This Week in the Mercury
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Politics Is "Yes on 66/67" Campaign Misleading Voters?
Posted by Stefan Kamph on Tue, Jan 12, 2010 at 2:10 PM
- THAT IS SOME NICE PIE: Infographics with an ulterior motive.
The debate over Measures 66 and 67 has seen its share of masquerading hijinks over the past few months (see Tillamook dairy farmers and fake ballots). But most of the fakery has been coming from the opposition campaign.
So it's interesting that a recent "Voter Information" brochure mailed out by Yes group Our Oregon appears to present itself as impartial. It contains nothing but factual information, and does not tell people how to vote. But it's coming from the people behind the Vote Yes campaign. A line of print below the address area describes Our Oregon as "a non-profit, non-partisan organization."
One of the finer points of the mailing stacks up supporters of Yes and No votes. In the Yes column are the AARP, Children First for Oregon, the Oregon Education Association, and others. In the No column: auto dealers, bankers, financial services, forest industries and petroleum interests. And who's going to choose them over The Children?
Scott Moore, spokesman for Our Oregon and Yes for Oregon, admits that the mailing is designed to sway voters. "I think it's pretty obvious that it's from a campaign," he said. "There is a subset of people who respond better to stuff that’s not flashy."
He noted the distinction between his group's crisp, bright-white brochure and the newsprint voters' guide from the Secretary of State. And he said that given the tactics employed by the other guys, including TV ads that are both misleading and incorrect, the facts alone will work in his favor.
1
These guys also slipped "yes" arguments in the first and last slots of the "no" argument section for both measures. Seems pretty sneaky and misleading to me.
Youngsters, never ever assume that "your side" of a political campaign are a bunch of saints because they agree with you on issues. Sleaze is the same across the political spectrum.
Youngsters, never ever assume that "your side" of a political campaign are a bunch of saints because they agree with you on issues. Sleaze is the same across the political spectrum.
2
Ulterior motive?! That's facts, with a source. Or are you just pissed you didn't do the research yourself?
There is something wrong with giving voters information?
There is something wrong with giving voters information?
3
No.
That headline! What hackery!
Is this misleading voters? Is Barack Obama really a Kenyan? Next we will hear that "some people" say this might could possibly be misleading.
The charts and graphs are the sort of thing you'd get in the newspaper back in the day before newsrooms got cut and reporters got lazy pushing the cynicism button like a that can't monkey that can't stop picking its nose.
Looks like with this political reporting you got what you paid for.
That headline! What hackery!
Is this misleading voters? Is Barack Obama really a Kenyan? Next we will hear that "some people" say this might could possibly be misleading.
The charts and graphs are the sort of thing you'd get in the newspaper back in the day before newsrooms got cut and reporters got lazy pushing the cynicism button like a that can't monkey that can't stop picking its nose.
Looks like with this political reporting you got what you paid for.
4
I just see facts. Are those incorrect associations? I've seen the mailer and it's all pretty cut-and-dry, as far as I can tell.
You don't really seem to get to a point other than to say it's "misleading." What's misleading about it?
That chart comes from the Legislative Revenue Office....are we going to have a microcosm of the federal health care debate in which obstructionist Republicans kept talking about how the Congressional Budget Office is a partisan tool?
Absurd.
You don't really seem to get to a point other than to say it's "misleading." What's misleading about it?
That chart comes from the Legislative Revenue Office....are we going to have a microcosm of the federal health care debate in which obstructionist Republicans kept talking about how the Congressional Budget Office is a partisan tool?
Absurd.
9
Because I'm a bit of a policy wonk and used to work in criminal justice, I did my own research. Here's some examples of cuts that will occur if the measures fail and the info is straight off the Legislative Fiscal Office website:
*Close several Department of Corrections facilities with immediate release of over 3400 inmates
* Close courthouses at least one day per week (if courts are open 20% less, the current backlog will become huge)
* Decrease funding for indigent defendants (if the court can't appoint counsel, the defendant can't be prosecuted or even kept in jail)
* Reduce investigations by Oregon State Police of physical, sexual and other abuse of children by 50%
* Close over half of Oregon Youth Authority (juvenile justice) facilities and/or living units, returning juvenile offenders to foster care or their own communities
*Close several Department of Corrections facilities with immediate release of over 3400 inmates
* Close courthouses at least one day per week (if courts are open 20% less, the current backlog will become huge)
* Decrease funding for indigent defendants (if the court can't appoint counsel, the defendant can't be prosecuted or even kept in jail)
* Reduce investigations by Oregon State Police of physical, sexual and other abuse of children by 50%
* Close over half of Oregon Youth Authority (juvenile justice) facilities and/or living units, returning juvenile offenders to foster care or their own communities
10
Nat, I simply don't believe all that. I'm sure every department has created such a list of the horrible things that will happen to them, and coincidentally, they just happen to be the things which will sound most horrible to the voting public.
Folks, I've lived here for 35 years and the budget is ALWAYS in crisis. Schools are always one step from annihilation. Those of you who have only been here since 2003 or so just missed the last round of "the sky is falling." There will be another one in five years.
These measures are just a rickety, temporary patch over much bigger problems.
Folks, I've lived here for 35 years and the budget is ALWAYS in crisis. Schools are always one step from annihilation. Those of you who have only been here since 2003 or so just missed the last round of "the sky is falling." There will be another one in five years.
These measures are just a rickety, temporary patch over much bigger problems.
11
Blabby - of course they're a patch. But if your house is falling down, you don't just leave it while you save up for the permanent repair, you patch it in the meantime. Just because it doesn't cure the underlying problems forever after isn't a reason to reject it.
