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Frank Morse was asked how many new Department of Revenue employees would be needed if a sales tax was initiated.  Between 700 and 1,000 new Oregon Department of Revenue Employees would be needed to enforce a sales tax.  I base that on the fact that about 1.000 employees are now employed by Oregon Department of Revenue to enforce other revenue producing laws.  If the ratio of Department of Revenue employees to state residents were to be made the same in 2009 as it was in 1990, 400 additional employees would need to be hired.  In 1990, there were about 2.5 million people in Oregon.  In 2009, there are about 3.5 million people in Oregon.  About 1,000 employees were employed by Oregon Department of Revenue in 1990 and 2009.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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For the last 30 years, the people who are in charge of our governments have been trying to starve our governments of money so the governments will cease to exist and big business can run the United States and the world.  Anyone can learn the details of the methods used by reading the book "Perfectly Legal" by David Cay Johnston or the book "The Wrecking Crew" by Thomas Frank.  What is detailed in those books about the federal government has also been happening at the state level.  We don't need a total tax make over.  However, the addition of a 10% or 11% tax bracket for the wealthy wouldn't hurt.  All we need to do to obtain much more money for governments is to enforce the revenue producing laws we have.  Revenue producing law enforcement has almost stopped.  According to the IRS, if all federal income tax payers paid according to the law, those who pay according to the law now could pay $1,500 per year less.  Enforcement tools at the federal and state levels are no longer used.  Not because many laws have changed but because agency policies have changed.  The people in charge of revenue producing law enforcement agencies are working to reduce the amount of revenue available to governments so services that should be provided by governments can be provided by private industry for a profit.  I have spoken to many legislators about this and they have done nothing.  I have run for public office on this platform and receive few votes.  Having been a federal tax collector, I watched these activities evolve at the federal level and have seen the effect of inactivity at the state level.  Voters need to understand what is happening and require our elected officials enforce revenue producing laws.  Voters need to see through the propaganda and elect public officials who will require revenue producing laws be enforced.  If voters are satisfied with watching our leaders fail to enforce revenue producing laws, they will have to be satisfied watching public education, public transportation infrastructure and public law enforcement disappear.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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Since the Reagan administration, laws, policies and procedures used by revenue law enforcement agencies have been changed in order to reduce revenue received by the government. In 1996, big changes were made to reduce the ability of IRS auditors and collectors to enforce revenue producing laws. What is the new Treasury Secretary going to do to change laws, policies and procedures back to what they were before 1996 in order to allow proper enforcement of revenue producing law?

posted 4 years, 4 months ago
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The Governor's budget increases the amount given to Department of Revenue from $163,563,414 to $199,648,806. What will this increase be used for?

In 1990, there were 2.5 million people in Oregon and 1,000 employees at Department of Revenue. In 2007 there were 3.5 million people in Oregon and 1,000 employees at Department of Revenue. Will more employees be hired? Will more law enforcement employees be hired? Will law enforcement policies utilized before 1996 be used again? This would change the current policy of not seizing real or personal assets to secure payment.

What tax expenditure laws will be repealed? Currently, there are about $28 billion in tax expenditure laws on the books. The euphemistic phrase "tax expenditure" is used in place of the phrase "tax discount for special interest group".

posted 4 years, 5 months ago
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Anyone should video any police officer at any time. This information will either prove them guilty or innocent of any misdeed. Current law allows police too much latitude in their actions. Perhaps videoed proof of activity will give our legislators the courage to change the several laws which need to be changed.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
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