So it is with Tim Knopp, who dislodged a competent fellow Republican in the May primary for a state senate seat from the Bend area.
He did so with money from the Koch brothers, who are spending millions to unseat President Obama.
A pet project of the Koch brothers, who are multimillionaires, is to get rid of the estate tax, which only affects the very rich like the Koch brothers.
So, Knopp, which indeed rhymes with dope, is now pushing the repeal of the estate tax in Oregon.
The claim is that the poor "family" farmer won't be able to pass their farm onto their heirs because of our "extreme" estate taxes.
And how many family farms have been lost to the estate tax in Oregon?
Zero.
How man family farms have been lost to the estate tax across America?
Zero.
It is a completely bogus claim perpetuated by a media too stupid to properly inform it readers, viewers or listeners.
But, what would a repeal of the Oregon estate tax mean for government services in Oregon?
Well, it would mean one less week of school for all public school students. Knopp doesn't care about public schools, or public universities, because he home-schools his kids.
It would mean less money for higher education. Yes, that means there would be no money for the expansion of OSU-Cascades in Bend, a supposedly pet project of folks like Knopp.
Why do these ignorant conservatives think that if there is less money for education at all levels, that it will somehow expand educational opportunities?
Well, it won't.
If you want a full-fledged, four-year university in Bend, you're going to have to pay for it.
You can't borrow your way to get it and you can't get rid of the estate tax to fund it.
You have to pay for it.
Get it.
Pay for it, through taxes like the estate tax.
Knopp has demonstrated once again that he does not belong anywhere near state government or any government since he is opposed to the foundation of our government.
The estate tax separates us from the old aristocracies of Europe.
You want another revolution? Get rid of the estate tax and we'll get one.
Knopp is not only a dope, he's a very scary dope who has no problem telling another Big Lie.
ReplyDeleteXray, we love your piece...
ReplyDeleteThe price of repeal in Oregon is $100,000,000 a year. That's enough to pay for a week of school for every K-12 kid. No small number. Ir's a matter of priorities, 730 affluent families get another tax break or 560,000 kids get another week of school?