Look North: Lessons from the Oregon Election

by California Budget Project Executive Director Jean Ross

Until last night, 2010 wasn’t shaping up to be a very good year for those of us who believe that public policies are critical to building strong families, communities, and economies. With health reform and climate policies potentially stalled in Congress and yet another massive budget shortfall here at home, there wasn’t a lot to cheer about.

Yesterday, Oregon voters gave us something to cheer about. Voters approved Propositions 66 and 67 by wide margins. These measures increased tax rates on high-income Oregonians and imposed a modest hike in corporate taxes.

Pundits, politicians, and pollsters debate public preferences as to how the budget should be balanced. But as the old saying goes, the only poll that really matters is the one on election day. And yesterday, Oregonians decisively demonstrated their support for schools, health care, and other services and the taxes needed to pay for them. Thank you, Oregon, for giving us something to cheer about.

This article originally appeared on California Budget Bites.