the official blog of the evergreen freedom foundation

Over at Crosscut.com, Floyd McKay has an interesting blog post on a really sneaky deal the Oregon Legislature is trying to pull.  It seems that Oregon business leaders aren't taking the Legislature's juggling of their state tax code lying down.  They're putting together a referendum to roll back any increases, and the history of similar measures in Oregon heavily favors them.

 

So, the legislature is considering pulling the old switcheroo by effectively changing the definition of "yes" and "no" to mean "no" and "yes," respectively.

 

In Oregon, a "yes" vote on a referendum is a vote to sustain what the Legislature has done, while a "no" vote is one to cancel it.  That's the way it's been since forever.  Now, some in the Legislature want to change that so that a "yes" vote is one to say "no," while a "no" is one to say "yes." 

 

Hey, don't you love those politicians and their straightforward transparency?

 

Public-employee unions, school organizaiton, and social-service advocates, according to McKay, were big movers and shakers behind the increases, and a referendum will put them on the spot.  The mood down south is pretty sour against jacking up rates or anything even remote, hence the Legislature's attempt to game the referendum system. In the meantime, as McKay says, Oregon voters have cause to be wary since, the Legislature's move, "may be too clever by half; its timing is suspect and it flies in the face of longtime practice."

 

Is there no tar?  Are there no feathers?

 

The Piper