September 2011

It was hard to commemorate Labor Day this week knowing there are still so many Oregonians looking for work and having a tough time putting food on the table. Recent reports show Oregon's economic picture is getting worse, not better.

The unemployment rate is hovering around 9.5% and has actually gone up from 9.3% a couple of months ago. In fact, experts say only a few hundred jobs have been added to payrolls around the state this year. If you include all the people who ran out of benefits or took low-paying part time jobs the unemployment figure goes up to nearly 20% in Oregon. It's just sad.

Compounding the jobless problem, one third of all home sales are from foreclosures and one in five Oregonians receive food stamps to help make ends meet.

Looking at job trends, it's interesting to see government has the second highest category of workers in Oregon with 293,000. Trade, Transportation and Utilities is the sector with the largest number of employees at 311,000. What's wrong with this picture?

Clearly we need to encourage more job growth in the private sector. I am working with other lawmakers to draft proposals for the 2012 Legislative Session to help produce a more business friendly atmosphere in our state and we welcome your input.

These stagnant economic conditions mean there is less tax revenue for the state to provide services. The new revenue forecast shows a $193 million drop in the amount of General Fund money expected to come in to the state budget over the next two years.

As a member of the legislature's budget committee I was glad to see a healthy reserve fund of $460 million set aside just in case the economy didn't improve as quickly as some had predicted. That cushion will help avoid drastic cuts in funding to schools, public safety and other critical programs. However, I believe there are more rocky times ahead.

One final thought. Since there has been a lot of talk at the federal level about how to "stimulate" the economy with government actions.

I thought it would be interesting to look back and see what happened with the so-called "stimulus" program implemented at the state level two years ago.

According to a new report, the number of "newly created" jobs that resulted from this $175 million bond package fell short of the number anticipated by supporters. And the program ended up costing Oregon taxpayers an additional $100 million in interest.

Around 550 deferred maintenance projects were listed in the original plan approved by legislators. Many only created temporary jobs, were slow to get off the ground and some still aren't completed.

I hope the legislature looks back and realizes these kinds of government subsidized programs don't produce the kinds of long-term jobs Oregonians need. We should learn from this mistake before embarking on another failed experiment in the name of "stimulating the economy." I will continue to push for common sense and fiscally responsible actions to help get Oregon's economy back on track.

Sincerely,

Signature

Back-to-School Changes schbus

You will probably hear stories in the news this fall about budget cuts in school districts across the state. There are three districts within Representative Thatcher's legislative boundary: Salem-Keizer, Newberg and St. Paul. Each faces different challenges.

The new two-year state budget for K-12 schools is around $5.7 billion for schools, $300 million more than the last state budget, an increase of over 5%. The amount the state allocates per pupil annually went up $160 across Oregon on average. In Representative Thatcher's area it ranged from a $60 increase in St. Paul to $190 more in Newberg.

However, the cost to run schools is going up faster than the amount of revenue, so each district had to look at ways to reduce expenses such as laying off teachers, increasing class sizes, and offering fewer electives.

Both Newberg and Salem-Keizer are using special bond money approved by local voters to make capital improvements; renovating existing school buildings and constructing new ones.

Families can choose from more educational options for their children this school year due to reforms enacted by the 2011 Legislative Session. According to one report, nearly 5,000 students were on waiting lists for charter schools and other alternatives last year. Perhaps that won't be the case this year now that enrollment limits for virtual schools have become more flexible and other changes have been made.

If you have ideas for improving our public schools let Representative Thatcher know by answering her monthly newsletter survey question listed below under "Thoughts for Thatcher".

govdocs Keeping an Eye on
Government

It's important to show Oregon taxpayers how their money is spent by government and Representative Thatcher has worked hard on a number of transparency efforts this year including improvements to the Oregon Transparency Website www.oregon.gov/transparency .

33 other states now have similar websites and in Oregon the Department of Administrative Services, which is responsible for managing the information, was recently recognized by a national organization for their efforts.

