Let’s talk a bit about unemployment.
Unemployment hit 7.3% in October in Oregon and we all woke up on Tuesday to reports that another 300 people in the paper industry are losing their jobs.
Rather than dwell on the likely increases in unemployment in the coming months, let’s talk about a solution by first talking about what not to do.
Let’s not raise taxes. Let’s not increase auto registration fees. Nor should we increase environmental rules and cripple the auto and electric power industries. Let’s not keep subsidizing solar and wind power when they don’t pencil out.
Then, let’s start logging trees again in state and national forests. The governor could clear the decks of ridiculous land use rules and state regulations that make it hard to start and run a business.
For those who really need the state social services, let’s ask two requirements. Keep the services only for those who are legally in our country and keep them only for those who are free from illegal drugs that would keep you from finding a job.