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I have voted for every tax increase on the ballot in the 15 years I've lived in Oregon and for many years supported eliminating the kicker. But my tune has changed. Until the state government shows some commitment to PERS and public benefits reform I will never again vote for any funding increase to state government, kicker or otherwise. Consider my vote held hostage just as the state legistlature is held hostage by public employee unions. Enough is enough.

posted 1 year, 2 months ago
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Spot on. I work in human services (not a state employee but rather an employee of an agency that contracts with the state - and produces better cheaper services than the state could ever manage I might add) and I get really tired of our services being prioritized in announced budget cut lists again and again simply because they appeal to people's emotions. My complaint here isn't that we face cuts (though that's of course not appealing) but that the campaigns for higher taxes manipulatively throw services like ours into the spotlight every time. It's disgusting and dishonest how the state promulgates the idea that every penny cut is food being stolen from the mouth of an eldery person, child, or person with a disability. Even more disgusting is that the folks in power will in fact take cut dollars to vulnerable populations before cutting the fat from their own bloated bureacracies.

By the way, I think maybe people might start talking about house bill 2009 passed without much public input last year. Guess what it does in the midst of a recession: create a giant new state agency. Wonder how much that's gonna cost?

posted 1 year, 11 months ago
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Non-profits contribute nothing to the state economy? I run a non-profit with sixteen employees, each of whom I pay payroll taxes for. That's sixteen people earning living wages and spending their dollars in Oregon to support their families, not to mention the money funneled into the local economy via the money we spend on rent, utilities, and various supplies.

Non-profits don't enjoy some blanket vacation from all taxes and to suggest otherwise is ignorant.

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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The disagreements on this board bolster my view that Sam Adams should absolutely not resign. Let those who want him out of office mount a recall effort and let the voters decide whether they still want him to represent them. End of story. The newspaper editorials and wags don't get to decide; that's up to the citizens of Portland.

posted 3 years, 4 months ago
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