Congratulations,we made it!Oregon is #1

Were #1... (until Michigan checks in) in unemployment at 12.1%

Robin's Commentary --

I would like to send out congratulations to Governor Ted tax-and-gouge-me Kulongoski, the Oregon Legislature's, and the local governments for making us what we are today...broke!

I can rest comfortably in the fact that with the addition of new bike bridges and bike lanes thanks to the stimulus package, that I will have somewhere to ride my bicycle for when I can no longer afford gasoline for my car.

The governor's dream of a "greener Oregon" is becoming a reality as more and more major corporations go out of business. Yep, don't have to worry about those evil corporations anymore.

And I take comfort in knowing that as we strive through this recession that our leaders are working vigorously to solve our economic problems.

Working hard at making it a crime to use your cell phone while driving, smoking in your car with children on board and of course those nasty polluters of cigarette butts.

However, they're also working vigorously in finding more creative ways to stimulate [their own] economy in this economic downturn. With wondrous ideas such as LTD increasing payroll taxes, increased garbage fees to fund the roads, increased license and registration fees, proposed toll bridges and per mile tax only to name a few of the items that are intended to stimulate our economy.

With the addition of the federal stimulus money which is meant to help "stimulate" the economy, I take comfort in knowing that this money will be spent wisely on things like art, bike bridges, repaving train depot parking lots, and making money available for in-state tuition for illegal aliens.

Charging a neighborhood enormous amounts of money to repair their street. Why not, they can afford it.

So how silly of me to think that money should go for more practical things like, oh I don't know... police, road repair, subsidize tax revenues to give businesses a break so they can stay in business... nope! Wouldn't want to do any of that.

Okay, on a serious note...

Obviously what our leaders are doing [if anything] is not working. There are only concerned about their little pet projects and you know what, we... yes we the people ALLOWED that to happen.

The government feels the only solution to anything is to raise taxes.

While the recession has been coming for years, unfortunately, it took the enormously high fuel prices to be the catalyst for the downturn in the economy. People had to start making the decision of whether to fill their tanks or eat.

Money became scarce, people stopped buying as much as they used to... businesses started losing income and laid-off employees in order to cut back expenses, which in turn created a spiral down slide of more people out of work... more people not spending money... more businesses closing due to lack of business... and so on and so.

And this is just no minor issue... some of these businesses are major corporations that have been around for decades.

When they close... they are NEVER coming back.

There will be no new jobs, no tax revenue, no incentives for other businesses to open because the "anchor business" no longer exists.

I must say, I'm very ashamed of my state right now, and I get very furious when I see the "head in the sand, see no evil hear no evil" approach from our leaders.

[Robin getting down from her soapbox now]

Update: Daniel has provide an excellent list of tax increases, I urge you to check it out. {here}