The latest scam from Salem

Are you as outraged as I am? Some highly paid honchos in the Oregon Lottery Commission are now working remotely. And get this – they're living out of state, meaning they can claim that their State of Oregon salaries are not Oregon-source income, and thus not subject to our state's painful income tax. One's phoning it in from Florida, where there is no state income tax on individuals.

Not only that, but when they come to Oregon on business, we the taxpayers get to pay their travel expenses. Sheesh!

Liz Merah, a spokeswoman for Gov. Kate Brown, says the policy shift reflects new realities.

“The governor recognizes that one positive aspect of the pandemic is that it has changed how we approach the modern workplace,” Merah says. “Within state government, we have evolved to a place where remote and hybrid work is encouraged when feasible.”

This is complete, total, utter hogwash, my friends. I wonder how many other scoundrels on the state payroll are pulling this, or thinking about it. About 500 state employees reportedly now work remotely.

One guy in the Legislature is all hot about the travel expenses. But to heck with that – the real money is the lost income taxes. If there's going to be a change in the rules here, the Legislature should immediately declare that all State of Oregon employee compensation is Oregon-source income for Oregon income tax purposes, period.

You could cut these employees' salaries (and pension contributions) 10 percent instead, and get to the same place, but it's the principle of the thing. They ought to be paying state income taxes in Oregon, just like the rest of us.

The three gubernatorial candidates should have to speak to this in no uncertain terms. Will anybody ask them?

One thing's for sure: There is no scoundrel like a government bureaucrat. The higher up in the chain of command, the worse.