Posted on 02/20/2019 8:12:20 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, John Lindsey and Will Tucker were unanimous Tuesday morning in their opposition to a proposal by Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, to create a multi-county taxing district supporting construction of a bridge over the Willamette River in Salem.
Evans introduced House Bill 2974 on Friday. It would create a Capital Region Special Bridge District and would exact taxes from residents from Polk, Marion, Linn and Yamhill and possibly Benton counties.
The proposal is aimed at spreading the cost of bridges regionally since residents of several counties work in Salem.
Nyquist was traveling and participated by telephone.
“No one called us,” he said. “This would take money away from our local law enforcement levy and the planning process would have no end. This would take deputies off our roads.”
Lindsey added that it would affect other levies, such as the Sweet Home law enforcement levy.
(Excerpt) Read more at democratherald.com ...
Oregonians as a class are very anti-tax. For instance, every attempt to impose a sales tax has failed, usually badly.
This tax would not benefit residents of Linn and Benton counties. Salem is at least 30 miles away. Sure, some county residents work in Salem, but few have to cross the river to get to work.
I have only crossed the Willamette River in Salem two or three times in my life, and I only live 35 miles away.
If the ruling class in Salem really cared about bridges, they would build one south of Salem, to replace the ferry. A ferry, in today’s America, across a river only about 100 yards wide.
Cincinnati - N Kentucky has the Andersen Ferry. It is private enterprise, tax paying business. In Seattle there are numerous ferries in operation. I frequently took the Port Orchard-Bremerton Foot Ferry. During nice weather, many would throw their bicycle on top of ferry to ride to work in the shipyard.
The Anderson Ferry also does a brisk business, direct accesss to CVG, especially with the construction traffic on 75. It was better in the Delta Hub days.
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