Measure 50 goes down in flames, now will the so called progressives listen

Will the so called progressives listen now, or will the name calling and propaganda war continue?

Over at Blue Oregon, one commenter calling himself Bill R. stated:

Everyone loses since we will all continue to pick up the tab for all those emergency room visits with sick children who should have been able to see a doctor sooner. But this is Oregon and Oregon voters are used to being negligent (not voting for important issues) or scammed by big corporate money.

Translation: If you don't vote for this, then you hate children and will make them suffer.

John Calhoun stated:

Unfortunately it is the kids, not the campaign that will pay the price if it loses. I have heard a lot of reasons to vote no that didn't wash in my opinion, but yours is at the top of my list for least justified, most 'superficial'. Kids will suffer, maybe die, because they don't get proper medical care and you complain about the 'campaign'? Remember, perfection is the enemy of the possible.

So according to John, because we hate kids and voted no on Measure 50 children will die. What a terrible way to frame a debate.

I also have a problem with pro-Measure 50 supporters comments like, "If you don't like it come up with something better" line. No one likes a bully. The Pro-Measure 50 crowd have showed how well they bully those who dare disagree with them.

Sure there are lots of ways to fix this, but the problem is there is only ONE way being put before us. We have two choices, up or down. I'd personally rather see the corporate kicker repealed and part of it be used for health care and the other part for higher education.

The name calling over and accusations over at BO got so bad that I stopped commenting in the Measure 50 threads. More so after this post referring to people who post anti-measure 50 comments as trolls. That and other mob mentality comments on BO make me laugh.

The fact that BO will try to frame the loss as a big tobacco buy off in the next few days will also be pretty funny. Contributors and those who comment on Blue Oregon will try to make it look like everyone who voted against Measure 50 was "bought" by big tobacco and their ads. Nothing could be further from the truth in my case. I did not pay attention to the ads (in fact I was only inside the US for four months this year) and didn't read the Oregon Voter's Pamphlet (again because I voted absentee).

Nope, I'm not gloating. It's more like vindication.

Why I'm voting NO on measure 50

I have been unimpressed with some of the comments on a thread over at Blue Oregon about Measure 50 (also known as the Health Kids Initiative) which will be voted on in the upcoming special election on November 6th. Apparently, it's not cool to be on the wrong side of the "progressive" movement on one issue (as I also found with my anti-Hillary rants when I stated I wouldn't vote for her even in the general election), least you will get attacked for having your own opinion.

Personally I have stated I have two reasons I oppose the measure 1) The measure being a constitutional amendment; 2) The fact that raising the tobacco tax to pay for it is a bad idea in general.

The disclaimers (so read carefully): First, I am not a smoker and in fact my father died because of smoking. Second, I agree with most that the anti-Measure 50 ads are terribly misleading.

My general feeling is that even though Democrats in the Oregon Legislature, even though they have a slim majority and needed 36 votes to pass any tax increase, should have tried harder to come up with other funding sources for the Healthy Kids initiative (which I would support given another funding source). Where that revenue would have come from I don't know.

I understand why it the measure was referred as a constitutional amendment, but that does not make me any less opposed to it. As I said in a post over at BO, adding a constitutional amendment (no matter who puts it on the ballot) should be done only when absolutely necessary. In my opinion, funding for a state program doesn't belong in the constitution.

The Legislature referred it to the people of Oregon in which each one of us has a vote. Regardless of what others feel, I have a right to MY opinion, to state my opinion and to vote. Until you come over and try to tell me otherwise in person, you'd better just deal with it!