Statewide ad campaign “Don’t burn a billion!”

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

The State of Oregon has so much free money that the politicians are about to burn away a billion dollars in revenue out of sheer insanity.

The Taxpayers Association is alerting the public by starting a statewide newspaper advertising campaign called “3 ways lawmakers to burn a billion in free money”.  The campaign can be seen in the

√ Portland Tribune
√ Salem Statesman Journal
√ Eugene Register Guard
√  Bend Bulletin
√ Beaverton (Tigard/Tualatin) Valley times.

THREE WAYS LAWMAKERS TO BURN A BILLION IN FREE MONEY

#1 — DEATH TAX CAUSES PEOPLE TO FLEE STATE — Oregon has the nation’s most expensive death tax, while 38 other states have none. Oregon loses as much as $532million in other lost tax revenue in part from higher income earners escaping over this tax.  When higher income taxpayers leave the state, they take their income taxes, excise taxes, gas taxes, alcohol taxes and business taxes with them. (Tax Foundation 2/28/25)

#2 — PENSION MANDATE BLOCKS PROFITS — Our Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) is $28 billion in debt as lawmakers recklessly consider pulling all pension investments out of successful energy companies related to oil/natural gas with SB 681. Similar environmental investments mandates often result in 5% less investment returns, costing hundreds of millions in lost free money for an empty environmental mandate that doesn’t reduce a single ounce of carbon. (KGW-10/12/23)

#3 — PRODUCT BAN REWARDS TAX-FREE SMUGGLERS — Lawmakers are considering banning flavored nicotine products which would destroy several hundred small family-owned vaping shops and neighborhood stores overnight. As customers flee to illegal online sales,decline in the tobacco/vaping tax  would cause a $200 million hole in our health care budget. Why lose $200 million of tax dollars dedicated to health programs and watch the funds be lost to online smugglers?   Already, 25% of all tobacco products are bought from the Black Market — why make it worse?

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