Portland blames problems on Measure 5 tax limits

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
OregonWatchdog.com

One of the most influential leaders in Portland on his retirement from office just said the biggest problem Portland has is the limits on higher taxes that citizens put into the Constitution. Michael Jordan has served in both Portland and Metro governments and just said this in a front-page story about Portland’s problems:

“Local government funding is broken in Oregon and has been for a long time. But as they say, the chickens are now coming home. This started really in 1990 with the passage of Measure 5. It has got nothing but more challenging, more convoluted, as we have piled more limitations into the Constitution without taking any of them away.”

This is like a child in massive debt blaming the bank for enacting credit limits.

Ballot Measure 5 in 1990 was put in the Constitution by co-founder of the Taxpayers Association, Don McIntire, and approved by voters.   Measure 5 put maximum limits on property taxes.  If it were not for Measure 5, your property taxes would be nearly 50% higher than they are today — based upon pre-1990 standards.

Michael Jordan blames Measure 5 because Portland has maxed out all other forms of taxes.

Portland is one of the highest taxed places in North America!

Portland, the county and METRO have passed …

• income tax increases
• business license fee increases
• business tax increases
• gas tax increases
• CEO tax increases
• parking fee increases
• created Uber taxes
• Housing fee increases

Local politicians have taxed businesses so much that it has become a national scandal with all the businesses leaving.  Even Governor Kotek has pleaded for Portland to stop taxing businesses as it has become so obviously painful.

Portland has only one other target to loot, and that is property owners, but the state constitution blocks them.

If only Portland would balance their budget like other cities.

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