No glitch with paying city's art tax online, official says
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PORTLAND, Ore. – Brenda Corrie thought the arts tax notice she got in the mail was a sophisticated scam.
“It only says you can pay online,” she said. “It doesn’t indicate that you can mail in a payment if you don’t have access to a computer, and that made me real suspicious.”
The city sent out the tax notices last week.
Voters approved the $35 tax last November to help fund music and arts education in schools. The tax is retroactive, meaning income earners in Portland have to pay by April 15. The city is encouraging people to pay online.
Corrie is among several residents who have said they've had trouble paying the tax online.
Contacted about these viewers' frustrations, Portland's revenue bureau director said Monday he hasn't fielded any complaints about the system. Thomas Lannom, the city's revenue bureau director, said 1,400 people successfully used the site over the weekend.
Lannom said paying online is a cost-saver.
"We're hoping people will pay online because that means we don't have to mail those forms out and ultimately additional teachers in the arts can be funded that way," Lannom said.
Corrie, who lives in Northeast Portland, said she had no idea the arts tax passed.
“I think there should have been notification sent out prior to this, letting people know it’s coming out and what the expectations are,” said Corrie.
The Portland Revenue Bureau expects most people to pay the tax online, because it says three out of four homes in Portland have Internet access. You can pay by credit card, electronic check or by mail. Debit cards are not accepted.
Payment forms will be mailed April 1, but if you pay online before then, the city won't have to send one.
Some people have been able to make their payment online, along with the 99-cent convenience fee. Corrie, however, could not successfully make her payment on Sunday after three tries.
“It wouldn’t take my payment,” she said. “I’m gonna call on Monday and say ‘what’s going on? You want your money. Why isn’t your website up and running so that people can pay?’”
For those who don't pay online, the city will send out a form by April 25.
This story came to us as a news tip. If you have a story for us, send us an email at newstips@katu.com.
KATU News Reporter Valerie Hurst contributed to this report.
I like the convenience part the best
hey, anyone know how 'they' 'found us'?
was it our voter registration cards, or drivers licenses, or other?
lets start the repeal process - we should win by 90%
Oh, great. The incompetent city bureaucrats can't collect $42 MILLION DOLLARS
in parking fines, and now we're saddled with paying for some more crap they call
art or allowing students to spend more time not learning how to read and write.
On top of that a .99 "convenience fee"? Exsqueeze me?
Who's handling this, TicketBastard?
How in the hell is it a "convenience" to pay a tax?
Just another stupid rip-off.
It does sound like double taxation
What happens if the "resident" sends back a check signed "Resident", and accidentally obliterates the name and address? Nah, never mind!
From the FAQ's @ artstax.com in regards to paying:  "After April 15: $15 penalty" ...but paper forms don't get sent out until April 25th? Uhm...what?
@AwalÂ
They want you to be proactive.Â
Come to us and ASK us to let you pay. Otherwise if we have to ask you we will charge you more.Â
@Repoman @Awal We are to be proactive when they are retroactive
@Bert @Repoman @AwalÂ
Yes
Wow this tax is permanent.Â
Itâs not a levy or a bond and has no limit on age; therefore people who are on fixed incomes will have to pay it.Â
I wonder if the r-tards who voted for this know that this extra tax will never go away and they will have to pay it for the rest of their lives (and their children for theirs and their grandchildren...).
Glad I am moving out of the city. Let the poor bastard who buys my house find out about this AFTER I sell it.Â
@Repoman We have time to repeal it
@Repoman I didn't know it was perm but I am ok paying it because the arts are important.Â
@Repoman Hate to sound selfish, but it's sure going to help one of my grandchildren who's been invited to be a part of PPS's All City Honor Band. Â
@Sundowner @Repoman Then, Sundowner, write the check and pay it yourself! No one is stopping those who want to pay for arts from writing their own checks. Why are you not happy unless you are forcing me to pay it with you? I have no children or grandchildren so why am I, on a limited income, forced to pay it too? I wouldn't call you selfish; I think that word is too kind for people like you.
@Sundowner @NWGuys Has  ever wondered what our country would be like if their were only three taxes for everyone and they could never be changed any easier than the Constitution.  Everyone pays flat 30%.  This is composed of 10% for national defense, 10% for federal other, and 10% state, which it can distribute locally.  No property, sales, inheritance taxes. No loopholes, deductions acountanta lawyers or IRS code required. Able Bodied citizens who refused to work would be given food medical and education but no money and would live in army barracks.  They would be free to leave to look for work only.  Those disabled and unable would be seperated into different facilities.  Free working families orÂ
institutions could voluntarily take in these government housed but could send them back as well.
@NWGuy I didn't force you to do anything, the voters did.  Don't like living in a Republic?  That's how things go.  I don't like paying taxes to pay for a ton of things, but that's the way it goes.  Sorry, but I'm not being selfish in saying that arts programs are an awesome way to keep kids interested and interesting -- they contribute to a child's overall well-being and are a benefit to us all, including you.  Don't believe me?  Take some time out of your childless life and go to a school music program; better yet, take a good, long look at the programs at Buckman and da Vinci Schools.  No matter how out of touch you are with youth, programs that kids like help them stay in school long enough to master the skills they'll need to succeed in life.
