Today's News: March 21, 2011

Headlines today show the local impacts of budget cuts - as educators, police troopers and other critical services suffer. The Statesman Journal takes an heart-wrenching in-depth look at five small elementary schools in the Salem-Keizer area and strapped counties look to Salem.

Last Friday, hundreds of Oregonians protested at US Bank locations across the state to demand that the bank negotiate a better contract with the state that doesn't further squeeze the unemployed.

It's a simple fact: Oregon's wealthiest households will pay a lower state tax rate next year than they did this year. The top rate, in fact, will drop by 10%. Chuck Sheketoff questions the wisdom of cutting taxes ($134 million worth) for the wealthiest while we're slashing jobs and school services in an attempt to save money.

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