Op Ed: Oregon Political Principles Now Playing Nearly At Nursery-Rhyme Level

(SALEM) - Treasured political principles paramount since our American Revolution are reduced to nursery-rhyme levels in Oregon’s Governorship campaign. Our own Red King, substituting for her Red Queen in “Wonderland”, mirrors Alice’s deeply distorted descriptions of governance now. Latest light from Saxton Himself is that statement revealing his stomach-revulsion when finally forced to digest or deposit Oregon’s own threatened TABOR “delicacy”. Pondering what to do when his cult-combination confounded him by forcing the issue on that just-too-spicy morsel, he finally found it just too much. But still he could not bring himself to warn others off the same dangerous tidbit. True to that dangerous pattern of evasion and denial, he failed to tell Oregonians why TABOR was poisonous, while his own reaction revealed his real fear for its consequences. Can we possibly choose a Governor displaying such distorted decisional capabilities and character? Meanwhile, some press pundits are so shaken by the near-miss of massive, malign political opportunism that they too seem amazed. Or perhaps, somewhat ironically, amused and diverted by what this “skilled and experienced” corporate attorney has now revealed of himself AND his political-cult. One perhaps-bemused Editorialist ends his confused award-for-statement with this sentence: “Voters have the responsibility to elect public officials with the brains and the backbone to make tough financial decisions. That's the point Saxton is making by going against the Oregon Republican Party and, apparently, opposing Measure 48.” Apparently ? So what’s “new and different” about that? Governors provide leadership and initiative, while legislators discuss, debate and decide not only what-to-do but how-to-pay, too. That’s responsible, recognized democratic protocol at work now for over 200 years...so hardly requiring restating. Where are the specifics of the Saxton plan? Rather than meaningless neutrality to a disastrous program meant to kill off precisely what Saxton is now made to seem to be protecting? As GOP leader in Western states, did Saxton know-and-understand TABOR? It has been in operation in Colorado for THIRTEEN YEARS, was suspended by joint action of the GOP Governor AND the Democratic Legislature. His opponent in the primary recently, "Nix" Mannix, supported the concept. If he WAS well informed, why the delay, until now, and the dereliction in total offense against it, NOW? Why, if it is such a rotten concept that he could not stomach it? Since when has continued equivocation, obfuscation, evasion and downright denial of a demanded-stand on pressing public issues ever qualified for Editorial praise ?? Why now ?? That cult is only partially politically reflective and responsive to “what used to be” under the same tribal trappings in Oregon. Read any issue of these daily newspapers for previous less-prevaricating campaign reporting, for proof of this now-amorphous pudding today; still un-baked donor-dollars already discussed --with no reporters present, remember? Did that contribute to delay, denial, flip-flop, obfuscation and similar symptoms so widely observed? Corporate-motivated recent history firmly on record and involving Oregon directly is an indicator of what can happen in similar situations. Straight political declaration on long-proven political protocol --ethical and authoritative via test and dedication ever since there has been an Oregon-- are lost in limbo while flip-flop (and flap-flap) prevail; while pompous pronouncement of wildly-promised political progress become evasion and equivocation “when the heat’s finally on”. Does anyone doubt political heat, NOW, in our State? If so it’s because political passion and pounding from parent-teacher forces suing the State for Constitutionally guaranteed “common education for all” is denied a decent hearing. But the beat and heat of their total tune now approaches ONE BILLION missing educational dollars. Similar actions already taken in 38 states produced Court actions presaging this dangerous decision for Oregon --with total-amounts already mentioned mounting up to a full TRILLION dollars of past-damages. Meanwhile the rational remaining, sensible, seemingly obvious “main shot” of corporate tax reform still goes unmentioned and malignly unreported as action-planned by either Red King Saxton or the incumbent Governor. That’s the real “heart of the matter” in Oregon, as authoritative statements from respected and well-financed research by The CHALKBOARD Project surely projects in detail and desperate measure on educational demands aloneAnyone seeking rational press-demand for decisive, documented planning on essential corporate tax reform can only hope the TABOR-maligned total disconnect with taxing realities is now killed once-and-for all. The 13-year debacle/disaster suffered by Colorado --surely near enough for factual information to make it over here, in depth and detail (as in the OCPP Report sent to Saxton recently by S-N) -- should set that mess to rest now-and-forever. Why are we now wandering around the main issues while making-nice for unwarranted and unworkable “cooperative action” by the incumbent and his until-now nearly silent on issues opponent? Does that, somehow, remind you of that other passionate political commentator who --however reluctantly but still with precision-- stated: “We have met the enemy, and he is us” --------------------------------------------- The character named Pogo, as I recall....a little guy, like us; but quite intense and angry.