| Oregon Tax Revolt |
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The leaders of the tax revolt include Don McIntire , president of the Taxpayer Association Of Oregon , and Bill Sizemore , leader of Oregon Taxpayers United . Much of the money spent to promote these anti-tax measures were provided by out-of-state backers including Americans For Tax Reform headed by Grover Norquist . {Link without Title} Inspired in part by Proposition 13 in the neighboring state of California , Oregon voters placed limits to Property Tax in the Oregon Constitution in 1990 with the passage of Measure 5 . Voters were frustrated by the increase in property taxes caused by an influx of population in the Portland area, which is surrounded by an Urban Growth Boundary . Measure 5 shifted the burden of School funding to the state (which levies an Income Tax ) and away from counties. Measure 5 also equalized school funding throughout the state, which meant that schools in rural areas benefited while schools in Portland saw budgets reduced. The budgetary restraints caused by Measure 5 were responsible for funding cuts that were made in public schools and universities budgets. However, even with the caps on property taxes, the continual increase in property values in Portland brought higher tax bills for some residents. This led to Sizemore's to send Measure 50 to voters in 1997 , which clarified Measure 47. During a special election in May 1997, Measure 50 was approved by the voters 55.7% to 44.3%. {Link without Title} The tax revolt manifested itself in a series of budget battles in the Oregon Legislature about school funding, the Oregon Health Plan , and other spending priorities during the late 1990s . Then Governor John Kitzhaber and the Republican leadership in the legislature clashed repeatedly over budget priorities. In which was passed by the voters 62% to 38%. {Link without Title} Anti-tax activists defeated two proposals in 2003 and 2004 ( Measure 28 and Measure 30 ), which were referred to voters by the Oregon State Legislature to temporary increase income taxes. Bill Sizemore's group has ran into legal problems in against Oregon Taxpayer's United serverly hurt Sizemore's ability to put measures on the ballot. The fraud allegations also led to the passage of Measure 26 in 2002, which prohibits the payment of signature gatherers on a per-signature basis was approved by voters 75% to 25%. {Link without Title} Tax activists generally claim that Oregon's government is wasteful and inefficent, arguing that the government could do better with less. They often highlight programs that they feel are unnecessary. Opponents of the tax revolt argue that passing tax decreases via ballot measure leads to short-sighted policy making, in which voters are enticed to vote with the revolt by lower tax bills and without thinking about the budget problems caused by reduced revenues. Nonetheless, both sides agree that the tax revolt has had and continues to have an important impact on the political landscape of Oregon. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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