The O has lost its fucking mind

I wish I knew where the editors of the Oregonian reside. It sure as hell isn't the same Oregon where I've been living for the last four years.

To wit:

Ron Saxton opens many of his campaign appearances with a question: Are you satisfied with Oregon and its state government?

We're not.

This state has slipped and fallen. School funding is below the national average. Oregon is near the bottom in public support of universities. The number of troopers patrolling highways is only half of what the state mustered 30 years ago. Oregon's system of public finance is a mess, and Oregon, virtually alone among states, has no rainy day fund.

Worse, many Oregonians seem unwilling to lift a finger, or spend another dime, to remedy these problems. There is a weariness in Oregon and a deep cynicism of government. It seems there is nothing constructive voters would agree to right now, not more money for schools or health care, and certainly not reform of the state's flawed tax system.

Oregon cannot go on this way. This state must change, and the change must begin at the top: Voters should elect Ron Saxton as the next governor.

You'll get no argument from me on the laundry list of issues cited: school funding, public support of universities, the number of state troopers patrolling highways, public finance and a lack of a rainy day fund.

Yet none of these issues ever made it to Kulongoski's desk for signature.

Why?

The Republicans in the Oregon House were too busy trying to cut school funding, cut funding for higher ed, cut state troopers (which happens to be Wayne Scott's pet project) and an absolute need to cut state services because they're paralyzed against any tax increase whatsoever.

And now we're supposed to believe that Republican Ron Saxton is going to increase funding for all this stuff? What crack induced stupor brought this about?

Saxton has proclaimed himself foursquare against any tax increases. Period. Unless he can convince the Oregon Republican delegation to the legislature to get some balls and support a tax increase, there won't be spending increases for any of the problems the O is listing.

This precarious endorsement goes even further, glowingly discussing privatization:

Saxton, meanwhile, is eager to pursue creative, even controversial, ways to make available dollars stretch further. He doesn't believe the only choice is a new insurance tax, or the same shrunken state patrol. He's ready to attack the health care costs eroding education budgets. He's prepared to experiment with outsourcing some state administrative tasks to save money and be more effective. He's willing to go looking for cost savings, efficiencies and innovations where no Oregon governor has gone over the past two decades.

Outsourcing? We've been watching the federal government outsource the Iraq War to private companies since the invasion. Not only has it costs us billions in wasted money--they've done a half-assed job of it.

The use of public dollars to private companies also removes public oversight. While its apparent that the GOP at the federal level isn't especially fond of oversight--its bizarre to me that anyone would think Oregonians would allow it at the state level.

The endorsement freakshow continues:

Saxton argues he is ready to govern with the revenue Oregon has, not with money he might wish it has. He says he can combine the healthy additional income now pouring into state coffers -- an estimated $2 billion in the next budget cycle -- with spending efficiencies to find money to make investments in education and public safety while simultaneously cutting capital gains and estate taxes.

As it stands, those numbers don't add up if Oregonians take up Saxton's invitation to pass Measure 41, which would cut income tax revenues by about $800 million a biennium. If 41 passes, Saxton would drop his capital-gains and estate-tax plans. It's not clear either whether he would use the $200 million corporate kicker to begin building a rainy day fund. We think he should.

Are you kidding me? We're supposed to fund healthcare, education and public safety after ANOTHER GOP TAX CUT??? And Saxton wants to cut capital gains and estate taxes too?

The editors admit that the numbers don't add up. Are they planning to just cross their fingers and hope Saxton comes to his senses down the road? Because he isn't really a castrated Republican who doesn't have a jones for tax cutting even when the state budget has been deeply slashed over the last 10 years?

Weirdly, right next to this Twilight Zone endorsement of Saxton is an endorsement for Rob Brading in HD 49 (which I can't find online, currently. Its in the paper edition and I'll try to provide a link for it on Sunday) which is a devastating indictment of Minnis:

If Oregonians hold anyone in the Legislature accountable in this election--and they should--it must be Minnis.

Its as if these endorsements were written by two completely differing sides. There is no way to indict Minnis and square it up by blaming Kulongoski for what's gone on in Salem. Endorsing Saxton is like saying that America is morally corrupt with Billy Graham in charge, so we'd better put Larry Flynt in control because he's not Graham.

What the hell kind of logic is that?