With lax oversight, mismanaged Oregon towns veer toward insolvency

Oregonlive.com ^ | 04/15/2012 | By Rachel Stark

[redreno]

When Tiffany Couch's phone rings, it often means trouble for another Oregon city.

Last year she was called to Oakridge, a Lane County timber town of about 3,700 people that in two years ran through $1 million in reserves. She scoured the city's books and interviewed staff in search of fraud or some explanation for the town's financial mess. Couch issued a report of her findings - error-racked budgets, sloppy bookkeeping, overspending - along with her best advice. Then she was off.

Her next client was waiting 130 miles north. Molalla.

The two small towns, Couch learned, share remarkable similarities. The mistakes piled up, the options narrowed, and the towns faced insolvency.

[Signalman]

the cost of providing employee health care and pensions continues to soar.

This is happening throughout the country. But the Dems don't want to confront it. They just want to raise taxes. Not going to work.

[goodnesswins]

Oregon ping

[MasterGunner01]

As a wise man once said: “At sometime in the life of an individual or organization, its ability to succeed in spite of itself runs out.” This is what happens when you run out of other people's money.

[JCBreckenridge]

Why do you think every form of pension reform starts with grandfathering?

That’s the solution - get the young folks of today to pay for health care that they aren’t going to receive.

Thanks boomers. Appreciate it.

[originalbuckeye]

The rising cost of providing employee health care is due to the requirements of Obamacare. Soon employers will drop health care and just pay the Obamacare fine; it's much cheaper than the cost of the health care. When Americans scream that they were told they could keep their health care, Obama will just say ‘it is the fault of your employer. I have no control over employers keeping your health care options open’. Voila! Not his fault and now you will need Obamacare as it's your only option. There was a LOT of thought put into Obamacare. Looks like they figured every angle and came up with a plan that will ultimately end with single-payer.........exactly as they wanted.

[dennisw]

100% white there can’t blame this on minorities

[wintertime]

80% of our county’s property taxes go to the government’s socialist-entitlement schools, yet, in this article there was no mention of schooling.

[kingu]

the cost of providing employee health care and pensions continues to soar.

This is happening throughout the country. But the Dems don't want to confront it. They just want to raise taxes. Not going to work.

Open embezzlement by government employees is no longer as hidden as it used to be, is more the truth. Not only do they set their own salaries, but they set their own benefits, and 'match' these benefits to mythical private employers. And once a benefit is given to a public employee, it is there forever.

I'm willing to simply fire the whole lot and start anew - but if they're willing to stop embezzling a bit, maybe we can reduce some of these benefits and pensions to more reasonable sizes, including their contributions to these benefits.

[Presbyterian Reporter]

“” “I didn’t think a city could get like this,” Barnes said. “Where were the state oversight agencies?” “”

---

More nanny state mentality from the socialist state of Oregon.

This news story is riddled with examples of elected officials not having any competence.

[DB]

Its pretty simple really.

Get government and business out of the health insurance providing business.

If people want health insurance they should go buy it on their own dime just like any other insurance.

Then the health insurance companies would compete for their customers business like car insurance and all the other companies that want to sell you something.

And insurance by definition doesn’t cover preexisting conditions - if it did, no one would buy it until after they need it. That’s just a hard reality of life.

[hinckley buzzard]

Thanks boomers. Appreciate it.

You are welcome. I got my Medicare card last year, and though have paid into it for forty years, and now pay 100 per month premium, I haven't had to use it yet.

But when I do I'll be especially glad that part of the bill will be paid by ignorant insolent jerks like you.

[Political Junkie Too]

Isn't Oregon another failing Democrat enclave, like California and Michigan?

-PJ

[JCBreckenridge]

Ignorant? The system is insolvent. What, do you think that all the money you paid is in a lockbox saved just for you?

It’s a ponzi scheme. They already spent your money.

[The Duke]

But when I do I'll be especially glad that part of the bill will be paid by ignorant insolent jerks like you...

Tell it like it is Brother Obama!

[Paladin2]

Zer0’s fault.

[SeaHawkFan]

Tiffany got a call from some organization in Dallas on Friday afternoon to be in Dallas by 8 a.m. tomorrow.

She is developing quite a national reputation as a financial fraud investigator and forensic accounting expert.

[Joan Kerrey]

The mistakes piled up, the options narrowed, and the towns faced insolvency.

Solution: High speed rail between these towns. The revenue generated from ticket sales and new commerce would immediately give them all surpluses. /s

[Salvation]

If you aren't on this ping list and are interested

in articles about Oregon, please FReepmail me.

[Rio]

Oakridge if famous for funding their city via their speed trap.