...learn to "balance your checkbook!"...

PORTLAND, Ore.—Oregon voters approved two special tax measures Tuesday designed to close a $733 million state budget gap. With 95% of the vote counted, Measure 66 garnered 54% of ballots and Measure 67 received 53%, the Associated Press reported.

What they didn’t report is that Oregon “over-spent” 4.6 BILLION last year during the heart of the economic shortfalls. That’s right “billions.” And have increased spending on average of 30% over the last 30 years! But it is 'all about the children' (especially all the new Spanish-speaking teachers we need today).

Oregon voters have spoken up in defense of state programs and schools (like they always do because they watch stupid commercials) and they will soon see a larger portion of the state's revenue coming from both individuals who earn higher than average incomes, and Oregon corporations. County and state educators breathed a sigh of relief after voters approved a tax hike Tuesday that will ward off deeper cuts into school budgets this year.

"Passage of these measures means we keep core services of education, health care and public safety that Oregon families, businesses, and communities count on," said Oregon House Speaker Dave Hunt, a Democrat who represents Clackamas County. Defeat, he said, would have forced the state to cut nearly a billion dollars more from such services.

The twin ballot measures also served as a gauge of anti-business populism and highlighted a nationwide debate over whether to fix state budgets by targeting the affluent. But they also fueled resentment of "tax and spend" legislators, as well as public-employee unions whose members enjoy job security at a time when thousands here have lost jobs.

But allow me to piss on the victory chant for just one moment to inject a small dose of reality: What Oregonians might have said in voting "yes" for Measures 66 and 67 is that taxing wealthy people and business owners is simply too hard to resist, especially when misleading ads suggest that business owners only contribute $10 a year to government services.

You see?  Most Oregon businesses don't pay state corporate taxes because they aren't C corporations. They pay taxes on their business income through the personal income taxes of their owners. (You will see them moving out of Oregon soon).

For now, it seems to me that all we know from the "yes" votes is that most voters believed that more money for government is a good deal when it costs a minority group rather than everybody.

Measures 66 and 67 will hurt businesses' ability to restore jobs Oregon has lost in this recession, and they will hurt Oregon's venture-funded startups. But these permanent tax hikes -- the biggest tax increase in the state's history -- affect more than just startups. They are bad for all businesses.

Oregon's current economic challenge, the worst in 70 years, is the loss of more than 131,000 jobs -- more than 9 percent of Oregon's private-sector employment -- since November 2007. That's why state revenues haven't grown.

In addition to expressing faith in and thanking voters, supporters of Measures 66 and 67 should start writing thank-you notes to the state's wealthy people and business owners who will pay the higher bills. And they should keep some notes of sympathy on standby for any private-sector employees who soon could be out of work as a result of increased business taxes in a time of recession.

Oh, and when the businesses refuse to move to Oregon and many move to others states…hear me clearly when I say that is way too far for you to ride TriMet or your little bicycle. Grow-up you idiots! You have no idea what you just approved.

New boss...same as the old boss....

"To build a lasting foundation for America’s economic prosperity and security, we’ll organize around the core challenges facing Americans and their families — energy, health care, and education. By acting together, we can overcome the obstacles that for too long have prevented real change on the critical issues that Americans face day in and day out. Now is the time to leave behind the status quo and build support for real solutions to ensure that President Obama succeeds in fulfilling the promise of change. .....

....We will not rebuild our economy on the old model of bubbles and busts. We'll only climb out of the current crisis by creating a new, sustainable foundation for our economy's future -- and make the tough choices to put our economy back on the road to long-term prosperity." ~Organizing for America: President Obama’s official website.~

OK Mr. ‘two-face’…you promised over-and-over about “yes we can!” (Politically correct or not…you are having great difficulty telling the truth). Quite honestly Mr. President, you remind me of a boss I used to work for (not work with)…he couldn’t tell the truth on a consistent basis either. Let’s see how you have done sir!

Lie: Despite promising to keep lobbyists out of his administration, Obama has broken his word again and again (making 17 exceptions to this promise in his first two weeks).

Lie: Obama promised to eliminate income taxation for seniors making less than $50,000 a year. He has broken this promise despite numerous opportunities to keep it, including the economic stimulus package and his administration's first budget proposal.

Lie: Obama made it part of his agenda to "allow withdrawals of 15% up to $10,000 from retirement accounts without penalty (although subject to the normal taxes). This would apply to withdrawals in 2008 (including retroactively) and 2009," but didn't include this measure in the stimulus package or his budget proposal.

Lie: Obama did a shameless 180 degree turn on earmarks by sharply criticizing them (and bragging that he would pass legislation without a single one) and then signing a spending bill with literally thousands of them.

Dumb: In his first private meeting with Congressional Republicans, instead of "reaching across the aisle" and seeking earnest dialogue, he smugly told them that he should have his way because "I won."

Dumb: Taking a page out of the Bush Administration's playbook, Obama applied shrill, frantic, fear-mongering rhetoric to assure passage of his stimulus package.

Dumb: Obama's appointment of Hillary Clinton to the office of Secretary of State was unconstitutional.

Dumber: His movement of the United States Census out of the Department of Commerce and under the direct control of the White House was unconstitutional, politically motivated, and a dangerous, undemocratic expansion of executive power.

Dumb: His lavish inauguration also cost $170 million.

Dumb: Obama's Earth Day flights burned more than 9,000 gallons of fuel.

Dumb: Blaming Bush for America's deficits, but then increasing spending. This is after saying on the campaign trail: "There is no doubt that we’ve been living beyond our means and we’re going to have to make some adjustments."

Lie: Choosing purebred dog, "Bo" for the White House family's "first dog" instead of adopting a dog from a shelter like Obama promised.

Lie: The President also boasted during his campaign that "During 2009 and 2010, existing businesses will receive a $3,000 refundable tax credit for each additional full-time employee hired," and has failed to keep his word.

Last one for now: Obama promised a different tone in Washington D.C. and a move past bitter, partisan rhetoric. It took him less than a week as president to berate Republicans and sully the dignity of his office by picking a very public rhetorical fight with a private citizen, Rush Limbaugh.

It is easy to remember the truth..and harder to remember a lie. Just ask my old boss!