@Sundowner@Repoman
The issue I have is a SPECIAL tax in addition to everything else. By proportion $35 is a significant increase in taxes. This tax circumvents state laws designed to limit the ability to levy taxes and invalidates a great many people's work to structure a fair taxing scheme statewide.Â
I have nothing against the arts. Learning art is learning math and science, real world applications that allow people to think bigger and be critical in their view of the world.Â
But levying such a scheme to circumvent systems in place to prevent unfairly taxing people is by definition unfair.Â
The "arrrrrrrrts" will do nothing to help PPS's 62% on time graduation rate.
@Mr. Carbon Footprint @Misanthrope97217  Uhhh, it actually might.  Anything that can be done that maintains a child's interest in going to school will, in turn, maintain their interest in staying in school. Â
@Sundowner Note from PPS Administration:
"Daily beatings will continue until morale improves."
-- Superintendent
Sounds like one of those Nigerian scams to me. . . .
I DO NOT recall reading anything about it being retroactive OR having to pay only online OR there being an additional fee.Â
I do support the arts for kids but am peeved about the way they are doing this.
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@Dr. Rawdog @Misanthrope97217 I know I know, I didn't read the long explanation but rather the one on the ballot. My error
So... to save money for the City, they want you to pay online. Which costs you 99 cents for a convenience fee? I think I'll wait, stick it to Portland, and only pay for the stamp.Â
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@Dr. Rawdog @advocatus diaboli  You REALLY want to give the CITY access to your credit card number?
Nope! Never ever a glitch when the government wants something. Glitches only occur when taxpayers want service!
@jpk This is why I always vote NO on these scams. The only "art" this is going to fund is the artful ways they'll find to spread the money around so it does the least good and wastes the most money.
You have all been duped by the Portland govt cronies. Very very little, if any of this revenue will go to schools. Most of it is earmarked for PERS. Instead of fixing the GLUT that retirees are reaping in, they are fleecing the unsuspecting and uninformed public. Very few people knew that this tax was "buried" in legislature that many people "needed" passed. It was a sure win for PERS. This is what happens when stupid public sheeple don't read the issues before voting. This is how it's done in Las Vegas, NV--the issues on the ballot are written to include crap that people don't want, instead of the one main topic that should only be voted on it the first place. So crap gets voted in and then the public whines and complaines. Legislators should not be allowed to mix or include extra issues into a ballot item ever. Very typical of Oregon, by the way!. Some PERS people retired at $30k to $40K but are getting $100k per year. THAT'S NOT RIGHT! This needs to be fixded. Will someone in govt be honest, true, and take charge to get this fixed instead of raping the citizens of Portland???
@None They have blown the PERS issue way out of proportion, there are very few people actually making more money than they were when they were working full time. The real trouble all began when people pitched a fit that PERS members were in charge of the fund - so they decided to go and put business people in charge. It went to crap after that... So, in essence, the City and State are wholly responsible for the issue we're having with PERS right now. Don't take it out on the people who actually decided to invest in their future.
"retired at $30k to $40K but are getting $100k per year." THAT'S NOT TRUE!
@None We can petition to repeal the tax, but most people will just pay it. I did not read it at the time and just voted against it because it is a city tax and I am still ticked about the I-tax that was voted down but still had to pay. The lottery was supposed to solve the school funding problems.
But no, I'm really excited by the thought of the wonderful creations this money will help inspire. Kudos to all involved!
@Oregon7812 Does this mean I am invited to elementary schools to look how my tax dollars are spent? or is this just a dodge to keep useless teachers around
We both know you're not allowed within 1,000ft of an elementary school.
@Oregon7812Â Ha Ha Now I am with my buddies
@Oregon7812 HAHA
Let the artists pay the art tax, I pay the Homer tax.
@Oregon7812 lol
Pretty soon we will be paying for art, sports, math, reading, writing, social studies, and the school through new taxes and what we are already paying will just be going to the PERS pension program...wake up people we are getting robbed at all levels of government...
@FreedomRocks Well, our own government messed up PERS to begin with... so...Â
Let the great whining of the nice white people begin.
@realoldguySays Mr. Self-Loathing-Liberal-White-Guilt
@realoldguy Ah, nothing like a little racism to start a sunny Monday morning.
Now everyone is reduced to living on beans they are considering a fartax
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@Dr. Rawdog I don't live in Portland and I don't have to pay it.
I hope they don't whine when Head Start gets shut down or another crazy dude gets shot. They'll just have to get over it.
The city council picks the panel to oversee how the money is spent.
Better tagging through better education
This tax only goes to K through 5 grades. Fine arts for kindergartners unbelievable Sounds like a indoctrination tax.
I would rather deal with a PBR than the PRB. PBR helps living here less painful.