The Oregon legislature finally mustered the three-fifths mjaority in the House yesterday to pass a three year temporary income tax surcharge. Already today, the usual suspects on the Right are getting ready to collect signatures for a voter referendum to try and overturn the tax increase in the next election. According to the Daily Rag, an angry man phoned one of the state representatives who voted for the tax yelling at her daughter that, "I'm unemployed and I can't afford this tax. I voted for her and I'll never vote for her again."

Well, duh, if yer unemployed you don't have to pay the income tax, Jack. So I don't see how this tax surcharge affects you at all. Since it's a graduated tax, the biggest increases would fall on the shoulders of wealthier Oregonians. I guess that would mean that many of them won't be able to spend their entire Bush tax cuts on creating new jobs for the rest of us. Dang. But, it's either that or close schools and let convicted felons out of prison due to a lack of funding.

Yeah, this Bush economic plan is really turning out to be a good idea.

And here I was thinking I was being a good citizen by paying my taxes. When, according to Bush, I'd be doing the country a bigger favor if I didn't pay any taxes. But don't you know it turns out I'm too poor not to pay taxes. That great selfless honor is only bestowed on the very wealthy. Double dang!