Do any of our elected officials have a clue that you cannot get water out of a rock? The Lane County Commissioners don’t. They voted themselves a $10,000 raise.

I could care less that they want their pay to be comparable to other counties. Let’s just focus on this county. Blue-collar workers don’t take home enough to live on, they have been taxed to death, and our elected officials vote themselves a pay raise.

Oregon was recently ranked the ninth-highest nationally for overall tax burden, and yet the solution to all problems in this state is add another tax. I’ve never been in favor of a sales tax, but when the people have no more to give, what else is there?

Roughly 25% to 30%, if not more, is taken from your gross pay in Oregon, and the state and federal government want more. The time for a sales tax is long overdue. Then, getting rid of the state income tax needs to be done. More money will be generated with a sales tax than an income tax.

To the county commissioners and any elected official, if all you are concerned about is pay, you’re there for the wrong reason.

Also, don’t beat the sales tax to the ground and then pick it up and continue to beat it into the ground like a dead horse. The well is dry.

Steven E. Hunnicutt
Eugene