of these projects proved they would serve the public good, and were more about raising taxes for government to increase spending than actually improving our transportation system. The proposed Woodburn gas tax increase falls into this same category: it only will provide more money for government, and will not improve our situation in Woodburn. The most significant transportation issue we face in Woodburn is the I-5 interchange, and the congestion it creates. This is the state's responsibility, and no City tax dollars will go to pay for that project. Another issue addressed by City officials is the fact that Woodburn has many unpaved roads. However, this gas tax increase will not be spent on new paving projects, just repairing and maintaining current roads. So the question is how bad are our roads. Obviously, there are roads that need some repair work. Every community has them. But, we already pay an extra penny at the pump in Woodburn that raises about $100,000 a year to help pay for those repairs. This tax is on top of the money we give the city in local business taxes, utility taxes, phone taxes, hotel taxes, and other local taxes the City has created to raise money for the government. If the roads are in bad shape, what is the City doing with all our money? Instead of trying to tax its way out of its responsibility, the City should use existing revenues to repair our roads. I urge a NO vote on Measure 24-93. Patti Milne, State Representative State Representative) The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Marion County nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument. Marion County does not correct errors in spelling or grammar.
Return to this Measures Menu |