Oregon will again be the target of such commentary as we saw in last spring's
Doonesbury as the year moves forward.
Voters in Oregon rejected Ballot Measure 30, an item placed on the ballot as the result of a direct-mail signature gathering effort funded almost entirely from outside the state. The measure was designed to get voters to repeal a revenue compromise passed by the legislature in August of '03.
In voting to repeal the revenue bill, nearly $800 million in funding will disappear from state budgets. About $545 million was coming from a small surcharge on personal income tax. Other funds derived from a change to Oregon's Corporate Minimum tax (currently $10 (yes, that is TEN DOLLARS)....Enron is re-incorporated here, in case you wondered), and extension to a sunsetting cigarette tax, and several other provisions.
The funding gap will result in layoffs in schools, courtrooms, jails, state agencies who's work protects wildlife, the environment, health services, etc...
Proponents of the repeal beleive the money exists in Salem, but is simply being wasted. They made a point of telling voters that all the cuts were scare tactics. Facts on the ground will soon show otherwise.
The legislature in Salem needs to have leaders who can credibly convince the residents of the state that taxes are part of the deal when living in a society that promotes equality and equal protection. Clearly that is a statewide challenge.
Oregon's state government is a textbook case for the People-Powered movement to direct their energies in support of Taking Our Country Back.
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The same should be said for every battleground state, for every place struggling to overcome the oppresive weight of the current economy, or the current political climate, or the current 'way things are done'.
Don't just focus on the battle for the White House, critical though it is... This has got to be a battle top to bottom.