Hales says he's not 'old school'
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PORTLAND, Ore. – Even though Portland mayoral candidate Charlie Hales, 56, is older than his opponent, Jefferson Smith, 39, he wants voters to know he's not "old school" and has new ideas.
"I would describe myself as being experienced, and that's something that I bring to the job – 10 years of experience in city government and the most recently, 10 years of experience in the private sector where I've learned how business works – been successful at that – also, brought back a lot of ideas from other cities," he told KATU's Steve Dunn during Sunday's "Your Voice, Your Vote."
Both mayoral candidates have been plagued with mistakes and ghosts from the past. Revelations about Smith's bad driving record and a 1993 incident where he hit a woman as a college student have dealt a blow to his campaign. But Hales, too, has had questions about his character crop up, including accusations he plagiarized a letter to the editor in a community newspaper and upsetting the Oregon League of Conservation Voters for recording a confidential meeting. Hales told Dunn there are things he needs to apologize for.
"There have been mistakes in the campaign. Some of them were mine and some of them were others, and I own all because it's my campaign. And I do apologize for any mistakes that we've made," he said.
Smith, too, has repeatedly apologized for his mistakes.
Also of note during the interview: Hales said it's time to consider a statewide sales tax to fund education.
"The governor has stuck his neck out here, and I want to support him and help him, and that is to say our current state tax structure is not a thing of beauty. It's time for us as a state to take a look at what the options are – all of the options, even the unthinkable ones like (a sales tax)."
Click the "Play Video" button above to watch the entire show on other topics including transportation, the culture of the Portland Police Bureau and Hales' pledge to be a "champion" for Portland schools in Salem.
Candidate Websites:
KATU's Anna Canzano recently sat down with Hales and Smith to discuss each candidate's shortcomings, the sacrifices they've made and their visions for the city. The wives of each candidate joined their husbands for the interviews.
Watch a conversation with Charlie Hales:
Watch a conversation with Jefferson Smith:
First action you take, Mr. Hales - with my permission - is dump (straight into the recyclable garbage bin in city hall) that abominable evil 25 year "plan" that Sam Adams power mongeringly made the city council vote on this year. NO outgoing lame duck mayor has a right to try and float a compounding punitive period of time past his singular term as our mayor - on to any mayor that comes in after him. Or the mayor after the next one and on and on.
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The "reach" of bankrupting corrupted Sam Adams - is over. Word to you, Mr. Hales - once you take office it is your city - from that day on. Not Sam Adams's
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Second action you take is a critical transparent review of all line items areas that Sam Adams had control over. And then you make a critical transparent review of all of the areas that are assigned to each commissioner - making sure you understand how they have been appropriating and spending the precious limtied monies of the public. AND YOU TELL US ALL WHAT YOU "THINK" about the results of that critical review of how our city has been operating. And spending, spending, AND OVERSPENDING all of our money.
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Third action, sir - put this city on notice: No more can special interest groups expect to be cavalierly pencilled into "work" session each week of the Mayor and our Commissioners. No more will status quo friends of friends/special interest reps noted to be in attendance at those work calendar meetings be the ones calling the SHOTS in this city of all of ours.
>'"The governor has stuck his neck out here, and I want to support him and help him, and that is to say our current state tax structure is not a thing of beauty. It's time for us as a state to take a look at what the options are â all of the options, even the unthinkable ones like (a sales tax)." '
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Perhaps you and Lord Kitzhaber should get together and consider redirecting some lottery money towards schools. While I may very well think Stub Stewart is a great park, I think having ceiling tiles falling on students is slightly more important.
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...of course, as has been the demonstrated practice of the OR public schools, whatever money was diverted to schools would end up not being enough anyway. Administrative costs are PERS would come before fixing those ceilings anyway.Â
Hale may have made errors in judgement but he hasn't had his license suspended 7 times or punched anyone. The way this city has grown and developed is a testament to its citizens considering the lack of leadership it has had to endure.
