
Garbage
October 11, 2007
Keywords:
Oregon, constitution, garbage, smoking, tobacco, tax-
News Item
NEWS ITEM: The tobacco industry has spent $9.2 million (mostly on television advertising) to try and defeat a ballot measure that would increase the tax by 85¢ on a pack of cigarettes-- a record for spending on any ballot measure in Oregon. One of their main points is that the tax would go into the Oregon Constitution, thus besmirching the pristine document. In fact, since Oregon adopted a popular ballot measure system in 1902, the Oregon Constitution has been amended by voters 240 with laws such as the regulation of the sale of liquor sold in individual glasses, and a lifetime ban from public office for anybody who has travelled out of state to participate in a duel.