Eugene’s economy is struggling. The cost of living is distressing, and for most residents, everyday costs are becoming harder and harder to manage.

Supporters of Measure 20-388, the Eugene Clean Energy Fund, want us to believe this measure makes only big corporations pay. But businesses don’t simply absorb millions of dollars in new costs. They pass those costs along to their customers. Measure 20-388 imposes a new 2% fee on the gross profits of large retailers — a hidden sales tax — that will raise costs by $15 million to $40 million every year. That money must come from somewhere.

The people who will feel those increases the most aren’t the wealthy or the corporate executives.

Measure 20-388 will increase the cost of everyday household items and hurt those who can least afford it, like our seniors or those with low or fixed incomes. When you are living on a fixed income, you notice every increase. The cost of groceries, household necessities, gas and just about everything else has gone up. There is only so much money coming in each month, and when prices rise, you must find somewhere else to cut back.

That is why we cannot afford Measure 20-388.

No one is against protecting our environment. Most people support protecting our environment. But Measure 20-388, which will raise costs and make life even more unaffordable for Eugene residents, is not the answer.

John Doty
Eugene