O outs McIntire as lying asshole too whilst Brian Platt takes it in the shorts

I've flicked the O a lot of crap over the gaping hole in their coverage (or rather lack of coverage) on Gordon Smith and his anti-Oregon, conservative voting record. So when they get something right its only fair to put a tally mark in that column.

Yesterday's editorial criticizing the TABOR spending trap is dead on:

The worst idea floating around the state is Initiative Petition 6, which would create a "taxpayer bill of rights," or Tabor measure, similar to a Colorado law. The Colorado measure wreaked such havoc that voters there chose to suspend the law for five years because it was damaging their universities, transportation systems and other services.

The out-of-state groups bankrolling the Oregon initiative have tried to camouflage their proposal by calling it a "rainy-day amendment," as though it somehow would bring stability to the state budget. In fact, in some ways the proposal is even worse than the Colorado law. It would count unemployment insurance payments against the state spending limit, forcing even deeper budget cuts during recessions, when unemployment jumps.

If Oregonians had approved the proposed Tabor initiative in 1990, it would have slashed the current state budget, requiring a 24 percent whack in spending on schools and other programs, according to the Oregon Center for Public Policy.

Oregon has a spending limit and does not need a new, destructive one. But it does need to do something about dwindling interest in its elections

The O's editorial follows KATU reporter Melica Johnson's superb reporting on the TABOR spending trap.

In other initative news, Sizemore crony Brian Platt has been fined by Multnomah County Circuit Court for failing to pay employees at least minimum wage. Platt has been ordered to pay $15k plus interest on behalf of three of his employees. Platt's company is also ordered to pay $6k in attorneys fees. $860 in court costs is to be paid jointly by the company and Platt personally.

Platt's troubles aren't over either. An election law complaint for gathering signatures in violation of Measure 26 is still pending against him.