D O T Y B L O G      

I don't want it to seem like this blog has been hijacked by my national policy interests. Fact of the matter is, Oregon is tied to the national scene more now than ever. This 'Era of Smaller Government' baloney is very telling - individual states and communities are being far more impacted by the actions, non-actions, and misactions of this government than we ever were during the 'tax and spend' era. And these impacts are going to reach into the future. Someone in the blogosphere (I'll get the link if I can track it down) pointed out the deficit increase of this administation was the equivalent of having each of us go out and charge a brand new BMW to our credit card. That bill will eventually come due. And for Oregon, that bill means using money to repay debt that could be used to keep Nancy Griffith's NMHS classroom open a few more days of the school year. It means leaving unfixed the pothole that will rip the front wheel of a van full of school children. It means leaving unfunded and unfilled nearly 3 dozen certified vacancies in the Medford school district. It means a state parks employee's (or three's) salary is going to have to be funded by user fees at Touvelle Park.

The folks on the other side talk to us about the price tag, they don't talk to us about what we'd GET for it. When you walk onto a car lot, the dealer doesn't approach you and say "Glad you're here, I need $37,000 and you can be on your way." The dealer asks "What can we do for you?" or "You like the blue one? Let's take it out for a drive." This lets you know what you are getting - it makes you WANT what you are getting. THEN and only then do we hear "Let's talk price"... but now we want the car and we are willing to haggle over cost, not to flatly, stubbornly refuse to have the conversation.

The GOP leadership has framed the question in such a way that the majority of Oregon voters refuse to have the conversation. What do we want and what are we willing to do (pay) to have it? That is why we are now a full week past the previous record for a legislative session and no end is anywhere in sight. When is someone going to get out front and, what was the term? oh yeah. LEAD.

But we did find a way to approve luring the Expos to PDX. Good show.

Update
I'd link to appropriate articles in the Oregonian, except the www.oregonlive.com is actually part of an East Coast provider who is ..ehem.. experiencing the aftermath of a massive, international electrical blackout. And suddenly Grey Davis' managment of the California energy crisis seems more competent? Perhaps...

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