One of the many reasons why Jenny and I left California in 2006 was in the hope of lowering our tax burden. Honestly, between the Federal and California State taxes that we were being heaped upon us we could have funded a small country in Africa.
California’s has some of the highest state taxes in the nation and even now in this economic slump Schwarzenegger and the state legislature’s answer was not to cut state spending but to increase taxes. Surprise, surprise!! The tax referendums failed on a ballet vote not long ago so at least the idiots in the ivory towers in Sacramento were forced into making spending cuts and to make long overdue reductions in government services. Here, here what a concept, if you don’t have the money you tighten your belt in hard times. That’s what we are required to do right?
So now we live in the beautiful green State of Oregon but things are not so “green” in Salem (The State Capitol) in fact they’re seeing ”red.” Maybe some of you Oregonians didn’t know this but the unemployment rate in our state now is at 12.4% the second highest in the nation behind Michigan at 14.1%. So what is the Oregon State legislature’s answer to cure own economic ills? You guess it they want to pass a $2 billion tax hike. You think I’m making this up? Here’s an excerpt from an article from the Wall Street Journal yesterday. The title of the article is:
The Oregon Travail
Driving business away
with billions in tax hikes.
“The Labor Department reported yesterday that Oregon's unemployment rate soared to 12.4% in May, the nation's second highest after Michigan's 14.1%. What to do? If you're the geniuses in the state legislature in Salem, you naturally raise taxes.
Last week the legislature approved a $2 billion tax hike on personal income and small businesses that haven't already left the state. The highest tax rate on income above $500,000 would climb to 11% -- up from an already high 9%. Oregon will soon boast the second highest income tax rate in the nation, moving ahead of California (10.55%), and only slightly behind New York City (12.6%). Corporations will pay a 7.9% tax on gross receipts, up from 6.6%.
But that isn't the worst of it. Another revenue raiser will tax hospitals and private health insurance premiums. That's a good way to encourage private employers to drop their health coverage for workers.
In Oregon, as in so many states this year, lawmakers had to choose between reducing the growth of spending and raising taxes. No contest. So government spending will climb by about $2 billion, or almost 4%, which is on top of a 21% increase in the 2007-08 biennium budgets. The sliver of good news is that taxpayer groups like Americans for Prosperity of Oregon are promising to put these taxes before the voters in a referendum this year or next. Since Salem's politicians seem intent on following California's, maybe Oregon's voters will do the same and just say no.”
California and Oregon tax and spend bureaucrats must be holding hands or passing notes. Maybe they didn’t get the memo, raising taxes in maybe the worst economy since the great depression may not be a good idea, especially when we’re experiencing such a high unemployment rate.
We must sacrifice and they don’t, is this how it supposed to work? Keep the big state government machine greased no matter what the cost and tax the citizens of Oregon into complete oblivion.
You’d think the real way to spurn economic recovery would be to reduce taxes not increase them. Do you think small businesses will thrive in Oregon with more taxes, will more people find jobs? Forget small businesses, I’ll sure sleep better at night knowing that a State employee in a make work job didn’t lose his. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing I’m keeping another pencil pusher busy doing nothing but collecting a generous taxpayer funded paycheck.
Day by day, week by week, month by month, government leaders not just in Oregon or California but in Washington as well are not willing to make the tough decisions we need to get back to fiscal sanity. We must put a halt to this drunken spending bender.
BTW Oregonians if think this is bad news do you honestly believe Obama’s campaign pledge that only the so called “rich” people making over $250,000 will be the only people to see an increase in taxes?
Obama wants to pass a massive National Health Care bill, an even larger National Energy Tax bill and there’s even been discussion about a National Sales Tax and we middle class taxpayers won’t be required to chip in a dime? What kind of fool really believes that all these new massive government programs are going to be “free” for all us working folks? Denial, apathy and “Oh, none of this is going to affect me” nonsense has to come to an end. Make no mistake, maybe not today, tomorrow, next week, next month or next year but one day all the over fed government chickens will come home to roost and you and I my friends WILL pick a catastrophic tab.
