My buddy, State Rep. Greg Macpherson of Lake O., writes in his recent newsletter about the brewing tax revolt:

In the end the Legislature did what the people sent us to Salem to do. We made the tough decision ourselves instead of referring it out to the voters. I believe there is a proper role for the initiative, referendum, and recall. Some decisions should go to a vote of the people because they raise broad issues of long-term public policy.

But voters who are asked to sign a petition should think carefully about whether this decision is well-suited to a special election. To make an informed decision, the voters must understand the impact of further budget cuts on the education, health, and safety of Oregonians. Will the voters have the time to study those impacts the way their legislators did?

Voters should also think about the harm done to Oregon’s economy by extending uncertainty over its budget. In the last few weeks we've received two pieces of bad economic news: Louisiana-Pacific’s decision to move its headquarters from Portland to Nashville; and a downgrade in the state’s credit rating. In both cases our budget turmoil was cited as a reason.