Oregon politics: Kick the kicker. In times of financial crisis and instability Oregon's kicker makes little sense. Governor Ted Kulongoski is promoting a constitutional amendment that would establish a state reserve fund. This rainy day fund would be filled by diverting a portion of kicker refunds. Kicker reform would offer Oregon state government some much needed financial stability.
Kari Chisholm of Blue Oregon explains the kicker:
What's the kicker? The kicker is one of those only-in-Oregon ideas - but a pretty bad one. Basically, every two years, the state economist is required to gaze into his crystal ball and estimate how the economy is going to do over the next two years - and thus how much tax revenue the state will collect. If the state economist underestimates by as little as 2%, all the "extra" tax revenue "kicks" back to taxpayers.
While getting a kick back from the state is fun for the individual, it is a losing proposition for the state. An occasional surprise gift from the state is nice, but having a healthy state government is preferable.
Kulongoski, a Democrat, is pressing the Oregon Legislature to put the kicker question on the November ballot. According to a poll released Monday a majority of Oregon voters support changing Oregon's kicker to create a bigger state budget reserve fund.
The kicker is a goofy thing unique to Oregon. It is a noble but failed experiment. It would not be so bad if the kicker applied only to individuals, but the kicker also applies to corporations. This is intolerable. Corporate welfare is the anti-thesis of the progressive populism growing in Oregon.
Oregon should reform the kicker. The financial stability of state government requires reform. Vital services like police protection and schools should be guaranteed. Kulongoski is leading, the legislature should follow. If put to a vote, Oregonians will do the right thing: Oregonians will kick the kicker.
Comments
If the state has confiscated more of the money I earned than it needs, then returns my money to me, you call that a "gift". Your attitude is sick and perverted.
Mikey's Christian Hate Speech could qualify him as a domestic terrorist.
Mikey nice touch on the flag wavey picture thingy.
That wavy flag thing gets me all choked up with pride. Imagine our Oregon forfathers risking their lives and enduring hardship and suffering so they could come here and find free health care, medical marijuana and a whole list of sweet government entitlement programs. I am sure they left their firearms somewhere on the east side of the Mississippi.
No, after watching the wavey flag thingy for awhile, I started getting queasy.
You are saying that we should not expect state economists to make any predictions as to the health of the state. Also saying if the state collects more than it predicted it would need, it needs to give -some- of that money back to taxpayers. State governement should not be a profit center. Reserve funds yes, planned for and budgeted, keeping excess revenue, no. This ensures that economic forcasts are diligently conducted, spending is against a budget, there must be accountability for the wise use of tax revenue and to return excess funds to those it belongs to. No-one likes taxes but we all need good goverment. I think few people would complain about paying taxes if they felt better about how those monies were spent. If making the State give back excess revenue helps us to feel better about the States financial planning and accountability why would we want to eliminate that mechanism?
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