The Oregon GOP don't want to win elections in Oregon ever again.

Carla Axtman

Update: 5/17/13, 8:55AM: In what has to be the WEIRDEST way to conduct legislative business (I hesitate to use the word "professional" here, because well, it just isn't),the Republicans announced on FACEBOOK (yes, you read that right) that they're not happy with the proposal. And the Governor says now that any PERS deal that the GOP might have wanted to get is now dead, persumably because the GOP were too busy digging their heels in to come to the table

I don't know when this happened, but apparently the Republican caucus in the Oregon Legislature decided that Oregonians were really hoping they'd act exactly like Republicans at the federal level.

Because really, the federal level style of GOP obstructionism is exactly what we all want for Oregon, right?

After today's very rosy revenue forecast, Governor Kitzhaber pleaded for the Democrats and Republicans to sit down and reach a compromise on PERS and taxes.

The Democrats, cheering today's forecast, were ready to sit down and talk.

The Republicans, essentially ignoring the forecast in their comments, pouted. And Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day) basically stamped his feet, said nothing about the good revenue forecast and dug in his heels on PERS and "job creation" (which is GOP dog whistle for tax cuts).

The nut of the issue: The GOP were demanding more PERS cuts beyond the $455 million already passed by Democrats and signed by Kitzhaber. Democrats appeared willing to consider another $400 million in PERS cuts, but Republicans needed agree to eliminate about $200 million in tax breaks that benefit wealthier Oregonians.

But this new updated forecast basically gives the Dems the needed revenue to balance the budget without having to slash PERS or get more revenue from ending tax breaks.

Republicans say "no deal". They want their marbles and they want them NOW.

This leaves us with the distinct possibility of a protracted legislative session that will cost taxpayers more money.

Oh...and if that weren't bad enough, the Republicans are taking hostages until they get what they want on PERS, too.

David Sarasohn, The Oregonian:

This week, the Oregon House of Representatives overwhelmingly renewed the state's health provider tax, the one that gets the state about twice as much from the feds as the providers pay. Senate Republicans, reportedly, plan to refuse to pass it unless Senate Democrats agree to deeper cuts in PERS.

If you're going to take hostages, you might as well take sick ones.

Yeah. The GOP really don't want Oregonians to vote for them.

By Carla Axtman May 16, 2013