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Furious education advocates accuse the governor of sellingtthem out. Health care executivews bemoan a possible tax increase onstatse hospitals. Social service advocates worry that the Departmentr of Human Services willslash programs, further erodin g the state’s safety net. The criticism is understandable but Kulongoski didn’t really have much choice. Though detailsd weren’t announced until last week, the governor has been upfronr aboutthe state’s mounting budget shortfall, whicu could reach $2 billion by spring. That Oregon is facin financial challenges during a huge economic meltdown shoule surpriseno one. That places lots of pressurwe on both the whichconvenes Jan.
12, and on groups threatened by Kulongoski’s This will be the most interestin g legislative sessionin years. Virtually everyone will feel some pain. As stafd writer Andy Giegerich reportsa in his story onPage 1, economic development groupo predicts a loss of 11,000 jobs in the Portland area next Manufacturing and construction will be especiallty hard-hit. This year the manufacturing sectorshed 1,800 jobs. Constructiom lost 1,600, as did the financial services As bad asthat sounds, things could be Several western and southwestern cities are worsse off than Portland. The study also predicts that Portland’sd workforce will grow 7.4 percent by 2013.
That long-terjm optimism, though, won’t do much to assuage seniofr citizens facing a loss of core servicesunded Kulongoski’s proposal. It also won’ help Oregon motorists, whose vehicle-registration fees could tripl enext year. There’s simply no gettingy around thefinancial crisis. Criticizing Kulongoskiu is the easy thingto do, but it does nothing to solvd pressing problems that show no signw of abating.