Nobody likes physical pain, but often it gives us a signal that we need to change our behavior before we incur serious injury. In the sphere of social policy, government entitlements designed to avoid short-term pain too often work against natural and healthy incentives that help individuals to avoid longer-term pain. Many people will endure smaller temporary pains, work harder, save more, eat healthier and build a social network in order to avoid larger future pains like hunger or homelessness. This is not a new observation and has been commented on for thousands of years.
Our nation’s founders were well aware of the importance of incentives. In 1766 Benjamin Franklin declared in a letter to the London Chronicle that England’s poor were the most miserable in the world because England’s welfare programs had destroyed essential incentives, making people dependent on the government. He concluded after his world travels that “the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer,” but “the less [that] was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.”
Testimony before the Multnomah County Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission
Regarding the TriMet Proposed FY 11 Budget
May 25, 2010
TriMet asserts that the proposed FY 11 budget adheres to principles of good budgeting and financial planning because “revenues and expenditures are in balance” and the budget“incorporates a long term perspective” (page 2).
This is disingenuous. The only “long term perspective” being offered by TriMet is the continued practice of pushing debt payments off to the future. The problem is that eventually the future arrives, and someone has to pay. TriMet is creating a regressive, intergenerational burden by hiding more than $1.2 billion in expenses.
TriMet must confront the two major cost drivers that are out of control: (1) employee fringe benefits; and (2) rail construction projects.
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by Steve Buckstein
Will America Go the Way of Greece?
How many times have you heard that America is the only industrialized country without a national health care system? Now, just as America seems to be jumping into that pond, another country may be required to jump out.
The country of Greece is so deeply in debt, and has made so many promises to its citizens that it can’t keep, that it needs a massive bailout from other nations and organizations. America is a part of the IMF, European Union and European Central Bank consortium putting up funds to help Greece weather its financial crisis.
Time for Heavy Lifting by Gubernatorial Candidates
By John Charles
A day after their respective primary victories, John Kitzhaber and Chris Dudley celebrated by conducting photo-ops. Kitzhaber visited a Portland middle school and announced a plan to “create jobs and save energy” by weatherizing Oregon schools. Dudley visited a Boys & Girls Club and talked about his ability to “work with people.”
The voters deserve a lot more substance as we move on to the general election. . . . Read more!
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by Karla Kay Edwards
Redistricting – Partisan Power Grab
Partisan politics makes great news headlines but usually doesn’t lead to sound policy decisions. The redrawing of Oregon’s legislative districts, known as redistricting, is currently a very partisan process carried out by Oregon’s legislators after each U.S. Census. The redistricting process supersedes all elections and can define Oregon’s future policy path toward more government and taxes or toward free enterprise and liberty.
In a recent speech promoting his financial industry reform bill, President Barack Obama had what may become known as another “Joe the Plumber moment” (in which he spoke off-the-cuff about “spread(ing) the wealth around.”). This time, he said:
“We’re not trying to push financial reform because we begrudge success that’s fairly earned. I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money.…”
Left unsaid was what the president thinks should happen to those who make “more than enough.” Should their taxes go up? Or, should everything they earn over some arbitrary level be taken from them and redistributed to others?
At first glance, Measure 68 on this year’s Oregon Primary election ballot seems harmless enough. It would allow school districts to borrow money for capital improvements, including “land and other assets associated with acquisition, construction, improvement, remodeling, maintenance and repair.” The measure also would allow the state to borrow money and to match bonds approved by local voters.
To improve New York’s bid for Race to the Top funds, the New York Senate more than doubled the cap on the state’s charter schools from 200 to 460. New York’s charter school bill is reportedly unlikely to pass the State Assembly in its current form. However, New York lawmakers are realizing that if they are serious about trying to win up to $700 million in federal grant money for educational innovation, they must allow more students to attend innovative schools.
