HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER BRUCE HANNA

 

 

HOUSE PASSES BORROW-AND-SPEND STIMULUS BILL;

PACKAGE AUTHORIZES BONDS FOR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE

 

SALEM— The Oregon House today voted to increase debt to fund minor deferred maintenance projects, even as the Department of Administrative Services claimed they were not “substantial” enough to meet the requirements for bond financing. House Republican Leader Bruce Hanna (R-Roseburg), who opposed the spending package, said Representatives voted on the package with no clear sense of how tax dollars are going to be spent.

 

“This is an example of the lack of accountability in state government,” Rep. Hanna said. “The House voted to authorize debt that the state has admitted is not needed. There are no provisions in the package that assure us we're paying for projects that won’t last the life of the bonds. This is not a responsible way to develop a package that is supposed to stimulate the economy.”

 

Deputy Republican Leader Kevin Cameron (R-Salem) said House Republican leadership reached out to Democrats to address wasteful projects in the stimulus bill but were rejected. Rather than demonstrating bipartisanship and removing deferred maintenance projects from the package, the Democrats chose to rush flawed legislation to the Governor’s desk.

 

“The legislative process is supposed to make legislation better,” Rep. Cameron said. “The process that brought this bill to the House Floor ignored the opening day speech of our very own Speaker when he called for putting partisanship aside and for working together collaboratively.”

 

Rep. Hanna said the package approved by the House today will increase debt and threaten funding for core government programs and services in the 2009-11 biennium and beyond.

 

“This package is being sold as economic stimulus, but it hurts our schools, our State Police and services that Oregonians need to survive this recession,” Rep. Hanna said. “It will cost the state $19 million per year to service these bonds. We are increasing debt and locking up our budget, all in the hope that it might generate some short-term jobs and reduce Oregon’s unemployment rate by 9/100 of 1 percent.”

 

Rep. Hanna said that Oregonians, not powerful politicians in Salem, should have the power to decide where jobs are created. Last week, House Republicans announced the Main Street Incentive Program to encourage businesses and home owners to immediately invest in improvements to their property through a tax credit. The proposal would stimulate the economy and create jobs without increasing state debt and locking up larger portions of the state budget.

 

“As demonstrated today, state government can’t be trusted to manage our finances and state debt,” Rep. Hanna said. “It’s time pass an economic stimulus plan that would create immediate local jobs in communities throughout our state.”

 

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