Outside state government the Cascade Policy Institute is also making strides to help keep an eye on various agencies. Their transparency website called GovDocs has just added a section to show whether politicians have any conflicts of interest when they make decisions. Click here to learn more.

oregonstamp

Oregon Flag Stamp

A new Oregon State Flag Stamp was
recently issued by the United States
Postal Service as part of their series to
honor the Flags of Our Nation.

The Oregon stamp is a "forever" stamp and costs $22 for a roll of 50. Ask for them at your local post office or check online at www.usps.com

Thoughts for Thatcher

The 2011 Legislature made several changes which will allow more students to attend online schools and charter schools, what would you like to see done at the state level to improve Oregon's K-12 school system? (What about a tax-credit scholarship program or other school choice options like those proposed by the Cascade Policy Institute.) Do you have suggestions?

Click here to respond or email rep.kimthatcher@state.or.us

Feedback from last newsletter question

How do you feel about the new law allowing the state to keep track of your prescriptions?

Responses received:

I think it is terrible that the state can track prescriptions. We lose freedoms and privacy one by one, a little here and a little there, until there is no freedom left.
It is not the government's business to know what medications I use any more than what food I eat as long as these are legal. Just another move toward socialism.
I am very concerned about any state agency compiling data on their citizens. I don't believe the state has any business tracking a physician's diagnosis, treatment, and a patients use of ANY prescribed (legal) medication. There are already enough oversight agencies monitoring prescription medications.
So next they are going to come to my house and demand to know how much I exercise, what I eat, etc?????
While I am confident that there is a legitimate problem that the legislature was trying to address, I don't think there is a legitimate government interest in fixing the problem--whatever the problem may be.
Just what we need - more government control - meddling - and lack of privacy. I don't see this as a means to eliminate drugs being used illegally, but a means to monitor everyone. Hmmm, sounds like Russia and communism to me.
There is no need for the State to have my prescription information. My doctor and my pharmacy are the only ones that need that information.
You know that we don't know what's good for us. We need a State agency to monitor what we do, what we watch and how we live our lives.
I too am concerned about privacy and expect our elected officials to ensure that State and Federal agencies protect our privacy while they actively ensure our safety.
To hire staff to follow and store the data on every script written and filled in Oregon? What purpose does this serve besides creating money wasting state employee jobs and invading people's privacy? I mean REALLY.
I feel the State has no business in health care (or drug monitoring) period.
I see this new law as just another means for government monitoring of our private lives to be used at some later date as a means of control.
It has not made a significant difference in other states when used in drug enforcement. In fact, Florida is considering repealing their Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.
Pharmacists are trained chemists that know drugs that cause harmful interactions when mixed together. By the time some appointed person in the state reads this stuff, the person receiving the drugs could be sick, dead, or comatose from the prescription.
I don't even like it when that state tracks anything now.
This is a huge issue with law enforcement and up until now, they haven't had the tools to effectively catch the drug abusers. This is definitely a step in the right direction.
I see no benefit for the public, and only a couple extra I.T. jobs and a bunch of analyst jobs that result in nothing more than a state handout for wages.
As usual, Big Brother can't keep there hands out of the cookie jar. We need less government involved in watching us and more government trying to run themselves better.
I do not think that the government has the right to know what medications I am taking for whatever reason as long as they are legal.
It is an invasion of privacy. We don't take any prescription drugs that are questionable, but it is still not the business of government.
This is wrong. It's another invasion of government into personal business that is none of their business. Plus, it's obviously another created bureaucracy that just costs taxpayers more money.

If you want to unsubscribe from Rep Thatcher's newsletter list or would like to contact her office you can send her an email to rep.kimthatcher@state.or.us or call 503.986.1425

Write to Rep Thatcher at:

900 SE Court Street NE
Salem, OR 97301

www.leg.state.or.us/thatcher