Street Roots, The Community Alliance of Tenants, JOIN and the Oregon Opportunity Network are all coming out against Measure 79.
Constitutional Amendment 79: Amends the Constitution: Prohibits real estate transfer taxes, fees, other assessments, except those operative on December 31, 2009.
Summary: Current statutory law prohibits a city, county, district, or other political subdivision or municipal corporation from imposing taxes or fees on the transfer of real estate (with certain exceptions). However, the state legislature has the authority, subject to Governor approval, to impose such taxes and fees or to change current statutory law.
"We do not want a private, national trade organization spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in our state to rewrite our constitution under the fog of false necessity," says the Street Roots editorial team. "We have a statewide ban on real estate transfer taxes. We have a system that allows for the people of Oregon, our elected officials and due public process to both keep it that way and reserve the right to consider our options for the future. Likewise, real estate transfer fees are not the taxation boogie men they have been made out to be. They can be constructed to provide relief to first-time home buyers, lower-priced homes and long-term homeowners. And they can be directed to support real community needs, right here in Oregon, in ways that benefits all residents."
Measure 79 isn’t something Oregon wants or needs.
To find out more about No on 79 go here. Also follow on Twitter and FaceBook.
About the groups:
Street Roots creates income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and poverty by producing a newspaper and other media that are catalysts for individual and social change.
Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT) is Oregon’s only statewide, grassroots, tenant-controlled, tenant-rights organization. CAT educates, organizes and develops the leadership of low-income tenants to directly challenge unjust housing policies and practices. Our mission is to educate and empower tenants to demand affordable, stable and safe rental homes. We address the impact Oregon’s decreasing supply of decent, affordable housing and absence of meaningful tenant protections has on low-income tenants.
JOIN exists to support the efforts of homeless individuals and families to transition out of homelessness into permanent housing.
Oregon Opportunity Network is a nonprofit, statewide association of 200 organizations and individuals who provide housing and economic opportunities for working families, people with disabilities, and seniors in Oregon communities.
