My Hometown Paper

lays it on the line about the "achievements" of the Oregon legislature.

It acknowledges the legislature, though it took months and months, finally agreed upon a budget, and it also made some needed changes to the Public Employees Retirement System.

However, as the title of the editorial tells us, "the record-setting legislative session leaves pork-filled dreck on our plate." Here are a couple of the "highlights":

"State support for a Major League Baseball stadium in Portland. Backers rejiggered the plan again and again until it became palatable enough to pass. But Portland's bid to lure the Montreal Expos took a great deal of effort on the part of people whose heads were in the outfield when they should have been pitching in, so to speak, on the basics...

"A higher speed limit. Thanks to the singlemindedness of West Linn Rep. Randy Miller and apparent lack of interest on the part of Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Oregon drivers soon will have the green light to hit 70 mph on some freeways. Which means, of course, that everyone will drive at least 80. Stand back..."