Republican Representative Disappointed in Passage of Bills That Help Education and the Poor

An Oregon politician who leaves the NW to patrol the Mexican border in an airplane, votes against funding schools, DHS, and regulating payday loan companies.

(SALEM) - Representative Jeff Kropf District has issued a statement about his voting record on the recent Special Session in the Oregon State Legislature. His points illustrate the amazing contrast between some elected Republican leaders, and the majority of Oregonians who clearly support schools, and the housing and nutritional needs of kids and poor people.

Kropf says the only item out of five that he supported was HB 3511, known as Jessica`s Law. This bill increases mandatory minimum sentences to 25 years for those convicted of sexually abusing children. The bill also requires lifetime post-prison supervision. Elated Kropf stated, `Finally we are getting tough with sexual predators that prey on our children!"

He does not make mention of Oregon`s Measure 11, which clearly establishes mandatory minimum sentences for sex predators and other criminals.

This GOP heavy hitter, who sometimes leaves Oregon to fly his airplane along the U.S./Mexican border searching for illegal immigrants as a member of the `Minutemen," was not impressed with the other four bills in the session.

To sum it up, Kropf is disappointed that schools are getting additional funding, he is unhappy that the program that takes care of the poor in Oregon is receiving assistance, and he doesn`t think regulating payday loan companies from ridiculous interest rates is a good idea.

HB 3510 provides $42.2 million in unanticipated Oregon Lottery revenues to schools. The revenues will be distributed to schools statewide based on a formula. The legislation specifically excludes Education Service Districts from receiving the additional revenues. Kropf opposed this bill saying, `if ever there was the perfect time to start an education rainy day fund it is now."

Educational Service Districts, a mystery to most members of the general public, had their beginnings with the State Legislature's creation of regional education centers in 1963. They receive enormous amounts of educational funding from the government. They supply materials to schools and they conduct teacher training and other duties. As schools take major heat from the media and politicians like Kropf for funding issues, organizations like EDS`s go on quietly in the background paying salaries for many employees, large salaries in some cases, and supporting in Salem`s case, an enormous building at the public`s expense. EDS`s do not exist in all states. Many critics charge that they are ineffective and that funds could be far better used.

The next bill voted on was the DHS budget-fix. SB 5644 allocated $53 million to the agency upfront to address the shortfall. The Emergency Board will reserve an additional $80 million for use with some restrictions. The DHS bill also includes a provision, agreed upon at the last Emergency Board meeting, to divert $1.1 million from the Family Health Insurance Assistance program to the State child Health Insurance program.

When asked about DHS Kropf said, `It is much too early to give more money to an agency that has a history of fiscal mis-management. We should wait until we see the consultants report due out in May, which will likely make a number of recommendations to fix the systemic fiscal problems of DHS." Kropf continued, `We have truly missed an opportunity by acting too quickly when we could have waited just a month longer without any interruptions of services to DHS clients."

In the mid 1990`s, Oregon still stood out as a state that led in many areas, and established national priorities. That was during a time when our politicians spent more time here than patrolling the Mexican border. Today the Oregon Health Plan is all but unavailable to the state`s poor unless they meet extremely specific criteria. More Oregonians than ever are living uninsured.

SB 1106 restored the Portland School District`s authority to collect a property tax rate of $5.27 per $1,000 of assessed value. The district expects the authority to generate $15 million in additional annual revenues. When asked about this bill Kropf stated, `It`s unfair to the school districts I serve. We are just rewarding Portland schools for their bad behavior." Kropf went on to say `this is the classic co-dependent relationship and the legislature is the enabler."

Pay Day Loan Reform was housed in SB 1105. Similar to the petition currently circulating, the bill caps annual interest rates at 36 percent and loan origination fees at 10 percent. It prohibits payday lenders from issuing or renewing loans for less than 31 days or from changing any fees other than interest or dishonored check fees.

`This is just another example of the nanny state saving us from ourselves," said Rep. Kropf. `What about personal responsibility?"

Payday loan companies have sprung up throughout much of Oregon, and Salem is one city that has not taken steps to regulate them. Efforts to control them in other cities have experienced success. The amount of interest that payday loan companies have been charging poor people (few others have any need for the service) can fairly be called exorbitant amounts.

It is an interesting point in time for Oregonians, and the contrast in motivations among politicians in this state is nearly astounding.