The Oregon Business Alliance sent out a press release yesterday hailing the Oregon Education Association’s decision to pull their measure forcing public disclosure of private business tax information — despite having 84,000 signatures in hand. The business group said it represented “on-going efforts to eliminate a significant hurdle in the ability of the business community to fully engage with the education community”. Then an hour later the press released was retracted. The whole affair has left many people asking if there has been some type of deal struck, or some type of quid pro quo in exchange for dropping a measure so near to being qualified?
The OEA says they dropped the measure to better fight two ballot measures heading towards the ballot — a state spending limit that helps create a rainy day fund (Taxpayer Association) and a tax cut measure (FreedomWorks). See here [1].
The press release also comes out at the same time the Spending Limit/Rainy Day fund measure defeated an attack by the government unions claiming the spending limit does not create a rainy day fund. See press release here [2]. The Secretary of State ruled against the union’s complaint and said a rainy day fund was entirely permissible under the measure if enacted.
Clearly the Spending Limit/Rainy Day Amendment is being recognized as a popular and perfect solution to the age old problem of unlimited and unaccountable government spending.
..but the questions remain on the recent pulling of the corporate disclosure petition.