http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/04/i_want_to_pay_more_taxes.html
Are you enjoying your Federal TAX Cut? I am!
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http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/04/i_want_to_pay_more_taxes.html
Are you enjoying your Federal TAX Cut? I am!
Regarding Urban Renewal and the frozen taxes that SHOULD GO TO THE SCHOOLS AND THE FIRE DISTRICT:
We were assured by City Manager John “I have no stake in the future of Molalla” Atkins that the state of Oregon would make up the revenue lost via the urban renewal district for the school district. Reality check John – the schools are facing a FOUR MILLION DOLLAR SHORTFALL – and the state of Oregon is broke, too!
So, wise and greedy Atkins – where are your promises now – how about giving all those taxes back to where they should have stayed IN THE FIRST PLACE : to the Fire District and the School District. Those districts at least TRY to use tax dollars in a responsible way – unlike Molalla with it’s insane waste of funds on the LEGALLY INDEFENSIBLE COMP PLAN.
I won’t vote to raise the taxes for ANYTHING as long as the city STEALS MONEY FROM THE SCHOOLS AND THE FIRE DISTRICT. Give back the money now – Molalla doesn’t have a responsible dept as far a managing tax revenue – so let the schools and fire do their work!
A couple of further notes on taxes:
Molalla taxpayers, does anyone understand that the city is taking YOUR taxes to fund the legally indefensible comp plan and to pay huge, often undeserved salaries to city workers?
Think hard: What has YOUR city done to improve YOUR quality of life? If you FAIL at your job – or are unqualified to do it – you get LAID OFF OR FIRED, right?
In Molalla city government the incompetent and unqualified get HUGE salaries that YOU PAY FOR. That’s not fair!
The lack of transparency should begin to concern everyone. Without the proper use of public monies, the quality of life here keeps slipping – parks are ignored, roads crumble, we should all worry about the pipes beneath the old city? Does the city plan for ways to IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND TO PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT HERE?
It doesn’t seem that the city cares about the people already here – it only cares about paying for poor job performance and dreaming about some future ‘HIGH ENDERS’.
Don’t you think it is time that city government worked FOR YOU FOR A CHANGE?
The city could do better “planning” and save money to boot by closing the “planning dept” and contracting to the county for planning – at least the county has qualified, educated, certified planners!
The same is true for police services – the police here are just “speed trap bandits” – why not just use the county for police, too – then we wouldn’t be paying double for services!
Perhaps these ideas will get some consideration as the economy here fails further; after all, as Grannie said “you can’t bleed a turnip!”.
Ugh, I liked! So clear and positively.
Thanks
Hey Molalla Government, I want that $60 charge you put on my water bill or TAX back in my wallet. Do away with the POOL TAX.
http://action2.bravenewfilms.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=o8biz8LsNhqXGe4SeMdvU57vXf093c97
Here is a tax money tragedy – Molalla city government is letting a bunch of dollars fly out of Molalla via expensive lawyer fees – and the fees are paid so that Molalla’s lawyer can “help” private landowners get into the growth boundaries. I read over the paid bills at city hall today – shame on the city for wasting pubic monies to help private land speculators – who in most cases are rich enough to pay their own bills.
And, for a laugh, I found a note where the city paid the lawyer to look into “getting” me for posting blogs here that were jokes – parodies of public officials. What’ s the problem Atkins, Potter, and Clarke – can’t you take a JOKE? Do you need to stand behind your lawyer because the public thinks you are FUNNY?
That would be a fun court case: Dear Judge, I was having fun with words – I thought it was America and that we had free speech. Letterman made fun of the Bush EVERY NIGHT -The President didn’t sue Letterman!
And I could also say: “Judge, never in my wildest dreams would I WANT to be or pretend to be Shane Potter, or John Atkins or Mike Clarke – that would be the WORSE DREAM ON EARTH. ”
And finally I would say “Judge, in Molalla ATKINS IS IMPERSONATING A CITY MGR, POTTER IS IMPERSONATING A PLANNER, AND CLARKE IS IMPERSONATING A MAYOR!
Hey – maybe we should sue THEM for impersonating city officials! And ask for our money back!
The Oregonian had great coverage about the County and how it is wisely cutting back on positions and services because of the poor economy.
The biggest nugget was that RESIDENTIAL TAXES are declining – when houses sell for a great deal less than their former values they go on the tax rolls for less. Then the County gets LESS REVENUE. And then Molalla gets LESS REVENUE.
