Movin' on
I see that Patrick Allen, the all-purpose bureaucrat that Governor Killer Kate wheeled in to run the state health department, has found a new gig doing the same thing in New Mexico.
I wish them luck in the Land of Enchantment. Allen is quite the piece of work. For one thing, he presided over Oregon's clumsy official response to Covid, including an utterly chaotic rollout of vaccines despite nearly a year to plan for it, and an outrageous decision to vaccinate perfectly healthy school staffers ahead of fragile seniors, while keeping the schoolhouse doors locked anyway.
And you have to wonder whether any of the New Mexicans came up to Oregon to experience the fruits of the guy's handiwork. On the streets here in Portland, they would have witnessed one of the great public health failures in American history. People are literally killing themselves with drug addiction, and killing the city's livability with the crime that comes with decriminalizing drugs. Allen's agency has made zero headway in ameliorating the situation. And they've also bungled Medicaid, leaving a lot of low-income patients in the lurch.
Another thing I wonder about is whether the dude is acually going to move to New Mexico, or whether he's going to stay in Sherwood and work remotely. Don't laugh – more than a few high-priced honchos in Oregon state and local government don't live here any more. They're Zooming their work in from their homes in states that don't have Oregon's, and Portland's, hideous income taxes. Some even get their expenses paid by their Oregon public employers when they lower themselves to fly here for a meeting or two.
Whether he's off to Santa Fe or not, Allen is definitely out of Salem. The incoming governor, Tina Kohoutek, made it clear throughout her campaign for office that he was toast. But apparently her counterpart down on the border is willing to give the guy another nice gig pushing papers around. And if the health thing doesn't work out, maybe he can go back to issuing building permits, which is what he did before presiding over the Covid and drug legalization messes here.
Is it "fiascos" or "fiascoes"? So long, Patrick Allen. Enjoy your PERS.
“Hideous income tax rates”…… very few Oregonians are aware that 40 plus years of Democrat tax policy has inflicted the highest state income tax rate on LOW INCOME earners in the nation. A single wage earner in Oregon is taxed at an 8.75% rate on every dollar earned above the outrageously low threshold of $9,200. The myth here of progressive compassion for the less fortunate is belied by a generation of state officials that have created and maintained the most punishing and unfair tax system in America…..shameful.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of a retail sales tax softens the blow considerably, but middle-class folks and above certainly get screwed. Now we're going to get a county capital gains tax so that deadbeat tenants can have free lawyers. Portland welcomes losers, not winners.
DeleteAlways had the impression that Kate did what she was told
ReplyDeleteCause Republicans would have lowered taxes on low income workers? Yah right. I'm not a fan of taxes either, but they are a part of civilized society. Maybe take a look at overall taxation rather than parroting FOX talking points. If you really want to see real undue taxation in action, feel free to buy a house in Texas (as most middle-class folks want to do). 8.2% sales tax plus a huge property tax bill (.99% nationwide average vs 1.6% in the lone star state.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to bitch about anything, how about the Paid Leave Oregon tax that just started taking $44 from my paycheck every month.
Ridding Oregon of Income Tax and implementing a sales tax that exempts unprepared food, medicine, and utilities would benefit the poorest people the most. People don't spend every penny they earn on taxable items, but every penny (beyond the $9200) is taxed. A sales tax would also mean that everyone participates in financing the state government, whether they are employed or not, visiting or a resident.
DeleteReminder……Oregon taxes single filer wages up to the $9,200 income threshold first at 4.75% and quickly at 6.75%. Fellow blue state Washington with no tax on income but a lower sales tax rate on certain expenses will always generate substantially more take home pay for every wage earner. Let’s regionalize the Pacific Northwest economy by duplicating Washington’s tax system.
ReplyDeleteAlmost as if he were a cappo in the Goldschmidt crime family.....
ReplyDelete