As Jack Bog's Blog: Measure 30 explains so well, the tax code is nuts no matter where you live, but if you live in Multnomah County, then it becomes really nuts. Corporations pay very little, percentage wise, in income tax and since Oregon doesn't have a sales tax, but a hodgepodge of property taxes and incomes taxes, most of the funding responsibilities for vital public services and non-vital public services falls on the individual.
Oregon has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, which means less taxes are being collected. During boom times the incompetent legislature spends foolishly and during bad times the legislature spends foolishly
Maybe we should do away with the personal income tax, up the corporate income tax slightly, put a cap on property taxes at 1.5 percent, quit giving tax breaks to certain expensive condos and houses built on specially tax exempt property, quit giving tax breaks to urban renewal projects, and (this will never happen because this is loony Oregon) simplify the state tax code. Oh, year, I forgot, initiate a sales tax that exempts food, drugs, medical necessities, and related items and make sure the sales tax cannot go above a limit without a statewide election.
One thing is for certain. The legislatures have shown an inability over the last twenty five years or so to solve the problem of high taxes and foolish spending, so I really don't know how Oregon is qoing to quit being one of the looniest states in the nation.
NOTE: I've got better things to do than erase the childish, immature, psychotic, obscene comments from looney Roger Weidner and his gang of illiterate morons, so just put your opinions at the Johnhays.net Forum.