If you are in Oregon, you know what I'm talking about.
I'm glad it failed. I pay enough taxes. Plus, this is coming at the same time we are giving state employees a 3 percent pay raise. So some kids won't be able to play spring sports and a bunch of very pointless government programs will be cut. The income tax is already high enough.
Yeah, who needs to keep all those petty criminals in custody in Multnomah County...we can just ship 'em all down to Salem when the Multnomah county sheriff has to cut his budget. Is the local jail YOUR idea of a pointless government program?
Does Don McIntire drive a Contour? Does Bob Tiernan dive a Mystique? Does Bill Sizemore drive a Cougar? I can tell you have strong feelings. So do I. But why does this topic belong on THIS website?
I voted no on it also. I'm currently unemployed and can't/don't want to pay more taxes. The state government needs to learn how to regulate itself much better. I still can't believe that schools, law enforcement, and health care are up on the choping blocks first. I'm sure there are many other state funded programs that can be cut.
OK, flame me.
Fatmike: you mention how SOME state employees are to get a 3% pay raise. I talked last December with Washington County's state courthouse employees about how those who are not laid off will be subject to a 10% cutback in their work hours with M-28 going down. With courthouses statewide closing one day a week, and courts/cops figuring to not handle small claims courts and property crimes, and criminals KNOWING that, if someone breaks your driver's side window to steal your CDs, you'll be paying ANYWAY. Come on up to Portland for a concert and test out my theory.
Portland can't afford security cameras in its public parking lots. Last November, someone backed into the front passenger door of my SVT while I was parked. Repair bill: $968. Portland's thriftiness precludes me from going after the unknown jerk that did it. Figure the number of people per week that have that happen, and cameras would pay for themselves on higher taxes vs. lower insurance premiums.
Can you say "Penny wise, pound foolish"?
Qbert: Schools/cops/health care were NOT hit first. They were hit LAST. Were you out of the country during our legislature's FIVE special sessions? What's your excuse for NOT knowing what
Yeah, I know PERS has BIG issues. But when I checked out the website for The Tax Foundation, ranking each state in tax rates, per capita and per $1000 in income, the charts I found for 2001 put Oregon in the middle.
So who's your source for saying Oregon is 10th in overall state tax rates? Gimme a citation.
And what's the big surprise that our property taxes are so high? That's part of the by-product of our having NO sales tax. Look at what Washington and California generate in per capita revenue by general sales taxes... and we have NONE of that going to run this state.
The legislature did approve the state budget that shorts programs. The legislature decided to not do a rainy day fund. The legislature decided to not keep the tax surplus refund kicker. The legislature did next to nothing when the revenue forecasts built into its budget came up hollow. And when the legislature decided to nothing about the cuts posed by the budget it passed and turned underfunded, it let M28 go to the voters to allow nothing to happen to re-fund state cops and schools and courts and elderly and infirm programs etc etc etc.
I don't mean to defend funding every program out there. But how often do you hear the "I don't have kids in school here. Why do I have to pay" comments? Someone was sure catering to that constituency!
Hey, guess who passed the PERS laws that were supposed to do one thing, but when they worded it wrong and passed it anyway, it had a different effect? Yep. The legislature. I guess our citizen legislators back then did not know enough about legal rules for construing statutory language when they botched the money match wording. You can pull the legislative history, where people explained what they THOUGHT they were doing, then you can compare the court opinions, where the courts read the language of the passed statute and conclude that wasn't what they wrote but we're stuck with what they passed... we have a history of amateur legislators, and sometimes there's bad along with the good that comes of that.
I'm not overjoyed that soon they'll have a worse reputation than lawyers, but they will certainly deserve it.
Some other time, on a lighter note, we can discuss a line item veto. Or how while I'm a die hard baseball fan (now you know I'm a whacko) I doubt Portland's SMSA can support one adequately. (Watch out for the White Sox this season)
In the meantime, I doubt people understand how much bang they get for the buck on their tax dollars. Yes, I'm being serious. Sure, everyone gripes. But it's too complicated for most people to understand.
By the way, if taxes are too high, should we all save money by doing away with unemployment benefits?
R. Birk JD/MBA
One of the problems the state has is lack of consensus and shared values. Polarized disagreement leads to deadlock and look where we are now. Another is how the budgets are figured and funded every two years and forecasts go south in the meantime.
This a.m.'s column by Robert Landauer in the Oregonian's Metro op ed section cites a report by the "Legislative Revenue Office" (query: is that Office with Oregon? Congress? A think tank?) titled "2003 Oregon Public Finance: Basic Facts":
"Oregon's total state and local tax burden was 10.5%, compared with the US average of 11.2%. Oregon ranks 39th in total tax burden.: 38 states carry heavier loads, 11 states lighter. We're 2nd highest in state personal income tax, 18th in corporate income tax, 25th in property taxes and 50th in sales and excise taxes."
I think NO ONE should be GLAD 28 failed, but people who are broke should perhaps instead be RELIEVED it failed. Yes, there's a difference.
I'll shut up now. I promise. (cheering erupts)
. We do get a lot of services for our tax dollars, but I think we could get more by trimming a lot of the fat.