The Return of the Lawmaker, Part 73
The Oregon Legislature opens its 73rd Biennial Session this morning in Salem. There seems to a credibility probem within this body, if you read today's Oregonian headline. Other recent headlines, including the one written about here, and Senate Majority Leader Kate Brown's proposal to use the death penalty on those who kill a pregnant woman (and the House Republican response that is should, in fact, be two charges of murder), hint at a long partisan session on the horizon (it's going to be a long, hot summer in Salem?). Despite these battles, many are publicly saying that they hope the Legislature does the job they must do -- pass a budget for the next biennium -- and go home.
What do you think they should accomplish?
Discuss.
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Jan. 10, 2005
Posted in open discussion. |
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Jan 10, '05
They need to deal with measure 37, education funding, gay marriage/civil unions.
12:36 p.m.
Jan 10, '05
We don't need temporary tax increases; we need fundamental change to the income and property tax systems. We have one of the more regressive tax systems and it's killing middle income earners.
We don't need to throw health benefits at people; we need to decrease health care administration, boost preventative medicine, and create internal controls to limit the current policy of overprescribing medications and having little oversight on bad doctors.
I commend Govenor Ted and SOS Bradbury for working diligently to revamp the business application process. This state needed a Master Business Application and better coordination among agencies and they have worked for a long time to fix this.
All I've seen from the legislature are quick fixes. I'm sure they will propose a quick fix to Meaure 37 instead of completely overturning this.
It's not the issues. It's the approach.
Jan 10, '05
Now here's a discussion Oregon needs: whether to fry someone once or twice for committing murder. Pardon me if I sit this one out.
Jan 10, '05
The legislature (and our esteemed governor) should stop pretending that they give a rat's ass about the children of this state.
I am fed up with Salem. If I hear one more elected official blather about how important our kids are, while refusing to raise the frickin' cigarette tax by a lousy 10 cents, or refusing to charge PGE more than 10 frickin' dollars in taxes so that my kids can have a full school year (never mind music or art or new books)....sorry, I'm just fed up. and the session hasn't even started yet!
Jan 12, '05
A quick look at the bills filed shows business as usual at the legislature. There appears to be the usual mixture of legislative grandstanding, special interest giveaways, and proposals for bureaucratic expansion. There does not seem to be any serious tide of interest in dealing with education funding or tax equity.
<h2>I think Kate Brown blunders by proposing the death penalty for gravicide. That immediately invites the debate to be centered on whether we should kill someone once or twice for such a crime, creating a sideshow when we should be concentrating on serious statewide financial issues. A majority leader should be trying to aim the whole body into productive work, and another death penalty debate does not help.</h2>