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February 4, 2010 Opinions |
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—Editorial—
Kill Taxes, Not Jobs
With the passing of Measures 66 and 67, Oregon has become the butt of numerous jokes. These Measures have been referred to as “Oregon's Assisted Suicide Law.” Business owners are sporting the motto, “Anywhere, but Oregon!” And many Oregon residents are calling our beloved state “Soviet Oregon.”
Even Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said, “What has happened in Oregon is not good news for Oregon” and he has publicly announced his intentions to lure employers from Oregon to his state of Illinois.
Many local residents have called the election outcome “one of the biggest mistakes that Oregon has ever made.” And several local business owners have already announced their plans to cut employee hours to recoup their losses because of the increased tax.
And proponents of the Measures said they would affect a very small percentage of Oregon’s residents, namely the “wealthy.” We don’t know how these measures have effected the large (wealthy) corporations on the other side of the state, but here in eastern Oregon, we know of at least three “small” businesses who have announced layoffs and one business owner who had plans to enlarge and hire more employees, has now terminated those plans because of the extra expenses she would incur.
One might think a handful of businesses would not have much of an impact on our small community. But when you consider that those who are layed off will cut back on the local goods and services they utilize and purchase, further hurting the local economy, and that they will probably have to move, taking their children with them, which means less state funding for schools by the way, the impact is considerable.
Any family Baker County looses is not only money out of the local economy, but the state funded jobs and services that the Measures were designed to protect will reduce in relation to a reduction in population. Chances are most local businesses have not had enough time to incur the potential financial damage these Measures will cause and it’s likely many more will have to make cuts in the near future. And Oregon’s unemployed can kiss goodbye future job opportunities that would have been afforded by new businesses who will locate elsewhere now.
While we are on the subject of state funding, does anyone remember a time when Oregon schools weren’t in dire need of funds? In spite of this, somehow the schools have managed all these years without unfairly taxing business owners or by punishing those who have managed to attain some degree of success.
State agency positions, just like small businesses fluctuate with the economy. We can sympathize with a state employee who is about to get cut or lose benefits, but why is that job any more important than someone who is in danger of loosing their job from a private business. How about the guy who is struggling to support a family on a minimum wage job or the mom and pop who are trying to keep the doors open to their business - don’t they count? They have no benefits to cut, they have no health insurance to raise the deductible on and they have no PERS to eliminate. When you dig deep into their pockets you take away their ability to feed their family.
Undoubtedly these Measures may have saved a few jobs, but is the residual destruction they have done to the economy and the working class worth it?
Now that the majority of Oregon’s voters have taxed this “small” group, how will our legislators remedy the problem next year when the schools groan and state agencies moan?
Now is the time to contact your elected officials and let them know you are disappointed in the passage of these Measures. We need to kill taxes, not jobs.
—Letters To The Editor—
Measures 66 & 67, Lessons Learned?
To The Record-Courier:
After the passage of Measures 66 & 67, I have questions and a couple of comments. I wonder what is in the minds of those children (entitlement kids) whose parents are living comfortably with one or two public sector paychecks while their neighbors who work in the private sector sink slowly into poverty? Do those public sector kids understand why their folks stay home from rallies where private sector parents fight tooth and nail for lower taxes, less government intervention and more jobs which pay into the tax rolls, not take out? Do they wonder why the unions do all the talking for their parents at their workplace? Do they understand that it takes integrity and character to publicly say, “I am tired of my private sector family carrying the weight of an entire public sector family on our backs when they earn an average of about $10,000 per earner per year more than we do?” Do they wonder why, in Oregon in 2009, private workers are outraged when in difficult times there were 40,000 private sector jobs lost and 25,000 public jobs created. Do they wonder why there is outrage when their legislature voted to increase taxes while increasing the budget when they knew funds from tax paying jobs would be down? Does anyone even try to tell these entitlement kids where the money that pays their folks salary and benefits comes from? Do they know that the government doesn’t give anything to anyone that it hasn’t taken from someone else? Do they understand that punishing the private sector kills the goose that lays the egg that bears the funds to run our schools? These are the kids that will be the future of our nation based on their observations of today. What have they learned?
After the passing of Measures 66-67, I got this from a friend of mine in Central Oregon. This will be a pattern.
