The Oregon Bubble

Page 1 of the New York Times (Sunday Nov 2) talks of touch choices public unions are making around the country with looming state deficits. New governors around the are country being inaugurated. What can we hope for in Oregon? Then again, what can we expect?

I come from an Eastern state that lost population in the 2010 Census. New Jersey is always in the news. Property taxes are sky high, and even my liberal (some of them) relatives worship Chris Christie for the tough reforms he has had to make. Cleaning up municipal corruption too, including nepotism, and contracts that didn’t deliver. Sounds familiar..

What about Oregon? With our 1.5 legged stool of revenue (income tax mainly, constrained property tax, and no sales tax), we have a limited set of options.

Sales tax is off the table they say. Property taxes – who wants to pay more of that? I don’t, no way. Which leaves the equation: income tax and spending, and how to balance them. What kind of government are we willing to pay for?

First of all, tax is not a four-letter word. It is the government carrying out its obligation to its citizens. As a citizen I want safety. I want clean water. I want schools where kids are told and taught to succeed.

I do not want another 4-8 years of rhetoric and empty promises – make it happen.

To the new Governor K: give us a sustainable level of government services. Oregon taxpayers cannot put their tin cup out to Chinese investors as the federal government can (which is certainly not sustainable).

Nope, we are a self-reliant people. On both sides of the Cascades. Industrial North and Rural South and everything in between, even Nyssa.

Maybe you can get some ideas from Mr. Sizemore about what some people expect from government. And about the tough choices we have to make as a state. Involve your citizens, all of them.

When I read about the tough cuts and choices other states are making, and look around and see the same old sides getting ready to dig in, I wonder why Oregon seems to live in such a bubble. We are not the frontier anymore. We can’t run away to the West coast, this is it. We have to make it work here.