[judgeandjury]

Conservatives in Oregon are making idiots of themselves as they show how willing they are to cut school programs, vital public services (fire, police, etc.) all to make a cheap political point and save their knuckle-dragging constituents an extra $80/year.

Why doesn't the Oregon state government cut non-essential state programs and services instead of cutting school programs and vital public services? Why doesn't the Oregon state government threaten to lay off six-figure salaried bureaucrats instead of threatening to close or cut back programs that would hurt the children, the elderly, and the poor? Probably because nobody would care if non-essential state services were cut or if fat cat state bureaucrats lost their jobs. But people listen when legislators make their emotional pleas about protecting the children, the elderly, and the poor as they beg for more tax money to waste.

[cogitator]

Why doesn't the Oregon state government cut non-essential state programs and services instead of cutting school programs and vital public services?

Help them out! List the first five non-essential programs and the first five non-essential services that should be cut, and show the cost savings that accrue from these cuts over the next two years.

Why doesn't the Oregon state government threaten to lay off six-figure salaried bureaucrats instead of threatening to close or cut back programs that would hurt the children, the elderly, and the poor?

Help them out! List the first 10 six-figure salaried bureacrats that should be laid off, and their positions. Show the total cost savings that would accrue from these layoffs over the next two years.

Probably because nobody would care if non-essential state services were cut or if fat cat state bureaucrats lost their jobs.

Or maybe because a) there aren't that many non-essential state services, b) the savings are negligible, and c) the "fat cat" state bureaucrats aren't that numerous, and they might be doing an important job.

But people listen when legislators make their emotional pleas about protecting the children, the elderly, and the poor as they beg for more tax money to waste.

I'm with the governor of Oregon on this one.

"Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D), who supports the tax increase, said he is not inclined to call a budget-juggling special session but to let the cuts take effect: "I'm trying to get the public to believe that when the government says something in fact will happen that, in fact, it will happen."

That's a good attitude.

[Nayt2]

because they want to scare you into voting for more taxes by cutting police, fire, and school services.

if they actually cut waste they couldn't blackmail you into voting for more taxes.