Bill Post: What the anti-referendum opponents are saying

From Bill Post,
1430 KYKN Salem
Bill’s blog here.

This little ol’ piece doesn’t require much in the way of commenting, it speaks for itself. The Oregon Legislature couldn’t balance the budget like the rest of us do (cut excess, spend less, be careful), so they raised $733 million in new taxes that will drive small businesses from Oregon. Now that the people got the two initiatives on the ballot for January, the NEA and the OEA, Teachers unions, are starting to do battle. This document came from inside the OEA.

Archives of OEA Newsflash from 2005 to 2009 can be read here:

From the September 25, 2009 OEA Leader Letter

OEA: Signatures Turned in to Put Tax Fairness on the Ballot. Some large corporations and out-of-state special interests opposed to the legislature’s tax fairness measures appear to have turned in enough signatures to force an election this January. In order to uphold these measures and preserve Oregon’s critical services, now is the time to get involved in the YES campaign. (Bill Post: Notice they say “appear to have turned in enough”. Sheesh we needed 55,179 and got over 125,000 on each petition.)

OEA: Voting YES on these measures will preserve services by raising the $10 corporate minimum income tax for the first time since 1931. Right now, two-thirds of the corporations doing business in Oregon pay just $10 a year in income taxes, while the average family pays about $3,100. When a single Oregon family pays more than 300 corporations combined, it’s time for a change. Voting YES on these measures will make Oregon’s tax system more fair for working families and will preserve schools and the essential services we all depend on. (Bill Post: Ah yes, it’s always the old violin, “we’ll lose schools…..” How about balancing the budget with the increases you already have!)

OEA: The YES campaign needs your help. The corporate-funded opponents may have millions of dollars to spend on misleading TV ads, but we have you. We need your help to reach out to voters to explain why a YES vote will protect schools and critical services by making our tax system more fair. Your voice will make the difference. (Bill Post: Again, look at the spin: “outside money”. “Big corporation’s money”. So, if money comes from the NEA, SEIU & OPEU which have contributed huge sums in previous tax campaigns is not considered “outside money”? Hmmm…)