2/3 EDITORIAL

Covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and surrounding areas since 1868

Passage of 66, 67 likely means business as usual

A majority of voters in Oregon have spoken and given their stamp of approval to Measures 66 and 67, which uphold tax increases approved by the State Legislature in 2009.

Being strong supporters of public education, one side of us is relieved that the measures passed. The short-term financial hardships that rejection of the two issues would have created could have been devastating for school districts in Polk County and around the state, as well as higher education centers like Western Oregon University.

But the other side of us wonders if Oregon voters missed a golden opportunity to send one of their strongest messages ever to Salem by rejecting the two measures. We are also concerned how the passage of Measure 67 will impact not the large corporations like Nike, but small "main-street" businesses that are the backbone of Polk County's economic wheel.

Oregon will continue to lag in many areas as long as it is business as usual in Salem. It is time for state government to work within its financial means, much like many of us have had to do during the recent economic slump.

It too often seems that our state politicians, most notably the current group of Democrats who hold a majority in the State Capitol, keep coming back to the citizens asking for "more, more, more" when it comes to money.

Sweeping changes to funding priorities and state budgets need to be made. The opportunity to send that message to Salem may very well have just passed us by.