By Taxpayer Association of Oregon,
It took only 24 days after voters resoundingly defeated the $3 billion Measure 97 tax for Oregon Governor Kate Brown to conjure up a new $1 billion Son of 97 Tax. This Son of 97 tax is coming soon as Governor Brown has proposed it for the 2017 Legislative Session that begins in just a few weeks. If they speed this tax like they sped the Hidden Gas Tax of 2015 through the Legislature — we could see this billion dollar tax become law before President’s Day.
What’s in the tax: This tax is a massive $300 million tax hike on small businesses. It is also a half-billion tax hike on health insurance premiums, hospitals and health care providers. The tax is also a giant tax on liquor and tobacco. What Governor Brown is hiding: First of all, the official governor’s report of the tax fails to mention the $300 small business tax as an actual “tax”. Instead it is referred to as a revenue raising idea that closes tax loopholes which magically increases small business taxes by $300 million. By this logic, Governor Brown could eliminate your mortgage interest deduction or terminate your child tax credit and call it closing a loophole. The other thing Governor Brown does is that they delay the tax from being fully implemented by one year. This hides 30% of the cost. So the Governor is selling the tax as a $200 tax (revenue raiser) when it is closer to a $300 million tax. Governor Brown is afraid to show the public the true cost of the tax.
How you can help: You can make a donation to the Taxpayer Association or support our TAO-PAC with a political tax credit donation. You choose. But you must act before midnight December 31st!