As perhaps a sign that the era of unlimited yes votes on taxation measures in the metro Portland area might be waning, Metro voters have rejected Measure 26-218 by 57% to 42% -- a margin of 15% -- in a decisive statement that people in the region are starting to understand that first, the luster is gone from light rail and other related costly transportation initiatives and second, that if you tax employers, this gets passed on to employees and there is a limit to the amount of taxation people will tolerate.

Most of the local media supported the tax. For instance, Oregon Public Broadcasting, usually seen as a cheerleader for bigger government reported on the loss, but not the vote count, percent or margins. While reporting large corporate backers of the no vote, Stop the Metro Wage Tax, they largely failed to report that much of the support for the yes campaign were businesses that stood to gain from the funded transportation projects.

In a tax that would have fallen squarely on the working people of the Metro region, $4 Billion in spending was anticipated -- much of it on light rail, which is quickly becoming unpopular in the region.



The large donor list for Get Moving PAC reads like a "Who's Who" of big government supporters, labor interests and contracting companies, hoping to get in on projects.

Major donations to Get Moving PAC
Date	Donor	Amount
11/04/2020	Knock Software Inc	$2,500
11/04/2020	Portland Association of Teachers PAC (260)	$5,000
11/02/2020	Kpff	$2,500
11/02/2020	International Union of Painters ad Allied Trades	$5,000
11/02/2020	APANO	$2,500
11/01/2020	David Vernier	$2,000
11/01/2020	Steven Byars	$5,000
11/01/2020	Terrance Aarnio	$2,500
10/30/2020	200 Market Associates LP	$5,000
10/30/2020	Waste Management	$5,000
10/30/2020	Jacobs Engineering Group	$10,000
10/30/2020	William Henderson	$2,500
10/30/2020	OPAL	$4,285
10/27/2020	SEIU 503	$5,000
10/26/2020	Oregon Food Bank	$5,000
10/26/2020	Elisabeth Lyon	$1,000
10/23/2020	Friends of Lynn Peterson (18404)	$5,000
10/23/2020	Oregon AFSCME Council 75	$5,000
10/22/2020	Transportation Yes (14743)	$7,149
10/22/2020	Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.	$50,000
10/21/2020	NW Health Foundation	$5,000
10/21/2020	AECOM Technology Group	$50,000
10/21/2020	AFSCME 3580	$3,000
10/19/2020	Friends of Rob Nosse (16459)	$1,000
10/19/2020	HNTB Corporation	$65,000
10/19/2020	American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon	$12,500
10/19/2020	American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon	$12,500
10/18/2020	Stan Amy	$1,000
10/18/2020	Scott Kocher	$1,000
10/18/2020	Ben Wood	$1,000
10/16/2020	Mott McDonald	$10,000
10/14/2020	Siemens Industry Inc	$40,000
10/13/2020	Iron Workers District Council of the Pacific Northwest (3816)	$5,000
10/13/2020	HDR	$10,000
10/13/2020	Shirley Craddick for METRO Councilor (13893)	$1,000
10/13/2020	Portland Association of Teachers PAC (260)	$5,000
10/13/2020	Burns McDonnell	$5,000
10/13/2020	Hamilton Construction	$10,000
10/13/2020	The Sundt Co.	$10,000
10/13/2020	3 Builds LLC	$5,000
10/11/2020	Herb Fricke	$2,000
10/09/2020	DOWL LLC	$5,000
10/09/2020	Oregon AFSCME Council 75	$10,000
10/09/2020	Shiels Obletz Johnsen Inc	$1,000
10/08/2020	Casso Consulting	$5,000
10/02/2020	WSP	$40,000
10/02/2020	DSK Associates	$2,500
10/02/2020	Parson's Corporation PAC	$10,000
10/02/2020	CDM-Smith	$5,000
10/02/2020	Shannon & Wilson, Inc.	$3,000
10/02/2020	Liuna Local 737 Political Action (20502)	$10,000
09/29/2020	RS&H	$5,000
09/28/2020	Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters	$40,000
09/27/2020	Larry Fox	$1,000
09/24/2020	American Public Transportation Association	$10,000
09/21/2020	Headlight Technologies	$5,000
09/21/2020	OTAK, Inc	$7,500
09/20/2020	James Fuiten	$5,000
09/20/2020	Leah Riley	$1,000
09/20/2020	James McGrath	$1,000
09/19/2020	NW Health Foundation	$15,000
09/14/2020	Titan	$5,000
09/13/2020	Steve Naito	$2,500
09/13/2020	Brad Hart	$10,000
09/11/2020	Harper Houf Peterson Righellis	$1,000
09/11/2020	Friends of Bob Stacey (13836)	$9,500
09/11/2020	Affordable Housing for Oregon (19368)	$4,299
09/11/2020	David Evans & Associates, Inc.	$30,000
09/08/2020	HDR	$15,000
09/08/2020	UFCW Local 555	$10,000
09/08/2020	LTK	$5,000
09/06/2020	Elizabeth Faulkner	$1,000
08/30/2020	Matt Miller	$5,000
08/28/2020	Communications Strategies	$1,000
08/28/2020	Professional & Technical Employees Local 17	$1,000
08/28/2020	Insulators International PAC	$2,000
08/24/2020	Local 48 Electricians PAC (4572)	$100,000
08/21/2020	William Shields	$2,000
08/14/2020	Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.	$150,000
08/14/2020	David Evans & Associates, Inc.	$10,000
08/03/2020	Herb Fricke	$1,000
07/31/2020	Cement Masons Local 555	$5,000
07/27/2020	Warren Rosenfeld	$5,000
07/09/2020	OTAK, Inc	$1,500
07/06/2020	Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters	$10,000
06/29/2020	WSP	$10,000
06/17/2020	American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon	$25,000
06/03/2020	Recology	$5,000
05/02/2020	American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon	$1,000
04/30/2020	Burns McDonnell	$5,000
04/30/2020	Ian McHone	$5,000
04/12/2020	UFCW Local 555	$10,000
04/12/2020	200 Market Associates LP	$10,000
03/30/2020	HNTB Corporation	$10,000
03/20/2020	Jesse Jackson	$5,000
03/20/2020	Rachel L Bruce	$5,000
03/20/2020	Affordable Electric	$5,000
03/20/2020	Jeff Moreland	$5,000
03/20/2020	Chicks of All Trade	$5,000
03/20/2020	Just Bucket Excavating	$5,000
03/20/2020	Raimore Construction	$10,000
03/16/2020	Parametrix	$10,000
03/12/2020	Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.	$10,000
03/09/2020	Walsh Construction Company	$5,000
03/09/2020	AECOM Technology Group	$15,000
01/28/2020	Transportation Yes (14743)	$5,000

--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-11-08 11:32:36

Last Update: 2020-11-08 12:35:49