Sen. Susan Castillo, D-Eugene, and Rep. Phil Barnhart, D-Eugene, hosted a town hall meeting Thursday evening at South Eugene High School to update concerned citizens on current legislative issues and provide an overview of the Governor’s budget recommendations.
“The goal here is to lay out a context for the budget, and where we are for this legislative session,” State Budget Director Theresa McHugh said as she walked through the 2001-2003 Governor’s Recommended Budget.
Addressing the shortfall in this year’s state budget, Castillo weighed in on the severity of Oregon’s financial condition.
“This is a really tough budget,” she said. “People will see, no part of our budget looks good — everybody is getting cuts, big-time cuts.”
While discussing everything from budget forecasts to tax kickers, the forum boiled down Oregon’s budget woes to one problem: not enough money.
With the constant talk of a federal surplus and the Bush administration’s proposed tax cut, one could easily miss the financial crisis Oregon faces.
Castillo expressed concern over the public’s confusion between state government and federal government, citing a recent survey that found nearly 40 percent of Oregonians surveyed believed the state was looking at a projected budget surplus.
“I would love to see television do a better job — all media do a better job — of covering state government,” Castillo said. “I think people are getting state government confused with the federal government.”
Both Castillo and Barnhart said more should be done to facilitate communication with elected officials. Town hall meetings are one attempt at that communication, but both urged citizens to write their elected officials more often so they can understand the issues of the people they represent.
“We get very few comments from constituents about what people want,” Barnhart said, mentioning that much contact comes in the form of complaints.
Barnhart stressed that this type of contact with legislators can directly affect their everyday work.
He recalled a legislative vote he had participated in earlier that day, in which he wasn’t quite sure how to vote on the issue. But the public comment he had received made the decision for him.
“An e-mail I received from a constituent earlier today ultimately determined how I voted,” he said.