Parks are already being closed to punish citizens for asserting their rights!
The Lane County Board of Commissioners has again thwarted the will of the people; voting to place their newly enacted income tax ordinance on the May ballot. Although it may seem they are bowing to public pressure by taking this step, they are in fact pre-empting the normal process. By acting now, they force the election to occur in May rather than in the fall. This is a last-ditch effort to prevent reductions in county staffing — the thing they fear most because they will lose their ability to intimidate the citizens once workforce reductions occur without causing the chaos they keep predicting.
Forcing the measure onto the May ballot gives them other advantages, too. By accelerating the process, they hope to prevent those opposed from having the time to effectively organize. By placing the measure on the ballot after the deadline for creating a voters’ pamphlet had expired, they are attempting to silence debate. Their hope is this will leave the county in control of the media through their ability to manufacture news and dispense public monies.
The only long-term solution to the county’s financial problems is to control costs. If the outrageous PERS debacle cannot be ended, the only options are to minimize public employment and eliminate all but essential services. The Board’s inclination is to eliminate essential services, causing the most damage to the infrastructure and quality of life while protecting as many employees and their obscene fringe benefits as long as possible.
For more information on the ballot measure and other local government issues,
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