The Governor's Budget

The governor's budget is interesting, especially given he's a Democrat. He hands over half of state tax money, to schools. That's an unbelievable amount, yet schools want even more. They always do. Where does it all go, or why do they always want more, even when enrollment might be down? I have no idea.

Our governor cuts out dental and vision coverage to thousands upon thousands of disabled and low income Oregonians. I will be one of those. Back to pulling my own teeth I guess.

Our governors' cuts and increased taxes, on gas and car fees, among other tax hikes, to fund his massive public works programs, allegedly to put Oregonians back to work, are laid out upon the backs of the elderly, poor and disabled--cutting programs to those groups. The governor is looking like a neocon. And a grinch too. His budget clearly shows who he thinks is Oregon trash.

I know who I won't be voting for again in Oregon--the democons.

Taxing the struggling Oregon community hospitals also seems like a stupid idea. Many hospitals struggled even before the recession and are really struggling now. Like OHSU, laying off staff right now. To tax hospitals now, man that seems a lot like the opposite of visionary.

The haves and the have nots in Oregon are going to move a whole lot farther apart if this budget passes.

Giving half the state's money to schools better produce some results! I'll be watching that closely, because money that would be fixing my teeth and bad eyes next year, is going into those schools instead. You hear that, school people? Please actually produce more than 10% of graduates who can read, write and do simple math.

In our governor's mind, why not take from programs for the poor, old and disabled. To him, I bet we're dead already. I guess I'm slightly bitter, as a person in one of the governor's groups tossed with the trash. Comes with the territory, I suppose, when you live a life filled with injustices. Then you see a budget carved out for the prettiest people possible. Kind of roils the old wounds up.

They have all the power over lives like mine. Doesn't mean a real thing. Hey Governor, I'm worth something. Really. I'm saying, drop your suit and your high faluting power trip and your aides and lets meet out there, in the jungle world. Let's see who'd survive.

Let's go moral to moral too. My only thing left to cling to, to threaten you with, to show you I deserve to live, is, I can out-moral you. It's my way of saying, sideways, "I bet I'm a better person." Like the old vets remind us they once served in a war, so somebody will or should care.

We'll never know. There are no tests for that, no gold stars, no riches or glory either or rewards. So, we'll never really know if you're stomping down good people or bad. Papers won't cover that. Boy, it's just not pretty enough.

It doesn't matter. There's not enough money out there to cover everything. They have to cut somewhere. I know this. I'm not that stupid. It's the old wounds roiling ("You're not good enough. You're crazy. You're stupid. Take your meds and shut up."), that's all.

God knows government would never demand efficiency instead, batten down the hatches, take out the things slowing down the wheels of economic efficiency, the friction and the mass, so they've got to find someplace to take away, when they want their ride even bigger.

Government isn't driving an SUV, or even a tank. They're driving Godzilla. Godzilla doesn't take direction easily and Godzilla needs a lot of fuel to power on.

So get your wallet out and ready to open. Try to dodge Godzilla's heavy feet and the aftermath of his passing through your little town. Try to be inconspicuous. Dive for the crumbs. It's a jungle now. Always has been, but it's getting wilder out there. Too bad if you're too old to move fast or maybe in a wheelchair or sick. Too bad for you.

Godzilla's just a growing teen and hungry. Always hungry.