GILLIAM’S REVENUE FORECAST: FIX THE JOBS PROBLEM FIRST

REPRESENTATIVE VIC GILLIAM

OREGON HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

HOUSE DISTRICT 18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 26, 2010

CONTACT

Rep. Vic Gilliam 503-960-0128

GILLIAM’S REVENUE FORECAST: FIX THE JOBS PROBLEM FIRST

SALEM—Today’s economic forecast confirmed the gloomy predictions of last week. “We should’ve easily anticipated that today was not going to be encouraging-- economic gurus won’t fuel an Oregon comeback in the near future” Rep. Gilliam said. “Oregon’s 1.1 billion dollar decrease in the General and Lottery Funds since the close of the 2009 Session illustrates our need to stop hinging our budgeting system on these economic forecasts. We need leadership in the executive office and in the legislature that realizes Oregon has a jobs problem-- not a revenue problem” Rep. Gilliam added.

Rep. Gilliam stated that even after the 2009 Legislative Session in which the Legislature increased Oregon’s Total Funds budget by 9.3 percent and raised taxes by $733 million, we saw a 3.7 billion dollar increase in State spending in the 2010 “Special” Session. Rep. Gilliam pointed out that: “The Legislature ‘relies’ on these economic forecasts yet ignores them by refusing to address our spending addiction.”

“With PERS increases looming, federal bailouts evaporating and rampant unemployment showing no sign of recovery, it’s time we acknowledge these forecasts as one source of many useful references, but also heed advice from the private sector about their calls for tax relief and listen to their strategies for re-hiring Oregonians.” Gilliam insists that adding public sector jobs, burdensome regulations and job-killing taxes are not examples of government partnering with private enterprise.

“I’m not one to shoot the messenger” Gilliam concluded, “but, again, the state economist’s predictions are not even as enlightening as the forecasts on the weather channel. We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a jobs problem – let’s get to work on it together.”

###