Rep. Richardson: Are proposed PERS reforms legal?

by In the news Saturday, March 16. 2013

Rep. Dennis Richardson (R-Central Point)

In a recent newsletter entitled the PERS Crisis, I reviewed the proposed PERS reforms offered by the Oregon School Board Association (OSBA).  It focused on how crucial it is for Oregon’s school districts, local government and State agencies to address the billion dollar financial black hole caused by escalating public retirement payments being made to shore up PERS Tier 1’s costly benefit packages.This week, Jay Kenton, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration for the Oregon University System (OUS) stated in the House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development that $1,100 of the tuition paid by every Oregon university student annually goes just to pay the costs of PERS. (Click here)

Continue reading →

Posted by at 09:30 | Posted in OR 77th Legislative Session, Oregon House, PERS | 3 Comments

Sen. Knopp receives award for Parental Choice in Education

by In the news Saturday, March 16. 2013

Sen. Tim Knopp

Salem, OR – On the Capitol Steps, in front of hundreds of families, Senator Tim Knopp (R-Bend/Redmond/Sunriver/Tumalo) received the Golden Apple Award. The award is given each year to lawmakers who have made an impact on policies that give parents the right to choose the school that best fits their children’s educational needs. Sen. Knopp received this award for his leadership on Senate Bill 100 during the 1999 legislative session. SB 100 significantly increased the education options for Oregon Parents. Continue reading →
Posted by at 07:30 | Posted in Education, Oregon Senate | 1 Comment

Immigration Reform: A Permanent Solution? No, a Trick.

by In the news Saturday, March 16. 2013

by Ron Swaren

I am very disturbed by the support that a new amnesty for illegal aliens in the United States—-estimated anywhere from 8 to 18 million—appears to have among some Republican members in the US Senate and the House of Representatives. The politics of it, isn’t surprising at all. These officials represent states that have high numbers of certain ethnic groups that may favor legalization for people in their community.

What I find incredible is the possibility of these elected leaders walking into a trap that there is no way out of. Washington DC is full of weird bargains and the possibility of something being presented as beneficial—in reality beneficial to only a few—is ever present. But based upon the performance of the Obama Administration in reducing or controlling in-migration of people who can exploit our poor immigration enforcement, to my mind Republican gullibility is shocking. Continue reading →

Posted by at 05:00 | Posted in Illegal Immigration | 6 Comments

Recap of last week’s Oregon House Meeting on Property Taxes

by In the news Friday, March 15. 2013

by Bob Clark

John Charles ends the meeting with “The Purloined Letter”

The Oregon House Revenue Committee met March 7 and 8, last week, on various proposals to increase property taxes, essentially proposals aimed at eliminating or weakening Measures 5 and 50.  (I review these proposals in “Oregon House takes up Property taxes tomorrow,” Oregon Catalyst, March 6, 2013.)

In summarizing this meeting, I would say key House Revenue Committee members voiced resistance to referring any property tax increase proposals to voters, at this time.  (This may be in keeping with Governor Kitzhaber’s agenda for this legislative session.  The Governor reportedly spoke patience to those in education about tax increase proposals leading up to this year’s legislative session.)  Committee Chair Barnhart (D-Central Lane and Linn Counties) voiced skepticism about referring the proposals at this time, a skepticism echoed by Representative Berger (R-Salem).  Continue reading →

Posted by at 05:00 | Posted in OR 77th Legislative Session, State Taxes | 3 Comments

Paul Ryan vs. Patty Murray: a real budget process emerges

by In the news Thursday, March 14. 2013

by Eric Shierman

On Tuesday, Paul Ryan did what he has done every year this earnest fellow has been chair of the House Budget Committee; he proposed a budget for his committee to vote on and send to the House floor for an up or down vote. The Senate has not done the same since 2009, but this year Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray D-Washington, claims to be working on doing the same, releasing a less detailed plan yesterday that appears to only cut the deficit in half even as late as ten years from now. It falls far short of Ryan’s balanced budget in 2023, but at least it is something more than a sound bite which is all Senate Democrats have produced in four years. Continue reading →

Posted by at 05:00 | Posted in Federal Budget, Fiscal Cliff, President Obama | 21 Comments

85% tax hike claim “Its not about the Revenue”???

by In the news Wednesday, March 13. 2013

Hearing over HB 2275 (85% tax hike on tobacco) pro-taxers testify it is not about the revenue?????
– Why this 85% Oregon tax & New York’s soda ban redefines government power in an ugly way

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon

HB 2275 is an 85% increase in tobacco taxes. Yet, the pro-tax lobby testified in favor of HB 2275 saying “This is not about revenue”. Much of the pro-tax testimony was about using taxes not to raise revenue but for big government behavior therapy to force taxpayers to change their personal choices and control what they purchase. Taxation traditionally has been a tool of taking people’s income to pay for government services, now pro-tax lobbyist wish to use taxation as a political weapon to prevent citizens from purchasing a legal product and use force to control what people buy. It is a terrible trend in taxation that has no end in sight and no lack of people willing to step up to use government to control other people. Continue reading →

Posted by at 12:55 | Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

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