Mayor eyes phone tax to help pay for police reform
PORTLAND, Ore. - Landline phone companies, and ultimately their customers, could be tapped to help pay for police reforms under a new proposal by Mayor Sam Adams.
According to the mayor, some phone companies are benefiting from a loophole in the city's tax code, which allows them to pay less than their competitors. Adams wants to close that loophole and use the tax revenue to pay for police reforms that are required by the city's agreement with the Department of Justice.
Of course, that would mean the phone companies would raise their rates to compensate. According to the city, folks with a landline could see their bill increase anywhere between 32 cents to 77 cents a month. That translates to roughly $4 to $9 a year.
It's not very much, but for the city it would add up to millions.
At that would help pay for the police reform, training and oversight that the Department of Justice is requiring after they found in September that police officers had engaged in a "pattern or practice of excessive force against people with mental illness."
Adams has asked for a half hour this coming Thursday to pitch his tax plan to the City Council, right after he lobbies the council to expand Portland's plastic bag ban.
If our mayor had had an affair with a 17-year-old GIRL, he'd be in jail
While your at it.... tax fax machines, phone booths, and Mimeographs
I dont know anyone with a landline. go ahead and raise it 100 million
When will Scam Adams learn you don't raise taxes in a down economy? If Scam Adams and his gang had not wasted millions on bike paths, public crappers and such, then this issue would be moot. Oh well, you only have about 2 months left of the perv.
This is not the fix. The fix would be to close the loophole.
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This is the thing that really aggravates me. Like instead of having people pay their fair share of income taxes, we tax their children when those people die.
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Why not fix the actual loophole. Oh yea that's right, Portland is not the governor of Oregon.
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The loophole is (since it is missing in the story) that people who buy "pas-as-you-go" cell phone service don't pay 911 taxes.
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If you have a landline, either traditional or Comcast, if you have a cell contract, you pay this. If you have a "ip phoneâ (like Vonage) or use cards for a cell phone you don't.
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Now here is the kicker, technically if you don't pay the tax, you don't get the service. But who is going to deny granny an ambulance because her kids got her a Vonage phone to save her some dough as she lives on SS?
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The fix would be to require ALL phones capable of dialing 911 to get this fee. You want a fire truck? You pay 911 taxes.
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But Oregon lawmakers have for a decade now dragged their feet. Companies have lobbied hard to keep the fees off telling legislatures "it is too hard" to track the money used to purchase cards and thus it would cost them more than it does landlines to enforce the tax.
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People are paying $25 a year for phone service and not paying their fare share to get the same service everyone else is paying for.
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Let THEM pay their $7 a year and don't force ME to pay for them to have 911 service.
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The Liberal fix: Â another tax! Â Here we go again
How dumb....why tax someone who has a landline yet leave the person who doesn't out of the mix. Most landlines are disappearing and I personally know no one who has a landline anymore...everyone has gone to cell phones and this just simply won't work - then again it is from Sam Adams....proof of the stupidity
The majority of folks I know have dropped their land lines due to the excessive taxes and fees tacked on to the bill every month. Put more taxes on the bill and the phone companies will lose more customers. So, what's been gained?
You could have removed him from office, Nah. We're going to show how tolerant we are. No matter how much we get screwed over ! Wake the hell up Portland !!!!!
Is Sam trying to break some kind of a record or something..? Â Like "most new taxes and nanny-laws ever created by an outgoing politician"..? Â Â
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I don't remember him paying as much attention to his job before... too bad; it would've been a lot better for Portlanders if he'd just quietly faded into the sunset...Â
 @margay1 What has he got to lose by this last minute stuff? Penalize the 95% to help pay for the other 5% that need it all for free...
 @boned ~  Well, at least everyone can sure tell where his priorities are...  How'd he ever get elected, anyway..???
Comrade Adams at it again!
Misspelled words are common on this site aren't they?
 @Hacker_i33 And you are the 'Spelling Police' because you have nothing useful to say? It never fails, there is one on every site...
Are you fu ck ing kidding me? STOP STEALING OUR MONEY you money grubbing piece of sh it.
 @AmiM I liked your comment. I would of have injected a few more colorful metaphors in your comment, but not many more, because if the KATU colorful metaphor police caught wind of it, they would have deleted your comment.
 @AmiM Your argument would likely have more impact without the profanity and the name calling, don't you think?
 @mikew  @AmiM Nothing wrong with colorful metaphors to hammer home a point. Don't like colorful metaphors, don't read the post.
 @mikew If it were an argument, perhaps. It's not an argument. I see it as a statement of fact. The ignorance of Sham Adams and his ship of fools is monumental and worth TONS of profanity, name-calling, and vitriol.Have a nice day.
It seems to always come down to people owning homes...makes ya wonder if that is a smart idea in Oregon...I am so tired of supporting the occupier types...now we foot the bill so PPD can coddle their butts...boos and hisses to Sammy....hope the city-council refuses to be sheep and rubber-stamp this idiots brainless ideas.......
Maybe these officers that need this so much should be required to raise the funds on their own via fundraising??  I think they owe it to the public and I feel it would show their dedication to the community. We already pay a surcharge on land lines and cell phones for Lifeline. A free phone program for the needy funded by US who pay OUR bills. If he does add a tax, do it to establish a fund providing better services for people living with mental illness. If they had the proper medications and supervision, they wouldn't be such an issue. These people have NO support and it makes me sad. This states mental illness funding needs an overhaul and it's LONG overdue. Don't just put a band aid on the problem, FIX it! If these people had better services, this wouldn't even be in the headlines. The states guidelines are archaic at best for those living with mental illness or even developmental disabilities . I worked in the field for over 18 years and then I came here and realized Oregon is about 20 years behind the rest of the country. This is what happens when you shut down facilities and just toss these HUMAN BEINGS out on the street. It's becomes all of our problem. Way to go..