Sales Tax, 4% statewide FOR EDUCATION ONLY - 1% per county for economic developement or expansion The 1% would help counties that need it the most. Millions of dollars are spent in Oregon avoiding the sales tax in neighboring states. A total 5% still makes it attractive to them. Thats out-of -state or FREE money. Tourism dollars spent on the coast could increase revenue there for economic developement. This would have to be combined with some sort of State or Property tax relief. All of these things would make Oregon an attractive place to live, work and play. The bragging rights to say we don't have a sales tax is getting old. Like self-service gas. Sometimes when everyone else is doing it its because ITS A GOOD IDEA !
 @Justmark If you want a sales tax and pump your own gas move to Washington
 @Justmark ONLY if the tax is one time, and cannot be increased without a public vote. AND there is an comparable decrease in income taxes.Â
"Also of note during the interview: Hales said it's time to consider a statewide sales tax to fund education."
(from the story)
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The voters in Oregon HAVE "considered" a sales tax, what... 9 times now, if I remember right...and they've voted it DOWN each and every time..! Â Â What do these people NOT understand about the word "NO"..?!?!
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Unless and until our State government shows that they can and will use our tax money wisely and carefully, rather than just throwing money at the public employees' unions and spending it on expensive programs that don't work, I will never, EVER, vote in favor of a sales tax..! Â Â Otherwise, we're going to end up just like California (and some other states, as well)... we'll be taxing and/or charging fees everything, but nothing will get done except for an increase in "pet project" spending. Â Â And they can stop with the "it's for the kids" cr*p... if the money they already get was spent as it SHOULD be spent, the schools - and the kids in them - would have sufficient funding. Â Â
 @margay1 Preface by saying that I am not endorsing a sales tax...
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One of the biggest problems with our states budget is the cyclical nature of our current tax structure, combined with the reality that the various levels/agencies within our state seem incapable of doing anything other than finding ways to increase their spending. Add in 'bill of goods' ballot initiatives like M5 and union wage and benefit demands, sprinkle in PERS and it becomes pretty obvious why schools are the first thing on the chopping block. It's a form of reverse PR. Pinch hardest where it hurts the most. Local residents are more likely to consider levys and bonds to pay for things that most residents feel are essential.Â
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Personally, I don't automatically oppose a consumption tax (IE-sales tax), but it would HAVE to come with some serious, constitutionally guaranteed, safeguards.Â
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1) ANY future increases in sales taxes would require voter approval. (that one alone makes it virtually impossible)
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2)It's a 1 tier deal. None of this garbage where every county, city and district gets to add a .25% on top of the state tax. (Which makes it questionable that one could be made legally sound. The various municipalities and counties would likely end up in court debating the legality of such an ammendment)
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3)100% of the revenue generated went to school funding. NOT teacher salaries, NOT PERS and benefits, but school grounds (buildings, properties) and schools supplies (books/computers). (this would NEVER be tolerated by the OR Education groups, or they would simply start diverting comparable general fund dollars to PERS/wages/benefits to offset any real fiscal restraints.)
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...So, given those conditions, I guess it could be said that I, in fact, don't support a 'sales tax'.
The only thing apparent in this election race, and others for the Portland area, is that no matter what happens we are going to be stuck with inadequate leadership, which we have been suffering from for years.
You are still one of the lesser of two evils. Just so you know, I wrote in Bud Clark for mayor. Love the guy!
@jallard Living in 5,000 square feet all by himself. Making that HUGE a carbon footprint every year - for decades worth of time? Once I found that out about Bud - who wanted us all to conserve with our toilets and our water usage and our dense population and excess taxations - I was like - excuse me, Mr. Hypocrite 5,000 square foot elitist, Bud Clark.
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Excuses, excuses, excuses - don't suffice. Sir.  Just say "no" to the twisted hypocritical legacy of all fat cat carbon footprint abusers. Like Bud Clark - for decades and decades.