Oregon CSE Applauds Legislators’ Decision Not to Raise Taxes

Oregon Citizens for a Sound Economy (OR CSE) praised Oregon legislators’ decision not to raise taxes on Oregonians during these difficult economic times. Last night, during the fifth special session to deal with the budget deficit, a majority of legislators decided to vote down H.B. 4078 –A, which would have raised taxes across the board on Oregonians.

OR CSE director Russ Walker had these comments:

“On behalf of all of our 12,000 members and all Oregonians, we applaud the defeat of H.B. 4078. H.B. 4078 was a bad bill that would have raised taxes on Oregonians, which would have exacerbated the economic strain that many already feel.

“For months now, our members have been in contact with representatives, senators, and even the governor through email, calls, office visits, etc., to let them know that raising taxes is not the way to address our budget difficulties. Time and time again, CSE members have talked about cutting excessive, unaccountable government spending on redundant and inefficient programs. Not only that, CSE has stressed the need to reform government programs that cost the taxpayers millions of dollars a year, such as the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS).

“It’s a no-brainer: Oregon’s economy is struggling. Compared to the rest of the nation, we’re ranked dead last in job creation, and the state’s budget grew by nearly 16 percent over the last two years. The last thing Oregon families need is more government and higher taxes.”