This is the first of what I hope to be many short commentaries on the legislature 
and Oregon politics in general. By the time you read this I will have taken the 
Oath of office as State Representative for District 11 and will be hard at work 
in Salem. 

Oregon is a state divided between urban and rural, those who have done well in the 
last decade mostly in "high tech" and those who have lost family wage jobs in the 
woods, farms, and mills. The paralysis of our government comes directly from this 
split. The rural areas send mostly conservative Republicans to the legislature, 
urban Portland and Eugene mostly liberal Democrats. District 11 sits squarely across 
that divide. We have mostly liberals in South Eugene, suburban Springfield and Coburg 
and mostly conservatives in Creswell and Linn County. This district is practically 
a microcosm of Oregon. 

If Oregon is to get out of its current economic and budgetary mess, both sides must 
listen to the other and learn what the other needs. I hope you will feel free, whether 
you see yourself as a liberal or a conservative or one of the vanishing moderates, 
to sound off to me about any subject the legislature might see. Learn all you can 
first about our state and its budget. Some things you think you know reflect 
successful propaganda, not the real facts. Be specific in your suggestions. 

If you don't want tax increases tell me specifically what programs you would cut. 
I'll be working on increasing government efficiency, but be aware that Oregon is 
pretty good in that area and we will not save enough to make up the huge shortfalls. 
Yes, PERS needs fixing and the legislators of both parties know it. Some, but probably 
not all of the fix, will come this year. 

If you want more taxes to support important programs (like schools, health care, 
and public safety) be specific about what you would support and what you are willing 
to get out and convince other voters to support. 

If you have ideas on how the state can help with economic development tell me 
specifically what you have in mind. Maybe a bill will make a difference.

Measure 28: The ballots are in the mail. How will you vote? Measure 28 will not 
fix our problem, but it will give us some breathing room and if passed, will 
convince the legislature that the people are serious about basic things like schools, 
health care and public safety. 

If you are reading this column you already know about the coming cuts. What you 
might not know is that passing Measure 28 will actually support our economy and 
help us get out of this depression. Most of the increase, as is true of all our 
income taxes, will be paid by people whose income is well above average. The 
typical taxpayer will pay $5 or $6 per month. Half of all senior citizens will 
pay nothing.

The tax will be temporary. Like the temporary increase in the 80s that expired 
when it was supposed to, this tax will expire at the end of 2004. There is no 
easy way to extend it even if we wanted to. 

Closing a few unpopular programs cannot make up the budget shortfall. Education, 
Human Services and Public Safety make up 90% of the budget. The shortfall is about 
15% of a budget that was too small already. Only wishful thinking will lead anyone 
to believe we can balance the budget without dangerous cuts or tax increases or both. 

If something looks too easy, it probably is. The conservatives have been in control 
of the legislature for a decade. If they haven't cut the "Department of Waste Fraud 
and Abuse" by now, it probably never existed, at least not in a size that will save 
the important things that define us as a caring people. 

Oregon's Future: our future well-being and that of our children is in our hands, 
yours and mine. The situation is finally bad enough that most of us are paying 
attention to it. Oregon has always been a state of sharp-eyed realists who look 
at the facts and then sacrifice for the common good. Right now there is a lot of 
misinformation floating around based on the ideological views of the mythmakers. 
Learn everything you can and don't take your favorite pundit's word for it. Demand 
the facts behind the assertion. 

How we act in the next year will define our future for a long time. If we restore 
funding for our schools, health care and public safety, if we are willing, now, 
to sacrifice for the future, Oregon will do well. We will attract businesses and 
grow our own. We will educate our kids, care for our older citizens, and protect 
our lives and property. If we are not willing to sacrifice for the future, we will 
sacrifice our schools, our senior citizens who need help and more of our own safety. 
Business will hesitate to locate in Oregon and we will all get poorer. We have much 
to do. Help me to do my part.

Rep. Phil Barnhart can be found at room H-477 at the Capitol on weekdays. Capitol 
phone: 503-986-1411, District phone: 541-484-5119, email: rep.philbarnhart@state.or.us, 
web site: www.PhilBarnhart.com. When contacting Phil include your address and phone 
number so that he can contact you.