“I am doing three things in response to this [M66-67] vote: (1) I will from now on call this state by its true name - the Soviet of Oregon - and suggest a campaign to promote this to the world; (2) I will never, ever, vote for a public bond issue, not schools, colleges, jails, or 911 districts on the assumption that they will only add new public employees to the payrolls and new members to the public employees' unions; and (3) I am dissolving my LLC in the Soviet of Oregon and re-establishing it in Washington.”
We face two elections this year. I ask everyone to vote and get everyone you know to vote. If the candidate or incumbent has not been there pounding on the table to stop growth of government and the private sector tax burden during this special election, vote against them. This goes from the Governor’s race down to County Judges and Commissioners. If we can’t get candidates to run against deadbeat incumbents, don’t vote for that position. Get mad, get involved.
Tim Smith
Harney County
It’s Always Something!
To The Record-Courier:
In conversing and emailing friends etc. it seems like various issues always seem to be coming up or around when we least expect them and this particular individual from back east has a knack for saying, “Always something.” So would imagine with this comment in mind, many of you can relate to this issue in more ways than one. So will try to do a catchall on this issue to make the best of how humor can be presented in this or that.
Couldn’t resist on writing a letter to the editor on this one. Even for some if not most families have every day occurrences that seem to just never stop and forever on-going and no relief in sight and you begin to wonder where is the smooth sailing that seems to suit some more than others. So much for wishful thinking. It can be this way even in our political world etc., all the confusion we face these days. We can either pretend these issues can be of value of some sort in applying to however we need to apply them. We can either choose to be positive or negative of our reactions to whatever the situation.
Here not to long ago we had a draining problem and seems to be an on-going thing and in order to keep the drain running smooth one needs to be almost diligent to make sure all the necessaries don’t go down the drain as far as our food consumption and all is concerned. Then just after painting our front part of the trailer wouldn’t you know it, after all these years we have lived here the birds decided they wanted to put the icing on the cake so to speak—awk! That is enough to test anyone’s well being, given the source. Yes of course not to make mention the other trailers managed to escape these kind of episodes. Since then the matter has been taken care of. No justification here as one would put it. Even the animals have their knowledge etc. of their character depending on how close you choose to be to the situation and can be accepting of their surroundings no matter what the condition and all that nature offers them. Our family dog has the characteristic of spinning around in circles and some dogs do, so she does appear to be a little off balance at that, but still she is our family dog from five weeks old and given her old age of 12, she knows she is loved no matter what. We will miss her depending on her life expectancy at that.
We have had our rounds of dogs etc. and not sure we will pursue anymore after she is no longer around. We are forever remodeling etc. and not to mention of our boy dog that we made the decision to give him up awhile back and all he is in hog heaven etc. of his surroundings out in the country and doing a makeover on everyone and they love him beyond measures. He needed his freedom. His previous owner has communicated with me of how he is doing and all and I have appreciated the updates on him so yes, a good decision was made in this case.
And now from home on the range to the home front , yes I will be tackling more painting on the trailer etc. in the midst of my services come summer, which by the way seems like old man winter is in the mood for being a teaser these days, minus the birds but no way to escape given their habitat. But no complaints here weather wise.
Brenda Dickison
Baker City
Litmus Tests Are For Losers
To The Record-Courier:
Litmus tests are for losers. This truism is amply demonstrated by the Oregon Republican results at the polls for years. "Litmus tests are for losers" would be a suitable mantra for ORP units at all party levels. It might even influence some independents at the polls.
Carl Kostol
Baker City
Imperative We Get On With Comprehensive Plan
To The Record-Courier:
Most people are somewhat aware that there has been a land use war in Oregon almost from the beginning of statewide land use planning started in the mid 1970s. Early on the rural counties tried to repeal it and return some control to the counties. The big push was during John Kitzhaber’s term as governor. He vetoed countless bills that would have given some common sense and local control back to the counties. This earned him the name of Dr. No. Now Kitzhaber is running again for governor.
After a long fight the legislature finally passed a will, 229, during the last session that would allow the counties to amend their comprehensive plans and correct the mistakes that have zoned almost everything outside of the urban growth boundaries as valuable farm, forest or grazing land, no matter how poor the quality of the land is.
Baker County is now looking at its zoning ordinances, many years late, but the real attention should be paid to the comprehensive plan and with a possible return of John Kitzhaber is imperative that we get on with it. The county will tell you there is no money. I say find it. You are in violation of at least the spirit of the law that required review that has never been done and most likely you are in actual violation of the law and those who oppose the control from the I-5 corridor should consider a lawsuit to compel some action.
Steve Culley
Richland
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