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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregonians will pay more to hunt and fish — and more to register cars to drive to the woods and the water — if the fee increases in Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s budget make it through the Legislature.
The budget proposes many such increases. Higher fees, for instance, would be part of doing business in Oregon for contractors, nurses, therapists, radiologists, pharmacists or small business owners.
Most of the increases are in agencies or programs that can increase operating revenue only by raising fees, because they don’t get money from the state’s general fund of income tax revenue and state lottery profit.
Car owners and new car buyers face the biggest bite. As part of his $1 billion plan to put people to work fixing roads, bridges and rails, Kulongoski wants to triple car fees.
It costs $27 per year, or $54 every two years, to register a passenger car in Oregon. Under the governor’s plan that would go up to $81 per year, or $162 every two years.
“It’s a hefty increase,” spokeswoman Anna Richter Taylor acknowledged. But the gas tax has become a diminishing source of revenue, so the governor is looking to other sources, she said.
Republican leaders say the fee increases are backdoor tax increases.
“Why don’t they just come out and say they want to raise taxes,” said House Minority Leader Bruce Hanna of Roseburg. “Instead, they’re going about it in a way that’s a little less obvious to most taxpayers.”
Hunters, anglers and their organizations are mulling over Kulongoski’s call for a 20 percent increase in hunting and angling fees as part of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s budget.
Kulongoski’s $15.8 billion budget request to the Oregon Legislature includes less general fund and Oregon Lottery money than originally proposed for the department’s budget.
“The fees keep going up, but what are we paying for?” said Darrell Moore of Elkton as he was buying fishing gear at the Black Bird Shopping Center in west Medford. “The fishing’s going down, the hunting’s going down. I just don’t see where we’re getting our money’s worth.”
Rick Hartgrave, an ODFW spokesman, acknowledged that a budget proposal that once promised program improvements turned to one with some job cuts.
“Our proposal is not asking for anything extra,” Hartgrave said. “It’s to maintain our services. It tries to catch us up to the cost of doing business.
The budget proposes many such increases. Higher fees, for instance, would be part of doing business in Oregon for contractors, nurses, therapists, radiologists, pharmacists or small business owners.
Most of the increases are in agencies or programs that can increase operating revenue only by raising fees, because they don’t get money from the state’s general fund of income tax revenue and state lottery profit.
Car owners and new car buyers face the biggest bite. As part of his $1 billion plan to put people to work fixing roads, bridges and rails, Kulongoski wants to triple car fees.
It costs $27 per year, or $54 every two years, to register a passenger car in Oregon. Under the governor’s plan that would go up to $81 per year, or $162 every two years.
“It’s a hefty increase,” spokeswoman Anna Richter Taylor acknowledged. But the gas tax has become a diminishing source of revenue, so the governor is looking to other sources, she said.
Republican leaders say the fee increases are backdoor tax increases.
“Why don’t they just come out and say they want to raise taxes,” said House Minority Leader Bruce Hanna of Roseburg. “Instead, they’re going about it in a way that’s a little less obvious to most taxpayers.”
Hunters, anglers and their organizations are mulling over Kulongoski’s call for a 20 percent increase in hunting and angling fees as part of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s budget.
Kulongoski’s $15.8 billion budget request to the Oregon Legislature includes less general fund and Oregon Lottery money than originally proposed for the department’s budget.
“The fees keep going up, but what are we paying for?” said Darrell Moore of Elkton as he was buying fishing gear at the Black Bird Shopping Center in west Medford. “The fishing’s going down, the hunting’s going down. I just don’t see where we’re getting our money’s worth.”
Rick Hartgrave, an ODFW spokesman, acknowledged that a budget proposal that once promised program improvements turned to one with some job cuts.
“Our proposal is not asking for anything extra,” Hartgrave said. “It’s to maintain our services. It tries to catch us up to the cost of doing business.
