Today is the last day for turning in election ballots on the Multnomah County income tax and the Portland School Board candidates. By this time tomorrow, we'll know whether Portland-area residents are willing to tax themselves to restore basic social services and public education.

Ronald Reagan made taxes a dirty word in this country nearly 25 years ago, and we are still living with the legacy of that. The totally irresponsible Bush tax cuts now making their way through our sorry Congress will set us back for many decades. And Oregon politics are such that it seems we'll never send to the state Legislature a group that will have the guts to do anything meaningful with the state tax system.

Turnout has been low in Multnomah County, which is always a good sign for those proposing tax increases. So this could turn out to be a historic date.