Oregonian hammers Dems for choosing PERS over kids

by NW Spotlight

With PERS Lite, Beaverton would be asking voters to be Democrats’ official ATM

The Oregonian Editorial Board wrote a scathing oped yesterday on how Oregon House Democrats are getting ready to make things even tougher for the Beaverton School District – which had to eliminate more than 300 teaching positions this year due to budget problems.

By settling for “PERS Lite“, House Democrats are not only leaving Beaverton with staggering pension costs, but they are also putting the upcoming Beaverton school levy at risk. How likely are Beaverton voters to support the levy if they know it’s really going to pay for PERS?

As the Oregonian Editorial Board noted on the Beaverton levy back in February “But if lawmakers punt on pensions, leave rate hikes untouched and let Oregon taxpayers hold the bag, that same levy proposal would — and should — leave voters feeling like the Democrats’ official ATM.”

UPDATE (4/24): Despite criticism from major newspapers across Oregon, House Democrats passed “PERS Lite“, SB 822 today.