I wonder when that FACT will sink into the empty heads that “run” Molalla. Atkins bragged recently about basing the city on residential taxes – the unspoken message was that because there is virtually NO BUSINESS TAX BASE HERE (and shrinking by the day as Scotts moves to Washington State soon!) the city must depend upon residential taxes.
What happens to the County tax base happens to the Molalla tax base. As foreclosures and hugely reduced prices hit, the “new” tax on the “sold under market value” homes will bite big time. I hope the “leaders” are planning for that – as they let Molalla plannin’ flush the money down the drain are they also protecting the city with a “rainy day fund” or are they as careless and naive as they appear to be – running the city on blind faith that “something” is coming to bail out the city?
I guess dumb hope springs eternal if you are “elected” to serve here – and silence is telling! I am afraid we need more that false “good job” baloney to save the economic future here.
The City can expect little from the County – all roads projects are on hold – and I expect those PUBLIC GRANTS the City is so fond of depending on are also in very short supply. Oh no – how will MOLALLA STAND ON ITS OWN TWO FEET in the economic and real estate crisis?
Read quote below from Dana Tim’s Oregonian article this week about the money woes of Clackamas County and the efforts to downsize the County. As goes the County so goes the economy of Molalla – and the property values are sinking the same way all over the County.
Quote from the Oregonian:
“The county’s general fund, which accounts for more than 60 percent of total revenue, took
a significant shot this year as area housing values, and the property-tax revenues they
provide, continued to slide. Median home sale prices of $269,900 — compared to $320,000
at the same time last year — were largely responsible for the lowest year-to-year growth
since the passage of Measure 47 in 1996.”
So how does Molalla justify NOT DOWNSIZING?
http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2009/06/clackamas_county_trims_spendin.html
Guess who would benefit most if voters reverse the TAX THE RICH bills that the Oregon legislature passed this session?
Answer: RICHIE RICH GUYS like “our” rep. “Vickie” Gilliam.
“Vickie” whines in the Pioneer about taxing the RICH – yet he fails to tell you that HE IS THE RICH!!!!!!
What’s wrong, “Vickie”? Don’t YOU want to pay your fair share to help suffering Oregonians keep their jobs? Don’t YOU want to pay YOUR FAIR SHARE to make sure the state of Oregon can provide basic services?
“Vickie” represents the RICH – RICH corporations and RICH people. “VIckie” will loose his SPECIAL INTEREST HANDOUTS from the rich corporations and rich individuals if he doesn’t keep begging for lower taxes.
Hey, RICHIE RICH” VICKIE” – where does the buck stop – would you stop whining if there were no taxes and no roads and no schools and no social services and no public safety/fire protection? Maybe just scorched earth where we can all stand behind our locked doors prepared to protect the crumbs we have – while you live in a MANSION somewhere (on Lake Washington, in Washington State?) and count your big PILE OF NON- TAXED MONEY?
Grow up, “Vickie” – the RICH corporations and RICH individuals can afford to kick in a tad more so the state doesn’t collapse. Give up an expensive meal out – go work in a soup kitchen, go to an emergency room and see the folks suffering because they can’t afford routine health care, go to a crowded classroom, visit someone losing their home due to chronic unemployment – DO SOMETHING TO CONNECT WITH REAL PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING AND KICK IN YOUR FAIR RICHIE RICH SHARE FOR A CHANGE OF PACE!
Believe me, Richie Rich “VICKIE” – you’ll never miss it – and you might actually find a soul in the process! Maybe you could even find a heart and start to represent the MAJORITY: all of us struggling “little guys” who can’t afford to be bled further.
Tax the rich to help the rest of us – not a bad formula in any time and especially in a time of a jobless “recovery”.
So don’t believe “our VIckie” about taxes – “Vickie” IS the rich and “Vickie” ONLY CARES ABOUT HELPING THE RICH.
Our legislature understands that it can’t bleed us – the “little guys” – and it wisely looked to tax those who CAN AFFORD IT – RICH CORPORATIONS WHO HAVE DODGED FAIR TAXES FOR FAR TOO LONG, and RICHIE RICH INDIVIDUALS LIKE GILLIAM.
So again, don’t be fooled – “Vickie” Gilliam only cares about the RICH!!!! And his biggest concern is keeping those SPECIAL INTEREST MONIES FLOWING TO MAKE HIM RICHER!
And the ONLY way “Vickie” keeps his pockets full of SPECIAL INTEREST MONIES is to PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE RICH!
It will be interesting to see if the “average” taxpayer will be fooled by the anti-tax forces when the election comes to address whether or not the public will let stand the recent tax structure signed by the Governor. Passed by the Legislature this session, the new taxes affect the ultra rich and the corporations, to make the upper earners pay their fair share in this critical time.
