Any "gross" based taxation is, by definition, problematic.  Your example of Lithia is a good one.  Companies with a large gross, but small profit margin will be very unfairly burdened by such a tax.  May I offer another "parallel".  We have, for years, owned residential income properties.  There were years when our 
"gross" income was $100,000 or more, yet our "net" profit was, at best,  $20,000.  Had we been taxed on "gross receipts" we would have been losing money every year.  A gross-based corporate tax is, likewise, totally unfair.  

I feel we do, indeed, need to establish that "third leg" to our state tax structure. But, I feel we need to directly and openly have the discussion of a legitimate sales tax.  I feel it could be written so it's not regressive, exempts food purchases based on the WIC standards (would be easy to understand and easy to apply), and still raises significant revenue for state supported services.  

Measure 97 is not the answer for Oregon's problems.