"Enact the Tax!" Said Eugene resident Jim Hale along with a crowd of 40 people

Register Guard--
Jim Hale and 40 others are referring to Lane County's "public safety" [buzzword alert] tax income tax initiative

If the voters want to rebel against that and shoot their county government in the foot, that will be their decision, said Hale"

The Lane County commissioners are considering the first ever county income tax that could raise up to $25 million annually for "public safety [buzzword alert] to replace the $20 million in discontinued federal-aid pavements as compensation for federal land that cannot be taxed which would be dedicated to public safety.

Jack Roberts, executive director of the Lane Metro Partnership, told the board to enact the tax to ensure that incoming businesses aren't turned off by an inferior public safety system. including our current policy of not responding to burglar alarms by the police
Oregon's business climate ranks among the nation's best, and "a modest income tax won't change that," Roberts said.

The tax would not apply to people filing a gross income of $20,000 or less, and single filers with a gross income of $10,000 or less.
Lane County managers however, may be forced to cut more than 300 jobs by July 1, if voters do not approve the "public safety tax" [buzzword alert] to make up for the loss of federal funding.

Historically, voters have shot down 12 straight county measures for public safety since 1996, including the recent income tax proposal. This sent a message to the county commissioners who are considering seeking more than twice the $23 million annually that they wanted in November, the tax rate may be only slightly higher - 1.6 percent, for example, up from 1.4 percent in November's proposal, feel that the initiative should be placed back on the ballot in May or, just be enacted and bypass the voting process altogether.

The Lane County commissioners may decide whether to just enact the income tax or put it on the May’s ballot.

The next public hearing for the dedicated, "public safety tax" [buzzword alert] is at 1:30 p.m. February 21, 2007 in Harris hall.

we have been told thus far that the "public safety" [buzzword alert] tax would be dedicated to "public safety." (And to fighting illegal drug activity, reducing family violence, enhancing treatment programs and providing prevention programs){KVAL}--
Others however would like to earmark the tax to include maintaining or strengthening prevention programs such as "birth to three teen parent", making parenting a pleasure", "4-H youth farmers", "at risk programs for youths" and the "OSU/Lane County extension service", just to name a few very
Why the push now for the "public safety" [buzzword alert] at this time? Could it be the economy, or the fact that we are severely understaffed to handle the upcoming 2008 Summer Olympics trials in Eugene? Hummmm