Is there a Portland arts tax for 2012, or not?
It's February 12. The year is 43 days old. Tax Day is a mere 62 days from now. In other words, tax season is 41% over.
This year, nearly everyone with income who lives in Portland is supposed to start paying the city $35 a head to support the arts -- especially rich people arts, like the opera. Where are the forms? The tax, whose constitutionality is clearly going to be tested in a lawsuit, was passed on November 6, which was 98 days ago. And the campaign to pass it went on for months before that. What's the holdup on the reporting and payment procedures? Surely the city can't be purposely delaying the process to confound the court challengers -- can it?
Come on, Mayor Char-Lie. Lots of folks have already filed their income taxes. Let's get going on this one.
| Posted at 9:44 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (14)
Will this be a fictitious arts tax only applicable for those who reside in the land of Portlandia?
Put a bird on it!
Posted by Portland Native | February 12, 2013 10:35 AM
More and more, I'm coming to the belief that the problems we have with government stem less from philosophy than they do from fundamental incompetence.
Posted by Roger | February 12, 2013 10:54 AM
They know they will be sued for imposing it, can we sue them for delaying the information on how it will be payed ?
Posted by tankfixer | February 12, 2013 11:06 AM
Too late for me. Turbotax has whisked my returns into cyberspace. Sorry Portland.
Posted by Snards | February 12, 2013 11:06 AM
Oh the tax is already here, forms or not (City Code 5.73.020 and 070). Oddly, nothing in the code actually says that the city has to provide a system for people to pay the tax; but we're liable for it all the same. I guess we're all supposed to leave an envelope at City Hall with $35 bucks in cash and a drawing of our favorite Portland landscape (white stag sign excepted, unless you want to pay extra).
Posted by persona non grata | February 12, 2013 11:45 AM
PNG is right. It's cash in an envelope to be left at the reception desk.
Posted by Allan L. | February 12, 2013 12:01 PM
Since the "art" my taxes could support may be morally repugnant to me, or just plain ugly as sin, I refuse to serve or support the unspecified artist with my money. So sue me.
Posted by PDXLifer | February 12, 2013 12:11 PM
Since it is, after all, a tax to support the arts, perhaps we should pay with a drawing of a spider.
Posted by Garage Wine | February 12, 2013 12:31 PM
Is any of this money going to support Milepost 5, the taxpayer-subsidized housing for "artists"?
http://milepost5.net/
A friend who is familiar with this project tells me the qualifications for getting housing in this place are very loose and broadly defined.
For instance, there's a person there whose "art" consists of wearing and using a hula hoop everywhere. No bird required.
Posted by Frank | February 12, 2013 12:37 PM
Let us ask Nick Fish, Commissioner of Housing for detailed information about all the public subsidized housing on his watch!
Apparently as I hear about it, this information is not forthcoming.
Mr. Fish, about a general meeting for all the citizens of Portland to find out about the public subsidized housing?
Is this art's tax a part of it?
Posted by clinamen | February 12, 2013 1:18 PM
"Since it is, after all, a tax to support the arts, perhaps we should pay with a drawing of a spider."
GarageWine, that is brilliant. For anyone who has ever wanted not to pay a bill, read it.
Posted by sally | February 12, 2013 1:27 PM
Garage Wine...
Thanks, I used that link to become a Chiropractor !!!
Posted by It's Mike | February 12, 2013 4:09 PM
This being a head tax I shall refuse to pay it on the grounds that I do not smoke pot.
Posted by tankfixer | February 12, 2013 4:13 PM
I'm curious about retroactivity. Didn't the effective start date time-travel back to 1/1/2012? Good luck with that, eh.
http://www.snpp.com/episodes/2F14.html
Homer: [overhearing] "Oh, sweet, trusting Marge, I can't let you down."
[holds up overdue mortgage notice] "I'll get some money somehow."
[dials phone] "Hello, Vegas? Give me 100 bucks on red..."
"D'oh! All right, I'll send you a check."
Posted by Downtown Denizen | February 13, 2013 11:03 PM