Will the taxpayers think this through and recognize that this is to help keep our state functioning and that the upper earners can afford to kick in a little more?
Or will they fall for the scare tactics of the rich and vote to drive our state further into financial ruin?
It certainly will be interesting to watch – and I hope if people vote to “help” the rich and the corporations they won’t start crying when the schools, public safety, and other essential services go begging for lack of funds.
Money has to come from somewhere – why not from those people and corporations best able to pay a bit more?
Here’s a funny fact – and a reason why Molalla or the school district should not consider going to the taxpayers for new bonds or taxes.
In HIGH END West Linn (the city that cheered when John Atkins came to “work” in Molalla!) the voters on May 18 approved two measures to allow the city to purchase new land to build a new City Police Department building.
But the voters of affluent West Linn voted NO! on the third measure that would have provided money to build the new Police Department building. So, the city can buy land but can’t build a thing.
So go figure, Molalla – does anyone really think that the taxpayers of service districts (city bonds, school district, fire district) in bottom of the barrel Molalla are going to pass any bond or tax measures here anytime soon?
Today’s Oregonian has grim news that the next decade will be a total financial bust state wide. Even if the recession/depression ended tomorrow the state funding holes are so profound that the next 10 years will represent financial disaster for Oregon. If the state is a 10 year disaster zone what can Molalla expect?
Oregon fell badly in the newest Chief Executive.net poll of best/worse places to do business in America – to the 38th place in the nation. So if Oregon is a business bust Molalla’s dreams of attracting jobs just took an even bigger hit than Oregon at large.
So let’s see: the County is a financial disaster, the State is a financial disaster, the Nation is a financial disaster,the world is a financial disaster, Oregon has lost huge ground in attracting business, Metro (including Molalla), Bend, Salem, Medford, Clark County Wa, and Eugene Springfield are all on the national distressed real estate market list, Clackamas County is cutting planning hours, cutting services, is pushing to divest itself of most financial help to cities and to unincorporated North County urbanized areas because its revenues are tanking……but, wait! There is hope because plannin’ Potter and TEAM are promoting that Molalla is a hot ticket that needs 2,400 acres of new land! They are prepared to further bankrupt Molalla by hiring endless lawyers to defend that garbage plan!
Wow, what Twilight Zone episode are TEAM/Potter living in – and Scottie can you beam me up there? Or sell me whatever they are smokin’ so I can stop reading the worldwide/nationwide/statewide/countywide GRIM FACTS and live in the same la la land with TEAM/POTTER on cloud nine! I want to wantonly flush taxpayers’ money down the TEAM/POTTER land use “needs” pottie and laugh as I say that high end growth, steak houses, big voter passed tax bonds, a Molalla Walmart and piles of wonderful family wage jobs are a comin’ right around the corner to backwater Molalla!!!
See you on second Friday – we’ll wander on Molalla’s crumbling streets and look in the dirty windows of the empty stores and slap each other on the back as we wait for HIGH END to ride in on a white horse on streets paved in gold as TEAM unveils Mainstreet Molalla!!!!
Dream on! How long can the public be fooled by TEAM’S circle jerk propaganda?
NO SCHOOL TAXES/BONDS UNTIL MOLALLA RETURNS STOLEN URBAN RENEWAL FUNDS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT!!!!
The reasons not to support new taxes or bonds for schools are piling up – Molalla is losing school age families (600 students less enrolled over past 3 yrs), the schools should consider consolidation into K-8 for better use of facilities and better learning experience for Jr High age students, the district should make it MUCH easier for civic groups to use facilities after hours (outreach to taxpayers without children so everyone feels like they own the schools, because everyone pays taxes in support) and finally, below, read about how Molalla urban renewal has ROBBED THE SCHOOLS OF TAX REVENUE.
When Molalla hastily formed an urban renewal district a couple of years ago “manager” Atkins made bold, unfounded claims about all the money he would pile up at the expense of the fire district and the school district. He claimed not to worry – that the state would make up the money lost to the schools via Molalla’s urban renewal. News flash to greedy, “I don’t live here” Atkins: your phony crystal ball broke – the state will be in dire financial straights for the next decade and you can’t bleed a turnip.
Urban renewal in Molalla is a JOKE – restore the money lost to the schools because we all know, given the corrupt insider trading deals here, that urban renewal would simply go to the same good old boys who own city “government”.
