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TOUGH TUTU
What was Miss Brooke DeNisco thinking!? The article concerning Oregon Ballet Theater in the Christmas edition of the Willamette is the biggest piece of horse manure I have seen in many years ["Dance of the Inevitable," WW, Dec. 23, 1997]. As a member of OBT I was totally blown away when I read the article. How significant was it to compare the ballet to a woman's menstrual cycle? The line that says the dancers "aren't allowed to take real showers" is pure **&$!! Perhaps Miss DeNisco was misguided into who she should have interviewed. One can see how a 16- and 17-year-old might actually put their trust in the person giving the interview; they are (or were, until this article came out) totally unaware that what one says isn't always what one reads later in the Willamette Week. As one of the "older" dancers (age 27) I hope people don't view us as foul-mouthed jokesters with "really greasy, disgusting hair." We (the dancers) love our job, and not many people can say that about what they do for a living. Making fun of the ballet is not what upset us; it is the way in which the dancers were portrayed. I hope in the future that a little more thought and proofreading go into your articles concerning the ballet. Miss DeNisco should watch her back the next time she attends the ballet; she could easily be mistaken for a dancer with really dirty hair! Davida Haas, Northeast 17th Avenue
HATING THOMAS
It appears that C. Dorr ("Pathetique," Letters, WW, Dec. 30, 1997) would like to shift focus off of Art Alexakis as Portland's favorite successful person to hate, and on to Thomas Lauderdale. After all, Thomas is getting way too much attention for working his cute little ass off in pursuit of his musical career, while simultaneously organizing spectacular events for dance enthusiasts of diverse ages and lifestyles. Drat that Lauderdale, there he goes again throwing another party! It strikes me that there are some sour-grape sucking writers, musicians, artists and hipster wannabes who assuage their own misery by slamming people who are more successful than themselves. Now that is pathetic. As to whether or not Thomas Lauderdale is doing something new, who is? Everyone has to start somewhere, and though Mr. Lauderdale may not have originated the cocktail scene of the '90s, he certainly has led the revival in this town; and indeed he has taken it a step further by incorporating classical and Latin music into Pink Martini's repertoire, and by twisting old standards such as "Que Sera Sera," exposing the song's morbid underbelly and giving it a new and eerie glow. Thomas Lauderdale is not doing anything exciting? Try telling that to all the people who attend and appreciate his events, not only for the musical entertainment, but also for the celebration of style, which is something this town could certainly use more of. Perhaps Margie Boulé was stretching it when she referred to herself in an interview as an icon for the twentysomething crowd (assuming she was quoted correctly), but certainly Thomas Lauderdale cannot be held responsible for what his friends say about themselves. Yes, it's true that Ms. Boulé has not performed with Pink Martini in quite some time; "The Goatherder's Song," yodeled confidently by Ms. Boulé on several occasions, wouldn't exactly fit in with what the band is doing now. Anyone paying attention to the progress of the band would notice that quirkiness is being replaced by quality. Those who attended the CD release performance at the Schnitzer should realize that the primary reason that space was chosen is that Pink Martini's performance was serious and elegant, and required an appropriate venue--where else could it have been presented, EJ's? For those people who don't enjoy Thomas Lauderdale's performances and parties, don't go; there are plenty of people who will take your place; and if you're sick of reading about the little ball of fire, steer clear of Audrey Van Buskirk's articles. What is Ms. Van Buskirk getting out of her association with Thomas Lauderdale? My guess would be a really good time. C.J. Young, Southeast 48th Avenue
GIVE SALES TAX A CHANCE
If I'm not mistaken, the Oregon voters have never been given the opportunity to vote on a sales tax that would replace existing taxes dollar for dollar ["Hooray for a Sales Tax," 500 Words, WW, Jan. 7, 1998]. The sales tax has always been regarded as "an additional tax." Once in the '70s or '80s there was a sales tax placed on the ballot by referendum. Apparently it had a good chance of passing because the Legislature hurriedly placed another, slightly different, sales tax option on the same ballot and successfully split the vote. If you wanted a sales tax you had to vote for both, not choose one over the other. I think in the right configuation a sales tax would pass. You mentioned the tourist getting a free pass, but how about all of the unreported income derived from drug production and sales and other illicit businesses? You know the drug dealer that lives in the expensive apartment, drives a $100,000 car currently is the greatest "consumer" of public services (police, etc.) but contributes nothing to fund those services. J. DeBoer, Portland
SALES TAX: WINNERS & LOSERS
Imagine a flat tax (a user fee of 5 percent) on every pair of underwear (a nickel), every book (a buck), or even a used car for 10 grand ($500) that you buy. Nothing could be more regressive. Yet this is what Willamette Week trumpets ("Hooray for a Sales Tax," 500 Words, WW, Jan. 7, 1998). True, the property tax is nixed in return, as outlined by Ross Smith's proposed initiative championed on WW's Web site. But, like any change in the tax structure, there are winners and losers. Renters lose out automatically. Stuck with a new sales tax, it is unlikely they'll see property tax savings passed on to their rents, since the market largely decides what those are. Oregon homeowners may also lose out. At least local property taxes are deductible on state and federal tax returns. Sales taxes are not deductible, and instead take a bite out of our after-tax income. This loss of a federal tax deduction also means more tax money will sail off to Washington, D.C., instead of staying in Oregon. The other carrot stick for a sales tax are revenues collected from out-of-state tourists. But why soak ourselves as well? Targeted fees, like hotel occupancy taxes, and gasoline taxes, hit the tourists where they hit us, while maintaining the competitive advantage of Oregon's duty-free retail trade. The sales tax (like luxury taxes) can only produce a drag on retail consumption. Meanwhile, out-of-state real estate speculators will love the end of Oregon's property taxes. Imagine, fat cat Californians (and others) will be able to sit on Oregon property for years and never contribute a dime towards the infrastructure improvements that help make their property appreciate. Further, without property taxes to pay, ever greater is the incentive for investors to snap up houses and rent them out. This may reduce the percentage of owner-occupied houses in Portland and elsewhere, and further aggravate housing prices. Worse yet, Smith's proposal only adds a layer of bureaucracy, both public and private. It concedes a tax break to businesses for tax collection costs, and reimburses the state for its increased tax collection costs. Nor will a sales tax necessarily prevent revenue reductions "when the economy turns sour." Until lately, California's governmental revenues have limped along for years despite sales taxes over 8 percent. Oregon's income tax has done a fine job of capturing this state's economic growth, but the kicker law negates this phenomenon. This despite the fact that residents of 39 states pay more of their income to state and local governments than Oregon (that was before Measure 47/50). Better to reform the property tax we have. Let's simplify the codes, and reduce the tax burden on owner-occupied housing. Let's repeal the kicker law, keep some of the money for a rainy day, and forward the rest to schools and local governments. One thing that won't change if Ross Smith's awful initiative becomes law: WW will still be free. Jeff Cole, Northwest Marshall Street |