What can Oregon taxpayers do about it? Start by emailing Governor Kulongoski and expressing your outrage.
Click on this link then submit your rant:
http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/contact_us.shtml
Then click on this link to write to your elected Oregon State & U.S. Legislators:
http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/home.htm
Then register on the “American’s for Prosperity for Oregon” Website:
http://www.americansforprosperity.org/oregon
Don’t stop there, email Obama as well, tell him to stop this runaway federal spending NOW.
Here’s the white house email address:
comments@whitehouse.gov
That is all…
“The Labor Department reported yesterday that Oregon's unemployment rate soared to 12.4% in May, the nation's second highest after Michigan's 14.1%. What to do? If you're the geniuses in the state legislature in Salem, you naturally raise taxes.
Last week the legislature approved a $2 billion tax hike on personal income and small businesses that haven't already left the state. The highest tax rate on income above $500,000 would climb to 11% -- up from an already high 9%. Oregon will soon boast the second highest income tax rate in the nation, moving ahead of California (10.55%), and only slightly behind New York City (12.6%). Corporations will pay a 7.9% tax on gross receipts, up from 6.6%.
But that isn't the worst of it. Another revenue raiser will tax hospitals and private health insurance premiums. That's a good way to encourage private employers to drop their health coverage for workers.
In Oregon, as in so many states this year, lawmakers had to choose between reducing the growth of spending and raising taxes. No contest. So government spending will climb by about $2 billion, or almost 4%, which is on top of a 21% increase in the 2007-08 biennium budgets. The sliver of good news is that taxpayer groups like Americans for Prosperity of Oregon are promising to put these taxes before the voters in a referendum this year or next. Since Salem's politicians seem intent on following California's, maybe Oregon's voters will do the same and just say no.”
California and Oregon tax and spend bureaucrats must be holding hands or passing notes. Maybe they didn’t get the memo, raising taxes in maybe the worst economy since the great depression may not be a good idea, especially when we’re experiencing such a high unemployment rate.
We must sacrifice and they don’t, is this how it supposed to work? Keep the big state government machine greased no matter what the cost and tax the citizens of Oregon into complete oblivion.
You’d think the real way to spurn economic recovery would be to reduce taxes not increase them. Do you think small businesses will thrive in Oregon with more taxes, will more people find jobs? Forget small businesses, I’ll sure sleep better at night knowing that a State employee in a make work job didn’t lose his. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing I’m keeping another pencil pusher busy doing nothing but collecting a generous taxpayer funded paycheck.
Day by day, week by week, month by month, government leaders not just in Oregon or California but in Washington as well are not willing to make the tough decisions we need to get back to fiscal sanity. We must put a halt to this drunken spending bender.
BTW Oregonians if think this is bad news do you honestly believe Obama’s campaign pledge that only the so called “rich” people making over $250,000 will be the only people to see an increase in taxes?
Obama wants to pass a massive National Health Care bill, an even larger National Energy Tax bill and there’s even been discussion about a National Sales Tax and we middle class taxpayers won’t be required to chip in a dime? What kind of fool really believes that all these new massive government programs are going to be “free” for all us working folks? Denial, apathy and “Oh, none of this is going to affect me” nonsense has to come to an end. Make no mistake, maybe not today, tomorrow, next week, next month or next year but one day all the over fed government chickens will come home to roost and you and I my friends WILL pick a catastrophic tab.
What can Oregon taxpayers do about it? Start by emailing Governor Kulongoski and expressing your outrage.
Click on this link then submit your rant:
http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/contact_us.shtml
Then click on this link to write to your elected Oregon State & U.S. Legislators:
http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/home.htm
Then register on the “American’s for Prosperity for Oregon” Website:
http://www.americansforprosperity.org/oregon
Don’t stop there, email Obama as well, tell him to stop this runaway federal spending NOW.
Here’s the white house email address:
comments@whitehouse.gov
That is all…
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