Got my ballot....anyone else?

[Flabbergasted]

Any information on how to vote?

[Flabbergasted]

1. Measure 49 and 50 both seem to be yes...

It's what I was thinking anyway...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/16/16520/173

Measure 50 will hurt because I smoke but it may keep some kids from starting and get some adults to quit.

[LWolf]

2. I've got mine, but haven't

gone through it yet.

[Pastiche423]

3. Haven't received my ballot yet

but have received the Voter's pamphlet.

I'm voting Yes on 49

No on 50

[sandnsea]

4. I got mine

I'm leaning yes on 49, no on 50. But I haven't completely decided. I don't think it's democratic having 25% of the population paying for something we all say we support.

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

5. By that reasoning

myself and a few hundred thousand other childless Oregonians might have voted differently on the property tax rise. I may not have kids, may not even be planning on having kids, but I still recognize the need to support the community.

That being said . . .

So-called "Sin" taxes are far from the best way to generate such critically important budgets. Uneven at best, and in an ideal situation, they would eliminate their own sources.

[sandnsea]

6. Everybody contributes to property taxes

If you live in a house, your money goes towards the property tax base. It's also to everybody's advantage to have an educated population, and over 90% of people have benefited from public schools. That's not the same thing at all.

I can't think of any other tax that is targeted at a minority of people and goes to cover something everybody should have to pay for. This is just wrong and has gotten out of hand. If both the state and federal increases get tacked on, many smokers are going to be paying more in taxes than they are for their health insurance.

[Trajan]

11. Many times I have heard ....

And you yourself may have said: "They should legalize Marijuana, and tax the hell out of it"

They re-legalized alcohol, and taxed the hell out of it ....

Tobacco contains Nicotine, which is probably one of the most obnoxiously addictive compounds available on the free market .... It certainly leads to awful suffering and early death for a large percentage of the population .... Yet many see taxation on tobacco products as 'wrong' .....

As someone is FOR the legalization of drugs (along with heavy taxation of those drugs), and as someone who smoked for over 35 years, and who is now suffering the consequences of that addiction .... AND as someone who recognizes Nicotine is yet another drug used by hundreds of millions of people to 'get high', I cannot oppose adding a higher level of taxation for a product that causes such societal harm, so that the community can attempt to alleviate and mitigate that harm ....

The drug Nicotine should be available for those who choose to 'get high', but society should be able to 'tax the hell out if it' .....

[Pastiche423]

14. I din't know you lived in Oregon

What part do you hail from?

As to the tax the hell out of nicotine, we did just that in 2002. It din't help then, why do you think it will help now?


It makes no common sense to tax a product that you want everyone to quit. If everyone quit, there would be no revenues for the program you are trying to fund.

What am I missing?

Btw, I voted Yes in 2002, then promptly began purchasing my cigarettes elsewhere.

[HuckleB]

8. At the same time, all of the population pays for the higher health care costs incurred by smokers.

Thus, and increased tax on them hardly seems unfair.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

10. All the population pays for higher health care costs for

obesity too. Let's tax the hell out of fast food.

[HuckleB]

12. Perhaps.

Though it's not just fast food, but quantity. The link to smoking is very clear, however.

Further, I have no problem with paying higher taxes for wine, beer, cigarettes, and other non necessary items. Those are the items that should be taxed if we are working toward a progressive tax system.

And, yes, I drink my share of wine and beer and scotch and vodka.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

7. Most of you probably know this already, but

the sooner you get your ballots in the sooner the phone calls will stop. Each special interest group stops by the Clerk's office & gets a list of everyone who has already voted & those names are taken off the 'to call' list.

I like to get mine in ASAP 'cause the telemarketing calls drive me nuts.

[HuckleB]

9. Yes on 50. Yes on 49.

http://www.blogfororegon.com/2007/10/oregons_measure_50_president_bush_and_moral_test_government

http://www.healthykids-oregon.org/

http://blog.oregonlive.com/oregonianopinion/2007/10/measure_50_yes.html

[LWolf]

13. I'm leaning yes on both 49 and 50, but would like to hear

some substantive arguments both for and against. Not commercials or campaign propaganda, but real pros and cons. I've been busy with a large paperwork project for work since I got it; I finished that this morning so will have more time to study.

I pass by a small ranch on my way to work every morning; cattle, horses, and hay. There is a large "no on 49" sign posted. Is there a reason that ranchers, in particular, would not like this bill, or is it just a standard republican response?

[sandnsea]

15. Our local farms have yes on 49

Save the farm. I'm guessing it's the size of the farmer that's making the difference. :shrug:

[0rganism]

16. It's pretty interesting -- farmers around here seem divided too

about 50/50 wherever I see 'em, rurally. This bodes well for M49 passing, given that the urban vote will swing heavily towards "yes".

M50 is probably doomed though.

[LWolf]

18. I haven't seen any pro 49 signs locally.

Of course, this is central oregon, not exactly a liberal bastion.

I've browsed arguments pro and con in my voters' pamphlet. I wish they would print rebuttals to those arguments. You'd think they weren't talking about the same legislation at all.

The pros wax eloquent about helping small farmers etc., keeping us safe from corporate abuse, clean water, forests, etc..

The cons keep claiming out of state corporations can take their land, or restrict the use of their land, without recompense.

Where does the rhetoric hit reality?

Measure 50? I'll vote for it even though I'm uneasy about the funding source. OHP saved my grandson's life--literally. If I can't have a national health care plan, I'll settle for the moment for extending care to as many as possible.

[doubleplusgood]

17. yes on 49 & 50

Haven't voted yet, but am definitely voting for 49. Had reservations about 50, but voting "yes" anyway...hopefully the funding mechanism can be changed in the future.