Seneca Jones Timber posts another stupid anti-Kitzhaber sign in Portland

Kyle Curtis

If you live in Portland--particularly if your daily commute brings you into downtown--then you have seen the sign(s). With large black font on a stark white background, they intone: "It's not a red or blue issue. It's a black and white issue. Oregon needs fiscally responsible leadership."

The signs are paid for by Seneca Jones Timber Co. in support of Dennis Rchardson's campaign for Governor, and are much more straight-forward in its messaging than its vaguely-worded predecessor which materialized over the summer and literally threw a bunch of words against the side of a wall to see what might stick. (The bridge? The website? Rudy Crew? etc.)

But this time the message is clear: Since John Kitzhaber is a Democrat, by definition he is a reckless spender who lacks fiscally responsible leadership. Right? Right? How about wrong.

Let's take a look at a few facts here:

• When Kitzhaber was sworn into office for an unprecedented third term as Governor in January 2011, the state's unemployment rate stood at 10 percent. In August 2014, Oregon's unemployment rate dropped nearly three points to 7.2 percent.
• The state added 40,000 non-farm jobs between August 2013 and August 2014, a clear metric that the state's economy is improving.
• In 2013, Oregon's rate of personal income grew at 3.5 percent, the fifth-highest growth rate in the country.
• Also in 2013, Oregon had the third-highest job growth in the nation, with a job base that expanded by 2.4 percent.
• By any measure, Oregon's economy is humming along. In fact, this past summer Oregon businesses posted 50,000 positions, their most job openings in six years.
• In fact, Oregon's economy is running so well and outperforming previous estimates, that projected increased revenues could result in state lawmakers dealing with the good/bad problem of returning the entire surplus back to taxpayers via the "kicker" refund.

So now, in that list of positive economic news that has occurred in Oregon under Kitzhaber's leadership the past four years, can anyone point to the lack of "fiscally responsible leadership?" Because I sure can't.

In fact, the question that needs to be answered by Seneca Jones Timber Co. and the Dennis Richardson campaign is whether Governor Kitzhaber should receive any praise or credit for Oregon's burgeoning economy, or if this all occurred despite of actions taken by the Governor. Because the central core tenant of this sign is that Governor Kitzhaber's leadership is bad for the state's economy. Which is absolutely, patently false.

Let's play a fun game. Let's pretend that this sign wasn't about the Governor's race, but instead targeted President Obama. I mean, it could more or less be the same thing. Would you think that the recent news of the nation's 5.9 unemployment rate reaching the lowest level since before the 2008 recession--and that the country's current deficit represents just 2.8 percent of total GDP, the lowest since 2008 as well--would prevent Republicans from putting up a sign criticizing Obama for a lack of "fiscally responsible leadership?" Of course not! Obama's a Democrat, and therefore he's bad for the economy--truth be damned!

And that's exactly the same message beyond this stupid, stupid sign. Never mind truth or facts. Governor Kitzhaber is bad for the economy. The black letters on the white background say so.

I mean, I get it. In a state in which Democrats hold a 55.7 percent advantage between voters registered between the two main political parties, the Republicans don't have a chance to return to Mahonia Hall unless they are able to secure increased support from Democratic-leaning voters in the Portland metro area. But I guess instead of adopting policies in line with the majority of the Oregon electorate, their solution is to make spurious claims regarding "fiscally responsible leadership" on the side of a building.

Pathetic.

By Kyle Curtis Oct. 13, 2014