Sounds like DC

If the GOP hang together, any new taxes have to be referred to voters, and not until November 2014. This means Kotek can't tow the Kitzhaber line of deferring tax reform to his self appointed panel without enacting some deal on PERS. I guess the deal they have in mind is to borrow to reduce PERS costs to schools this biennium (but tomorrow would come with even bigger tax burden). Kitzhaber might be able to go over to the House and knock the speaker back into line. But maybe this is why Kitzhaber had to hurry the Nike tax stability deal before Kotek took office.

Kotek could force Kitzhaber into a less than stellar hand when, and if, he runs for re-election in 2014. He probably doesn't want to be campaigning in favor of taxes referred to voters in the same election. Maybe, Kotek causes Kitzhaber to step aside and let Golden Boy Ted Wheeler run in '14 for governor. But this would put a big dent in Kitzhaber's legacy, as his government reforms are only on paper at this point and haven't had a chance to fail as they probably will eventually.

Personally, I like the grid-lock of 2011 and 2012 where power had to be shared. It worked much better than currently.

Kotek should go visit Greece, Spain, Detroit, Stockton, etc. where people just like her destroyed what they claimed to be protecting. But that won't happen since she is too arrogant to actually learn anything.

David - you took the words right out of my mouth. Zero sum games are for losers.

Screw PERS and retirement and all of that crapola. If the next generation has nothing gainful to do, aren't trained for the next phase of the economy, and are just a bunch of louts then it's the fault, generally, of the retirees.

If you didn't leave behind a system which can support you in retirement, then you screwed yourself. Don't complain when your kid and his family move into your spare room and make your pristine life 'hell.'

Vote for Romney and Reagan again and go on bitching. People are starting to ignore you.

Ah crap sorry, sometimes I forget and mix national and local issues.

Kotek and most of what she represents are just one more reason why I'm glad my wife and I left Oregon in 2009.

Agree with Andy AND with Dave A. We left too left in 2009, we weren't thrilled that we had to leave, but each day we're happier and happier that we left (as we see more and more nonsense happening). Loved the state, was born and raised in the state, it's not the same state that I was born and raised in.

David A. and Native Oregonian --- what state(s) did you move to? I am looking to leave also.

Moved to where I got a job - TEXAS.

Bob: We're in the Reno/Sparks area. Great roads and highways here, great AAA baseball (National AAA Champions), much lower utility and water costs, and best of all, saved over $13K in state income taxes our first full year of residence.

So we have to consider moving elsewhere because too many elected officials have betrayed our interests and we have an influx of people coming in here going along with the redo of our city and insist on their way or the highway for the rest of us if we don’t like it?

Vote for Romney and Reagan again and go on bitching. People are starting to ignore you.

Romney lost the election and Reagan is dead. How is it that you keep blaming them for everything that is wrong in your life?

Some interesting stats here:
http://www.statedatalab.org/state_data_and_comparisons/detail/oregon

From the first paragraph, we can conclude that there are approximately 1M taxpayers in Oregon.

The page also states that the influx of people exceeds the number leaving.

More good stuff here about Oregon's Financial state:
http://www.statedatalab.org/library/doclib/or.pdf

Gleaning from pg 19 of another state report: http://www.oregon.gov/DAS/CFO/SARS/docs/2012_CAFR.pdf

...we find that personal and corporate income and other taxes yield $8.6B, or roughly $8600 per taxpayer.

So, my conclusion is that those people who have recently been moving into Oregon, had better be ponying up at least that in income tax revenue, or they're not paying their fair share!

If all we are attracting is people with income that won't yield the necessary tax revenue, our financial hole is getting deeper.

Some will say that corporations aren't paying their fair share. To these detractors, just remember that corporations don't really pay taxes; it is their customers who actually pay those taxes in the long run.

. . .what state(s) did you move to?

Looks like there is goofiness going on in Washington State as well.

http://www.kgw.com/lifestyle/entertainment/day-in-pictures/Photos-WA-residents-dance-to-protest-dance-tax-201065851.html?gallery=y&c=y
Dozens of people danced on the steps of the state Capitol in Olympia, Wash., on April 1, 2013, to show support for a bill to repeal the state's so-called "Opportunity to Dance" tax.

Is this for real or an April Fools event? Perhaps the Dance tax is to assist raising money for the CRC bridge?

Clinamen:

the opportunity to dance tax has been around since the 1960s. The state legislature is deciding whether to repeal it and the main sponsor of repeal is the state senate democratic leader.