Since the costs for schools and health care are before us now, and the only proposal to deal with them is Measure 97, the two issues are closely related. If not Measure 97, then what? We do not sustain the Oregon Health Plan, which has made a dramatic difference in the lives of a great many Oregonians? We force the schools to make drastic cuts when Oregon already has one of the shortest school years and lowest graduation rates in the nation? Yes, Measure 97 has to stand up to scrutiny, and it will likely raise prices on some items. But Oregon's revenue system is a disaster now. Oregon is one of only 4 states without a sales tax. We have no "third leg" for revenues the way other states due. We lurch from budget crisis to budget crisis. Measure 97 fixes this in a much better way than a sales tax, partly by leveraging corporations, who in turn will leverage the federal government through reduced tax payments. It's not just the only solution on the table, it's also a darn good one.