Republican, Knute Beuhler is mounting a strong, well financed campaign against Kate Brown. He is a pro-choice moderate that reminds me of former Senators Bob Packwood or Gordon Smith.
Oregon still has many fiscall challenges. Our schools are not performing well. Homeless tents line city streets.
While the dems have accomplished much, our heavy reliance on income taxes, and refusal to consider a sales tax means that funding is unpredictable. We continue to face public pension obligations that should have been funded over the past five decades, but legislatures from both parties refused to build reserves to pay for pensions that they knew would come due.
Republicans, while full partners in creating the problem, are demanding that retirees forgo their pension rights that were bargained for. These retirees took far less in salary during their working years in exchange for the pension. Buehler and the Republicans want to break that obligation to fund programs without raising taxes.
The courts have said "HELL NO" to this scheme before.
Voters, on the other hand may buy the argument, and deliver the state house to the Republicans.
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