I am proud and humbled to celebrate the first anniversary of this blog. It has evolved quite a bit in its first year. I am most proud of the contributors who have agreed to post their stories at 54°40’ Or Fight! We now have 21 active contributors from around the …
This email just crossed our transom about 15 minutes ago. It really captures the spirit of Independence, the Founding Fathers and American Exceptionalism, doesn’t it? Anyone want to guess what party she belongs to? Dear Friends and Neighbors, Simply put, the most powerful thing in turning out the vote – …
[Cross posted from Common Sense Oregon] Dave Hunt knows something about Dysfunction Dave Hunt says he wants to fix a Clackamas County Commission that he calls “dysfunctional.” He wants to promote “greater citizen involvement” and “partner” with private sector businesses. It all sounds grand – just what voters probably want …
[5440 note: as if on cue, the last domino has fallen in East Multnomah County. Purely a coincidence, no doubt.] REYNOLDS BUDGET CHOICES ARE ABOUT VALUES The Reynolds School Board, representing families and taxpayers in our community, looks forward to resolution of our labor contract negotiations. The quality of education …
Out in East Multnomah County, a low rumble is growing louder as we approach the November elections the end of the school year. Negotiations between a couple of school boards and the teacher unions on new contracts have hit snags in several school districts all at once. This past week, …
[5440 note: We ran across this blog post by a research fellow at the Wyoming Liberty Group. It's ironic that even other states are looking at Oregon as a poor model for public funding. Reposted by permission from The Liberty Bullhorn.] The High-Risk Game of Raising Taxes in Oregon The push …
5440 note: This is Dennis Richardson’s newsletter. He has been very accurate in predicting state revenue declines, and was instrumental in creating a reserve fund (since spent due to reduced revenue) in the 2010 biennial budget. January 25, 2012 I am State Representative Dennis Richardson and I need your help …
5440 note: guest post by permission of author, who resides in Gresham, Oregon. TEXT OF GRESHAM-BARLOW SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBER DAN CHRIESTENSON AT JANUARY BUSINESS MEETING As we begin a new calendar year, I wanted to take a moment to thank our classroom teachers for their hard work …
You mean raising taxes and driving businesses out of the state actually made revenues DECREASE? *Head slap* Who could see THAT one coming? When will they ever learn their lesson? From the Oregonian: Shock waves from the recession continue to wreak havoc in Oregon, punching a big hole in the …
Tax and spend. Spend and tax. Oregon Democrats once again flaunt their ignorance of the basic principles of economics. They passed Measures 66 & 67, which has driven away taxpaying businesses and jobs for taxpaying employees. Now they wonder why their revenues are down, why schools are facing serious budget …
We can thank Measures 66 & 67 for this year’s plumment in our state’s business climate. From the Oregon House Republicans: “In Chief Executive’s annual survey of best and worst states for business, conducted in late January of this year, 651 CEOs across the U.S. again gave Texas top honors, …
By going after the businesses that create jobs, Democrats and their public union cronies have done everything they can to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. The result? More businesses are leaving the state, fewer are starting up in the first place, fewer people are employed, and there …
Steve Buckstein writes at the Oregon Catalyst: In this short clip from Wednesday’s House Committee on Business and Labor hearing, Rep. Michael Schaufler, D-Happy Valley, made an emotional off-the-cuff statement about how jobs are being killed in this state and how we have “no one left to tax.” He was …
Awhile back, Lars Larson observed (tongue-in-cheek) that we were #2 in unemployment for the nation, but maybe we could make it to #1 “if we really worked at it”. Everyone who voted for Measures 66 & 67: way to stimulate the economy! Doesn’t this make you feel all warm and fuzzy? …
Lesson for conservatives: no matter how much taxpayer money the Left gets for their pet projects, it’s NEVER ENOUGH. Better to force them to compete in the free market from the very beginning instead of encouraging this kind of endless entitlement mentality. Here’s the deal: if your art is any good, people …
Think Oregon reports that the construction industry is being hit hard by the recent passage of Measures 66 & 67: The passage of Oregon Ballot Measures 66 and 67 means either lay-offs, pull-stakes and leave the state or outright shuttering for some Portland area contractors who are bearly hanging …
If you really want to know who is behind this kind of “screw business” mentality, just look at who toots their horn the loudest when the dust settles. This makes my stomach turn! The Socialist Worker gleefully observes: At a time when state budgets across the country face similar shortfalls, …
Once again, Multnomah county takes the rest of the state with it. Did you know the second largest employer in Mult. Co. is the government? Riding on the backs of all those farms and small businesses, they bite the hand that feeds them! Just watching the coverage of the “Yes” …
We need more conservatives like Dan Chriestensen on our school boards, willing to stand up against Big Government and defend taxpayers, teaches, parents and students against the special interests! On Dec. 10, 2009, the Gresham Barlow Board of Directors adopted a resolution supporting measures 66 and 67. I was the lone dissenting …
Article VIII, Section 8 of the Oregon State Constitution stipulates: “Adequate and Equitable Funding. (1) The Legislative Assembly shall appropriate in each biennium a sum of money sufficient to ensure that the state’s system of public education meets quality goals established by law” Dan Chriestenson, Board Member of the Gresham-Barlow School …