What a stupid idea..... but then again it appears those in weirdoville / Multco seem to just love new taxes.
 @kramr I live in Multnomah county and I can assure you I nor my friends like new taxes, and we all wish his term would just be up and he fades into a distant memory.Â
Is this the last stupid idea we get from Adams or are more coming prior to him leaving office? It is really interesting that Adams can find all the money he wants for bike paths, gender reassignment surgery for the city's employee health plan, the Tram, etc., but when it comes to performing the core functions of a city Adams can only see raising taxes. January can not get here soon enough.
@I812 .......oh you'll get more believe me. Wonder how many folks are rethinking that recall effort?
That's cool. I can live with that since my wife & I only have cell phones now since land lines are such a rip off.
 @Jamie So it's okay to tax other people as long as it doesn't effect you? If one follows that logic, how long do you think it will take them to get around to taxing you? And when they do, how much support do you think you might get from others when they see how little you cared when they were being taxed?
 @Jamie just wait smartie pants, he will find a way to tax cell phones as well.Â
so i need to register my portland cell phone in another city?
good way to add business to surrounding community's i guess
 @Rey Arteb Landlines. A semi archaic system that actually has cords and connections that your voice travels through. Most likely before your time.
Curious to hear what the phone companies think about collecting another tax from their customers. Here's why I ask. How many of you, like me, are seriously considering dumping the seldom used land lines in their home? I have been for the last few years. Nine bucks isn't crap, but it's still a good nudge to break the connection for good.
@Lips The only reason we have a landline is for the fax. As we are getting ready to move, the landline will be going away (as soon as I figure out how to use the computer for faxing).
Good grief. Â If I lived in PDX I'd just give up my land line. Â Adams is ridiculous. Â People are TAXED to death already. to the point they can barely get by. Â Â WHEN will government/state officials STOP FRAUD and overspending? Â If they do that, I might be willing to give more.
What in the world do telephones have to do with police reform? Looks more like; "Hey, look. I found this, let's tax it." Don't inhale to deeply, or Portland will slap a breathing tax on you.
Did you happen to READ the story? just saying
 @usa2swimpattycrabby Read this story about another tax? Yes, I did. Just like the thousand other tax stories that has led to us paying thousands of dollars in taxes. Thousands.
As if the police don't have enough money as it is. Why don't ya lay off the brand new cruisers, and other BS that you make the public believe is so "necessary". The only police reform we need is a full overhaul and rebuild, and Sam can go as well. Not only that, but am I the only one here who notices whenever the police need some more cash there's double the cruisers out pulling people over? Happy Valley city hall was completely full this last Friday, all with petty tickets so they can fund that over the top building they built.
 @addy0880 Brand new cruisers actually are a necessity. Obviously you don't realize that police cruisers get in one year the amount of miles your personal car gets in 4-5 years not to mention the stress put on the suspension and the engine. While they take care of their cars via regular maintenance, those cars are still beat to crap via normal everyday use...all from protecting people like you from crime. Understand their equipment use before chastising itÂ
Again I feel sorry for Portlanders. Â No only that you have a abusive police force, but you have to pay for retraining it.Â
 @MFMFIM It never gets retraining, the officers and their abuse only get worse.
 @Jamie Can you show me the evidence to support your assertions that Portland police officers have never received retraining and that through the entire history of the City of Portland, abuse by police has always gotten worse and that there have never been any improvements (even temporary ones?)
Think this tax won't cost you anything because you dumped your land line already? Think again. Adams and his gang know that this it primarily a (another) tax on business, because it is very difficult for businesses to not have a land line (and most have multiple lines). And a tax on business is simply another tax that gets passed on to the consumer through higher prices.Â
 @Kennyboy Very good point! The real story is always the hidden story. Someone needs to clarify if this is residential lines, business or both. If it's business, it's gonna be more than $9 a year. How unfair, too. Hotels, hospitals, etc.. can't operate off cell, alone. Shady Sam, striking again. Go away, Sam.
"So Sam and company stole from the water bureau $100m+ and gave away millions to the schools (not the city's responsibility) and now THEY NEED ANOTHER NEW TAX!?" - Lars Larson
IDIOT IS RIGHT!! GO AWAY SAM!! Increase a tax to REFORM the police bureau? Does REFORM mean clean up there act ? Why should we pay for something that shouldn't have to be done in the first place? Everytime a bureau of any kind doesn't do their job we end up paying for it !! It's a little late to start doing your job when you know you won't have it anymore !!
How come this idiot is being so active all of a sudden??? Does he realize his days are numbered in office? He's come up with more crap in the last 4 months then he did all the time he was in City Hall. And for the record...I'm one of many families who don't have a landline any longer. Cell phones all over the place. Idiot.
Shhhhhhhh! Don't tell City Hall (and Sam or any of his 'sucophants' (yes, I know it's not a word, just go with it!) that many, many people are cutting not only telephone landlines, but cable TV/Z(x)Finity.
Satellite and cell phones are taking over the world of communications, and chewing hungrily on video.
@Gravity Works!  Thats why this will primarily be a tax on business owners.Â
@scared_citizen The smart businessman will just raise his prices to reflect the added cost. The first thing I did when I started the business I own is move out of Portland. The second smartest thing I did was move out of Oregon.
@Gravity Works! That's a really awesome word!! It should be in the dictionary :) It fits the person splendidly :)