The Portland Area Pays Our Bills
I read Oregon State Representative Court Boice’s guest column of April 24th with interest. I’m not qualified to comment on his point of view regarding how the forests should be managed, nor on the supposed burdens of the Oregon’s landlords, builders, and developers. I can say that I have never heard anyone be disrespectful of our farmers and fishers, small business owners and ranchers, but we run in different circles, so his experience may be different. I would, however, like to inform him (and the reading public), that his scathing attempt to blame the residents and business people of the urban areas of the state for the rural problems of Oregon is absurd, and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the economics of the state of Oregon. As he’s in our House of Representatives, this ignorance is a pretty good reason to question his qualifications for that position in government.
It is a recognized economic fact, all across the United States (and probably most of the world), that the greatest tax base is the taxpayers in the urban areas. This is due to both higher population and the higher incomes of those who live there. This population’s taxes, therefore, end up supporting the less populated areas, whether we’re talking about a state, or states within the nation, making those in the rural areas dependent on those urban taxpayers, or those Mr Boice dubs “the Metro Ruling Elite.” The rural areas of Oregon have a vested interest in a healthy urban tax base, without whom there would be less money for rural schools, health services, and other outlays. In the fiscal year 2016-2017, the greater Portland area generated 1.9 billion of the 3.5 billion of the state school fund, while only receiving 1.36 billion of that money for its schools. The rest went to support rural schools. This is just one example. (https://oregonbusiness.com/16881-oregon-fiscal-flow/)
Whether or not the Right Wing rural residents like it or not, they are dependent on the metropolitan taxpayers they enjoy calling nasty names, just as the rural states across the US are dependent on the richer, more urban, states, for the same reasons I mentioned above. A 2023 study showed that, for every $1 Oregon pays to the federal government, we receive $2.91 in return, which isn’t bad. We’re #22 in terms of dependence on federal dollars, while Minnesota ranks dead last, receiving nearly $7 in revenue for every $1 they send to Washington. (https://oregonbusiness.com/16881-oregon-fiscal-flow/)
Mr Boice stated that this “Metro Ruling Elite produces nothing for our culture…” Except money, Mr Boice, and that ain’t nothing. Without what they give us, Coos County would be even poorer than it is now. Ask our hardworking commissioners how much trouble they’re having paying Coos County’s bills this year, and they will tell you how lucky we are to have both state and federal monies to support us. It sometimes galls them, but it’s a fact. And urbanites haven’t “seized control”; they were voted into office, just as Mr Boice was.
It’s time for the Right to stop denigrating the people who help pay our bills (and vice versa, absolutely), and figure out ways to express their frustration with the changes that time inevitably brings without blaming the other side. The future is going to be grimmer for rural areas if we can’t figure out new ways to make money. Bashing Democrats/urbanites may be fun, but it doesn’t pay very well.
Mr Boice also complains that those in charge in Salem “tax” us, to our detriment. Again, we get $2.91 for every $1 “they” tax us–not a bad bargain. And if people think that the solution is a Right Wing government in Salem, Republicans are consistent budget-cutters–much less inclined to spend money generously than Democrats–and would likely reduce, rather than increase, spending in Oregon, while possibly also cutting the taxes the state so desperately needs.
Tracy Hudson
Bandon
Local News
