AP-OR–1st NewsMinute,335
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
SALEM, Ore. (AP) – The Oregon Senate has voted to give a
temporary reprieve to nearly 1,700 people who were dropped from a
property tax deferral program intended to help seniors and people
with disabilities stay in their homes. The measure would give
seniors two more years in the program if they were dropped from it
solely because they had a reverse mortgage. The program allows
people with low incomes to defer their property taxes, which are
paid back with interest when they die or the home is sold.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The second of two Portland-area men
blocked from flying home last month after visiting Libya has been
reunited with family members at the Portland airport. Mustafa
Elogbi (al-AWG-bee) traveled to Libya after the overthrow of
Moammar Gadhafi to see relatives. The Oregonian says the
60-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen planned to return to Portland
last month but was detained in London and then sent back to
Tunisia. The other man, 55-year-old Jamal Tarhuni, returned last
week.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Hundreds of public employees and liberal
activists are asking the Oregon Legislature not to cut funding for
schools, prisons and workers who provide in-home care to seniors.
Unions, environmental groups and Occupy organizations brought
people from around the state to the Capitol yesterday, when many
schools and government agencies were closed for Presidents Day.
Demonstrators had a variety of interests, but several said they
want to protect funding for government services.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Ten online travel companies have gone to
court in Portland to fight an effort by local officials to collect
millions in hotel tax revenue. The Oregonian reports the city of
Portland hired a law firm in October to collect an estimated $5
million to $8 million in back taxes, as well as up to $1 million a
year. Similar legal battles across the nation have had mixed
results. The companies argue that they are not hotel operators, so
the city and Multnomah County taxes don’t apply to them.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-02-21-12 0400EST