But now it’s over, Christian Gaston has the wrap up in the Oregonian:
“What is the message that this Legislature is sending when we cut my taxes 20 percent?,” asked Rep. Brent Barton, D-Oregon City, a lawyer in private practice. “We cut taxes on thousands of lawyers, doctors, lobbyists, accountants on the same day that we cut benefits for retirees? What message does that send?”
Rep. Jules Bailey, D-Portland, likened the tax cuts to the Business Energy Tax Credit. The cost of that program grew so quickly that it became a political embarrassment and the Legislature has worked to rein it in.
So, the biggest beneficiaries will be people like noted tobacco company lawyers Sharon Rudnick and Dave Frohnmayer? Kitzhaber got advice on the legality of the cuts from Bill Gary at HLGR. So maybe he’ll now make the DOJ hire HLGR, who lost Strunk, to try to defend this? Frohnmayer’s PERS COLA will take a big hit if it sticks in court, so he’ll have to balance that against his usual $550 an hour motivation. Keep an eye on the persinfo blog for commentary and analysis.
ITALY?? ?… RELATIVELY stable and responsible political system ? Bwhahahahahaha-haaaa. Ah yes of course … such as in Berlusconi and Bunga-Bunga parties! As in austerity measures and financial crisis, or as in constantly changing governments and shifting party coalitions. Well, many memories remain…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0VkqDGZsz4
I’m pretty sure he was being sarcastic.
Italy had bunga-bunga. Oregon had Goldschmidt and Packwood.
I have fond childhood memories of a summer spent in Naples. I and my brother (both in junior high) had free run of the city on the many buses and trollies. It was safe because the Mafia controlled all crime (and the parking and the government and everything else) and found no profit in harming children.
My Old Man planned to continue his biology research at a government laboratory, but the Communists took over and locked everyone out, except foreigners. So he had no colleagues nor staff.
I much prefer Naples anarchy over U.S. oligarchy.
“We cut taxes on thousands of lawyers, doctors, lobbyists, accountants on the same day that we cut benefits for retirees? What message does that send?”
Well, musing along, I’d say the message is Kitz is a perfectly exposed example of our supposed “two party system”, which it isn’t and hasn’t been for a few decades. He mirrors that bummer dude in DC who will go unnamed. Special session to address what the legislature didn’t address properly? Ha. And the Dr. allows GMO’s to be drawn into the mix? Shameless.
To add– if you don’t know how pernicious GMO’s are, then get yourself educated– soon.
But beyond GMO’s, it’s the attack on county home rule which is most despicable. Will promises to address this later be effective? Who actually even CONSIDERS believing crap like that when they prevaricate over and over and over again. And people think fornicate is a ‘bad’ word.
Today’s RG says that the net tax revenue increase within 5 years will shrink to something like $24 million/year because of those taking advantage of small business breaks — that’s only 1/4 of the “new revenue” going to schools. So we will be back in the same place by 2016.