Lane County Tax Afterthoughts

Below is a message from the We Said No PAC which helped lead the effort to defeat the Lane County Income Tax by 71% this week:

The We Said No PAC would like to say they have been victorious in the defeat of Measure 20-129, but to us that victory is nothing more than bittersweet. The sweet comes from the pride we feel toward the citizens of Lane County for staying strong in their belief that taxation of the masses should be approved by the masses”¦not just a few. The sweet comes from the fact that we couldn’t have done this without the unconditional support of the families, the endless volunteer hours provided and all the $20, $50 and $100 checks from those who believed in this effort.

The bitter was vehemently displayed in the nasty, shortsighted, hurtful things that came of this effort. The PAC learned valuable and costly lessons regarding the rules of politics, advertising, and staying politically correct while trying to beat the enemy at their own game. An effort that began as a “call to arms” for the citizens that live here quickly became a race for personal survival by those taking up the fight.
The bitter comes from those arrogant enough to now take it out on the very citizens that voted them into office by closing parks, laying off workers and shutting down services when there were and still are better ways. They have conceded to having one more task force look at the budget”¦suggestions they have in the past and will most likely in the future turn a deaf ear to. We sincerely hope there can be a meeting of the minds on this issue, but this PAC, and we believe better than 71% of Lane County citizens, still feel strongly about sending the message that the spending of this county needs to be curbed.