Read the below excellent op-ed carefully and read MOLALLA every time you read “Oregon City”. It’s the same urban renewal mess everywhere – except in Molalla it is far worse given the horrible unethical record of money management in the city (remember the current $350,000+ planning deficit and the phony SDC million dollar give away – the last thing taxpayers need is city “government” playing with unrestricted urban renewal funds!).
SAVE THE SCHOOLS: KILL URBAN RENEWAL IN MOLALLA!!! VOTE NO ON ANY SCHOOL TAXES UNTIL ALL THE URBAN RENEWAL FUNDS ARE RETURNED TO THE SCHOOLS!!!!
QUOTED ARTICLE:
Guest Opinion
Who pays for urban renewal? Everyone
By John Williams
, May 18, 2010
The Oregon City Urban Renewal Budget Committee met on April 27 to talk about how to spend the $1,745,912 (that’s million) property tax stipend it will get in FY 2010-2011. Nowhere in the budget message the members heard was there any mention of from where the money comes.
Is it “free” money? Some proponents think so. They say we will get it back many times over in, say, 30 years. Can they prove that? Is it federal stimulus money? Nope. Is it a grant from the Oregon state coffers? Definitely no.
Maybe it would be a good exercise to investigate where that big wad comes from. The information is readily available from the Clackamas County assessor’s website, but since some people do not have access to it, let’s lay it out.
You and I pay property taxes (even if you rent) to about 13 taxing districts affected by urban renewal, including Oregon City, Oregon City Schools, Fire District #1, Clackamas County, Clackamas Community College, to name a few, right down to “Vector Control.” VC fights mosquitoes.
Each of the 13 taxing districts overlapping the OC UR Downtown/Northend Plan gives up some of its tax income to urban renewal in proportion to its tax rate, and certain bonds in force before 1998. The magic is called “division of taxes,” or “tax increment financing,” but let’s not quibble about names.
An example: For those in the urban renewal district, your property tax statement includes a payment to Oregon City Schools. However, before the money reaches the school district, a chunk is taken out and tossed over to OC Urban Renewal. This fiscal year that chunk amounts to $636,832.48! How many teachers would that support?
If the OC urban renewal district borrows $10,000,000 for private developers to build in Clackamette Cove, a third of the money spent comes from Oregon City School tax money. And since borrowing $10 million means a payback of almost $20 million (interest and payments) you and I are giving up millions of education money to build apartments and condos.
This is the truth. Statewide urban renewal plans this year sap $68 million out of state school funds; money sometimes used to build a city hall. By the way, is a public building pays no property tax, so it never returns the money spent to the general fund. Is anybody watching?
Oregon City’s general budget fund is hit for $426,165.02. That’s the money I think we intended for police, libraries, parks, senior center, etc. Funding urban renewal projects reduces the money available for education, emergency services and all the other public services provided by property taxes.
Over a million dollars of the money the urban renewal budget committee will oversee comes from just two places…Oregon City Schools and Oregon City. A quarter of a million comes from Fire District #1. Nearly as much comes from Clackamas County taxes.
Citizens in Oregon City may be asked in the future to vote for millions in bonds to pay for a new police station. You will get to vote. It’s in the city charter. You will be able to say yes or no.
But you will not now or ever get to vote yes or no on the millions being spent by the Urban Renewal Budget Committee. The urban renewal commission has the authority (given to it by the Oregon City Commission) to spent $130,000,000 (correct!) without a public vote. Voters could have a say if the city charter was amended to make it mandatory.
So, if you know somebody on the Urban Renewal Budget Committee, maybe now you can tell him or her where exactly the dollars he or she is spending come from. Every dollar comes from your pocket. Tell them to spend it wisely, or better yet, lobby to have the city charter changed so the people can speak. I think the phrase is something like “Vox Pop.” My Latin is not that good.
John Williams is former mayor of Oregon City.
Copyright 2010 Pamplin Media Group, 6605 S.E. Lake Road, Portland, OR 97222 • 503-226-6397
Here is another sad reality check for the school district and an example of why Molalla should immediately DUMP urban renewal and restore all funding to the schools. The hollow words of Atkins that the state would make up for the money Molalla’s urban renewal steals from the schools have proven false – now the schools need every cent possible to continue to educate children.
What’s more important folks – funding the greedy good old boys fake out, not gonna happen “rebirth” of downtown or keeping the teachers working and the classrooms open? What a joke that Atkins pushed though that short sighted urban renewal. The new junior high is really a pipe dream when the funding won’t even cover current school staffing.
It is time to call Atkins on the carpet for stealing taxes for urban renewal! The City Council should be mobbed with angry parents and students and teachers screaming “Give us OUR school district money back!”.
