Not only can Oregon taxpayers expect tax and fee increases from the Federal government, but the stage is set for unnecessary and massive tax/fee increases by the Legislature and the Governor. A job killing gross receipts tax, a small business tax disguised as an income tax surcharge on the wealthy, stealth carbon taxes, a health provider tax and on and on are soon to become law. Last week, the 300 million dollar per year transportation tax increase was passed in both the House and the Senate, with most Democrats and a few Republicans voting for it. Now, while this is the tip of the iceberg in terms of expected tax increases coming in the last 5 weeks of the legislative session, it is probably the only one of them that will actually have a positive, long term effect on Oregon’s economy.

Having said that however, the moral question of why it is good to raise taxes on people during a time that their income is shrinking and they are out of work is the right thing to do, has not been answered by anyone advocating for such tax increases.

This is a point that scares the livin daylights out of the liberals who want more control and taxpayer money. Why? Because the average person knows it is unfair that a government that is inefficient, always wanting more money to waste, has billions in cash and still growing during one of Oregon’s worst recessions would demand more taxes and fees from them. This is why they always vote against these types of measures in the past and they will again.  

We must gear up for the coming opportunities for the people to repel the onslaught of economy destroying policies by utilizing the citizen initiative process. AFP members must also become more active than ever before and show up at community gatherings of elected officials so they can readily make a difference at the local level, in a move to stop this type of insanity at the local level. The more we fight bad policies in our communities, then easier it will be to gather signatures for the repeal of these disastrous policies at the state level.

Bring it on!