NonGovernor Kitzhaber botches Special Session

By In the news
In: Uncategorized
Thursday August 29, 2013

WatchdogNonGovernor Kitzhaber botching the Special Session
By Taxpayer Association of Oregon

Oregon governor Kitzhaber has said he might call a special session in September. Yet here we are just 100 hours away from September, and all we hear from him is that he has not made up his mind. Being late to his announcements is classic Kitzhaber and contributes to his absent minded, hands-off and ultimately ungovernor-like approach to being a governor. It is like he is a nongovernor governor for Oregon.

Capitol insiders say he is trying to secure votes for a huge tax package before a special session is called. Nongovernor Kitzhaber wasted everything in the actual Legislative session by not aggressively pursuing the reform he wishes. Kitzhaber traveled to the Himalayans Mountains in the middle of the 2013 Legislative Session to attend a “Happiness Index” conference. Senators requested meetings with Kitzhaber during Session but he refused. Meeting with lawmakers would be the “governor” thing to do. Now taxpayers might get new taxes made in secret & behind closed doors with the final tax bill dumped on taxpayers in a surprise September 30th special session.

Kitzhaber also would like to save the giant Columbia River Crossing Bridge (CRC) after wasting an astonishing $175 million on planning the boondoggle and then watching Washington drop it like a dead rabid raccoon. It turns out that Washington State is responding to the same sloppy politics that defines Kitzhaber’s governor style.

The leading proposal to save the CRC bridge is to have Oregon pay the cost of the bridge and let the State of Washington get it basically for free. Once again Oregon taxpayers get dumped with a lopsided deal. Someone humorously suggested that if this Oregon-only CRC bridge plan goes forward that the bridge toll should be only on people leaving Oregon. The bridge idea is so bad that Democrat Senate President Peter Courtney has spoken out against it this week saying he opposes the Oregon-only CRC bridge plan.

Oregon’s governor Kitzhaber is not acting like a governor and that’s why he is botching the Special Session and is rightfully labeled Oregon’s first Non-governor. Now we know why Kitzhaber once remarked that Oregon as “ungovernable”.

(rev 9/9)

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