Read on:
QUOTE:
Clackamas County Review May 25, 2010
Schools behind the eightball as state budget shortfall means more cuts
Governor hopes a 9 percent across-the-board reduction could plug $562 million gap
Pamplin Media Group, May 25, 2010, Updated May 25, 2010
A $562.6 million shortfall in the state’s 2009-11 general fund could punch a big hole in Portland-area school districts’ budgets.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski said Tuesday morning that he would push for a 9 percent across-the-board cut in the state’s general fund to close a budget gap outlined earlier in the day for legislators by state Economist Tom Potiowsky.
During a hearing before the Senate Revenue Committee, Potiowsky told lawmakers that even though Oregon’s recession is likely over, job growth is too weak to overcome losses for the year.
Click here to read the summary of the state’s latest economic forecast.
That translates to a $511 million drop in state general fund revenue for 2009-11 from the March economic forecast, Potiowsky said, due mainly to lower-than-expected personal income tax collections.
The projected ending balance for the biennium shows a shortfall of $562.6 million, he said.
“We are hesitant to conclude that this is the turning point we have all been waiting for,” Potiowsky said. “Given this is an initial estimate of jobs and a seasonally adjusted measurement, we believe this latest quarter is further evidence of a bottoming out of the recession as it relates to the job market.”
But, because of the bad economic news, and its potential to grow during the next few months, Kulongoski’s proposed cuts will likely hit school funds as well as other service programs.
“We could gamble and hope that the next forecast in September delivers a rebound and the hole is diminished, but the longer we wait, the deeper the cuts that will be needed to rebalance the budget in the remaining months of the biennium if that does not occur,” Kulongoski said. “Throughout my tenure as governor where I have managed the state through two devastating recessions, I have learned — and am convinced — that in a situation like this, that the best response is swift and decisive action.”
More job reductions
Many school superintendents across the region were caught off guard by the budget shortfall, even though their districts had already made significant cuts in the past couple of years. And the whole budget mess comes just as districts are finishing their already difficult budget processes.
Portland Public Schools could face an additional $19 million reduction in funds under the governor’s proposal.
Lake Oswego School District expects to lose $2.37 million more than it budgeted for the 2010-11. The district budget committee has already approved next year’s budget, and the School Board was planning to put its stamp of approval on it.
That was before Tuesday morning’s state economic forecast.
“We will have a phase-four recommendation to have the board consider some additional things for next year,” said Superintendent Bill Korach.
The district has already enacted three phases of program and personnel cutbacks and changes for the 2010-11 school year.
The district has made effort to save as much money as it can ever since the recession began in 2008. Among other things, it has deferred maintenance, delayed textbook purchases and enacted cost controls for office spending.
Additionally, teachers and administrators accepted a pay freeze for the 2009-10 school year.
The Oregon City School District made deep cuts in the most recent budget, and thought it would be spared the same process this year, when the district used reserve funds and made smaller cuts to close a $2.8 million budget hole.
Now, it looks like the district will face an additional $2 million gap, according to school Superintendent Roger Rada. That number equals 28 teachers’ salaries or a loss of 10 school days.
Rada said it’s likely the district will adopt some version of its current proposed budget by the state’s June 30 deadline, and then continue to make cuts throughout the summer.
“$2 million is a big number for us, and we’re getting board members and some of our cabinet people together (Wednesday) afternoon to start strategizing on how to deal with this,” Rada said. “It really puts us behind the eightball trying to estimate what level of staffing we’re going to have.”
Centennial schools in east Multnomah County could face a $2.5 million shortfall in the new budget nearly ready for adoption, said Rick Larson, the district’s director of business and operations.
That could mean cutting 34 teachers from the payroll, in addition to the 36 positions that have already been cut from next year’s budget, Larson said.
“In simple terms, the state’s financial picture holds dire consequences for students,” said Robert McKean, Centennial School District Superintendent. “It will result in substantial cuts to programs and, of course, staff. Class size will increase substantially, and there will be fewer electives at all levels.”
McKean said the budget situation was nothing new to Oregon, which has seen nearly a decade of revenue declines for schools of all sizes. But this time, it’s unlikely any more money will be available to help, he said.
“This time, the magnitude is far greater, and I see no source of funding on the horizon that will offset what is about to occur,” McKean said.
Reporters Kevin L. Harden, Tony Roberts, Rebecca Randall, Jennifer Anderson, Rob Cullivan and Mark Garber contributed to this news story.
Copyright 2010 Pamplin Media Group, 6605 S.E. Lake Road, Portland, OR 97222 • 503-226-6397