We should absolutely demand the lawmakers come up with a more long-term fix (sales tax anyone?), but we also need these to keep us going until then. And be grateful we don't live in California.
We should absolutely demand the lawmakers come up with a more long-term fix (sales tax anyone?), but we also need these to keep us going until then. And be grateful we don't live in California.
12
It's the scandal of the century! A political interest group choosing to present the information that may lean people in their favor! OH MY GOD. Somebody CALL... uh. CALL SOMEONE!
13
Stefan, I see nothing misleading by presenting facts and not making a plea for a particular action. How long did it take you to figure it out? If I really were uncertain about how they wanted me to vote, I would probably visit their website to see which side of the fence they inhabited. But this is pretty clear, the money goes to valuable services that Oregonians depend on every day. The obvious implication is VOTE YES on 66 & 67. And I have!
BTW, I used to live in California, and I'm grateful every day to be an Oregonian now (and after >17 years I think I'm a true webfoot!) and I have seen the OR state budget in feast and famine. Never understood why we have that ridiculous kicker law, my State Senator told me it costs around a million bucks to administer the refunds, and that money does not come from the kicker fund but from the general fund. Truly a poorly-conceived program, um, who was it again who made that thing the law of the land?
BTW, I used to live in California, and I'm grateful every day to be an Oregonian now (and after >17 years I think I'm a true webfoot!) and I have seen the OR state budget in feast and famine. Never understood why we have that ridiculous kicker law, my State Senator told me it costs around a million bucks to administer the refunds, and that money does not come from the kicker fund but from the general fund. Truly a poorly-conceived program, um, who was it again who made that thing the law of the land?
14
Nice revisionist history Blabby.
Too bad the facts don't bear your cynicism out. The state budget has NOT always been in crisis. And the sky has NOT always been falling.
Our inevitable decline started when we became listening to a snake oil salesman named Bill Sizemore and with the passage of Measure 5 in 1990 that shifted the burden of school funding from local to state coffers. We accelerated that decline with the passage of 47/50 in 1998/99 when we capped property taxes at 3% growth every year essentially handing a HUGE tax break to corporations and businesses in this state and at the same time shifting the burden to the individual to fund state services.
We were able to paper over the increasing cracks with the help of a booming economy in the late 90's and early 2000's but the reality is the dire state economic issues we have faced for the past 6 or so years are a direct result of the selfish choices we made in a decade earlier.
The good news is that we got ourselves into this mess by voting for those Sizemore initiatives so we can get ourselves out of it. Measure 66 and 67 is a start
Too bad the facts don't bear your cynicism out. The state budget has NOT always been in crisis. And the sky has NOT always been falling.
Our inevitable decline started when we became listening to a snake oil salesman named Bill Sizemore and with the passage of Measure 5 in 1990 that shifted the burden of school funding from local to state coffers. We accelerated that decline with the passage of 47/50 in 1998/99 when we capped property taxes at 3% growth every year essentially handing a HUGE tax break to corporations and businesses in this state and at the same time shifting the burden to the individual to fund state services.
We were able to paper over the increasing cracks with the help of a booming economy in the late 90's and early 2000's but the reality is the dire state economic issues we have faced for the past 6 or so years are a direct result of the selfish choices we made in a decade earlier.
The good news is that we got ourselves into this mess by voting for those Sizemore initiatives so we can get ourselves out of it. Measure 66 and 67 is a start
15
In case you were wondering what journalism looks like, from people who actually care about facts more than manufactured controversy:
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.s…
Interesting how the facts in both the mailer and the article are the same. Can the truth be "misleading"? Maybe to an intern.
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.s…
Interesting how the facts in both the mailer and the article are the same. Can the truth be "misleading"? Maybe to an intern.
17
All of you YES voters for 66/67 are the same; always blinded by the threats from the State and the Unions. The state always states they well have to cut school funding, police and fire services, etc. Why doesn't the state set an example by layoff the fat cat state employees first? Are you aware they will get raises during this time of high unemployment? This governor has always wanted to increase our taxes from the get go. There are too many of you outsiders here and very little left of us TRUE Oregonians. Why don't you supporters pay more on your income taxes? It's voluntary. Or just send it in each month. This is only a Corporate Bashing measure; and you'll be the first to cry when you get laid off. VOTE NO ON 66/67!! Tell the government to clean up their mess first!!
18
66 and 67 is a hangover from irresponsible spending. Do you really think this is going to fix our schools? The wording is way to vague to order to assure proper use of the extra money. The fact that this tax is retroactive and based on net profit, not gross, is going to put hundreds of small business that are struggling already out of business. A 6 figure salary isn't what it used to be when you own a business. That money goes fast when you have to pay rent, your employees, and for their health coverage which is already unaffordable.
The advertisements that I have seen are implying corporations like Nike only pay $10 in taxes. That is ridiculous and laughable and the fact that this point is being pushed makes these measures shady.
For me, the simple fact is that we should not just give money to the government whenever they want it because of their horrible spending habits. Don't spoil them, make them make do with what they have just like we are forced to do. Increasing taxes in a recession is absurd.
The advertisements that I have seen are implying corporations like Nike only pay $10 in taxes. That is ridiculous and laughable and the fact that this point is being pushed makes these measures shady.
For me, the simple fact is that we should not just give money to the government whenever they want it because of their horrible spending habits. Don't spoil them, make them make do with what they have just like we are forced to do. Increasing taxes in a recession is absurd.
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