Local:                           THPRD 34-156             YES

Statewide:                     Measure 56                   YES

Measure 58                   NO

Measure 59                   NO

Measure 61                   NO

Measure 62                   NO

Measure 63                   NO

Measure 64                   NO

Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District Bond Measure 34-156 - YES

Protects Streams, Natural Areas, and Wildlife Habitat:  The measure will provide $100 million to allow THPRD to meet environmental challenges and increased park needs associated with population growth. The THPRD region is expected to add more than 100,000 people over the next 20 years. Measure 34-156 helps plan for this growth and reduce its impact by protecting lands that might otherwise be threatened by development. It will cost taxpayers 37 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, about $5.86 per month for the average homeowner.

Measure 34-156 will allocate more than $12 million to purchase and restore wetlands, forests, and greenways with a focus on preserving water quality, protecting fish and wildlife habitat, and providing access to nature. CLF and Audubon are working directly with THPRD to ensure that the most critical natural areas are protected and restored and that access to nature for all residents of the region remains a priority.  The measure will also fund purchase of new neighborhood and community parks, trail expansions, athletic field additions, and facility upgrades.

Information on this measure was adapted from information provided by Portland Audubon. 

Measure 56 – YES 

Removes the Double Majority requirement:  Instead of the normal process where a majority of voters determines whether a measure becomes law, the current “double majority” law requires that a supermajority support property tax measures before they become law.  Under double majority, in addition to receiving majority support, 50 percent of registered voters must vote in the election, or the measure does not pass.  If election turnout is under 50 percent, a measure will fail even if it has overwhelming support from voters.

Removing the double majority will make it easier for local jurisdictions to support public investments in our communities that support livability.  It will also ensure that the people who vote decide the outcome of elections, not the people who don’t.

Measure 58 – NO

Prohibits teaching in any language but English after two years:  Current law permits instruction in more than one language to students whose native language is not English in order to facilitate transition to English language instruction.  Measure 58, sponsored by Bill Sizemore, establishes a two year deadline for English transition. However, because the measure is poorly written, many students will be limited to only one year of English.

Measure 58 would prohibit students from taking ESL classes, regardless of their English proficiency, creating additional barriers for children who already face many language and cultural barriers.  It creates obstacles for children by creating a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching, regardless of the child’s needs, and by failing to provide tools help students learn English.  It would also cost up to $500 million in the next biennium, taking money away from school programs that will actually help children learn.

Measure 59 – NO

Unlimited federal deduction on state tax return:  This measure, sponsored by Bill Sizemore, changes the state tax formula, cutting up to $2.4 billion in basic services.  It will provide tax breaks only for the wealthiest Oregonians, while 75% of taxpayers – middle and low-income families – will save less than a dollar per year from Measure 59.

Cutting the taxes of only the wealthiest Oregonians is unfair, particularly in a recession when state funding for services is declining and so many families are struggling to make ends meet.  We need those funds to educate our children, care for our seniors and people with disabilities, provide for health care for uninsured children, and protect our natural resources.

Oregonians rejected similar measures, also by Bill Sizemore, in 2000 (Measure 91) and 2006 (Measure 41).

Measure 61 – NO

Mandatory Prison Sentencing:  Measure 61, sponsored by Kevin Mannix, creates strict mandatory minimum sentences for a number of drug and property crimes.  These sentences apply to non-violent crimes, include first-time offenders and allows for no judicial discretion or earned-time. 

This initiative will have an enormous human and financial impact.  It provides no funding for treatment, and due to its high cost, would likely reduce funding for programs proven to reduce recidivism.  It will increase the prison population by up to 44% and cost from $256 to $400 million per biennium.  The state will also have to borrow over a billion dollars to pay for prison construction for the 4,000-6,000 new prisoners.

Due to racial disparities in the prison system, this measure will have a disproportionate impact on people of color.  People of color - particularly African Americans - are over-represented in Oregon’s criminal justice system. Only 2% of Oregon’s population is African American, but African Americans make up 10% of Oregon’s prison population.  In addition, much of the crime covered by this measure is driven by addiction, and under Mannix's plan it would actually be harder to access drug treatment.

Information on the impact of this measure was provided by the Partnership for Safety and Justice’s website. 

Measure 62 – NO

Lottery Revenues Diverted from Education, Job Creation, and the Environment to Public Safety:  The Oregon Constitution states that lottery proceeds are to be used only for education, job and economic development, and natural resource programs.  Measure 62 would amend the Constitution to redirect 15% of lottery proceeds to law enforcement programs.

As a direct consequence of this constitutional change, fewer funds would be available for education, job creation and economic development programs.  It would also harm social services, public health and environmental programs because lost lottery dollars for education would likely cause money from other sources to be redirected from these other programs to education.

Measure 62 could also negatively impact natural resource programs because the lottery allocation to these programs, passed by voters in 1998 as Measure 66, will sunset in 2015. Currently, 15% of lottery funds are provided in equal shares to protection of state parks, beaches and shoreline, and restoration of fish and wildlife habitats and watersheds, which impact water quality.  If Measure 62 passes, it could make the renewal of Measure 66 more difficult politically because it further limits the pool of available lottery funds.

Measure 63 – NO

Building Improvements without Permits:  Measure 63 is another Bill Sizemore measure.  It would allow property owners to make improvements valued up to $35,000 per year without obtaining a building permit.

Permits and inspections exist to make sure homes are safe.  Measure 63 would cause dangerous conditions that put people’s safety at risk.  It would allow property owners to make building improvements without important safety inspections or building permits.  If a project overlaps two calendar years, $70,000 in construction could take place without any permit.

The danger from this measure would particularly impact low income neighborhoods, where the pressure to build inexpensively is especially high.  Shoddy wiring, plumbing, and structural design will endanger residents and neighbors.  It could also undermine workers’ wages because it doesn’t require skilled professionals to complete a project unless the project is for electrical work.

Measure 64 – NO 

Limiting Voluntary Payroll Deductions:  Measure 64 would prohibit public employees from using voluntary payroll deductions to donate to any organization that does political activity.

Measure 64 would prevent many small donations to charities and also prevent organizations such as the Oregon Food Bank from collecting funds on public property, prohibiting food drives and fundraisers at schools and libraries.  It would shut out small dollar contributions made voluntarily from paychecks and tax forms while doing nothing to curb large political contributions from corporation and business interests. 

Measure 64 is an attempt to diminish the impact of public employee unions by making it more difficult for employees to make voluntary political contributions.  However, the sweep of the measure is much broader, and union workers are already allowed to prevent their dues from being used for political purposes by filling out a simple form.

This will be the fourth time Bill Sizemore has tried to pass this measure, and Oregonians have already voted no three times. He’s already filed an identical measure for 2010.