Gov. Brown’s $800 million sin tax plan exposed

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon,

This year the Governor’s office tried to hide 2019 budget proposals from the public so the public would not know how Governor Kate Brown and all the various agencies planned to balance the budget until after the election. The Willamette Week uncovered a budget document that showed why Governor Kate Brown was hiding her agencies own plans (something that previous governor’s did not do).

The tax plan within the Oregon Health Authority shows over $800 million in new wine, beer and tobacco taxes on consumers.

It includes a wine, cider and beer tax increase
– 10% increase in retail price

It includes a $2.00 per pack cigarette tax increase:
– 150% increase in the cigarette tax, ($1.33 to $3.33 a pack).

Gov. Kate Brown may say that this is just a plan from her agency and that she may not accept it in her final proposal.  Yet, Governor Brown will surely follow this path because she already has come forward with massive liquor and tobacco tax increases in her previous budget tax proposals.  Governor Kate Brown has been painfully silent during the 2018 election season about how she would handle the state’s $24 billion PERS pension crisis debt without reducing expenses.   It seems clear she plans to produce a $800 million wine, beer and tobacco tax, among other taxes to raise billions in higher taxes.

Taxpayers should be outraged at this $800 million tax proposal.

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