Oregon voters have raised taxes on the richest among them.

They chose to soak the fat boys and spread it out thin, in the words of Willie Stark in “All the King’s Men.” Or in the words of millionaire Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, they engaged in “class warfare.”

Whatever their motivation, they chose raising taxes on households making more than $250,000 and corporations instead of closing schools early, laying off teachers and slashing the social safety net.

These are the same Oregon voters who voted to limit regulatory takings, limited property taxes, rejected a sales tax and turned down new income taxes. It’s not like they love taxes.

Voters made this choice despite warning from business leaders that they would drive away entrepreneurs and force existing businesses to slash jobs.

Don’t hold your breath that Idaho will follow. The initiative was pushed by the state’s public employee unions, who worked hard to make the case to voters that protecting schools and services would protect the economy as much as low taxes.

Idaho’s unions are politically toothless thanks to the passage of a “Right to Work” law in the state in the 1980s. Idaho lawmakers are actually talking about cutting taxes for the rich based on the hope it will create jobs.

So Oregon’s vote coupled with Idaho’s inherent deep cuts in education, social services and all state government services gives people on both sides of the issue a real chance to prove who is right. Will the state that raises taxes to protect schools and services do better economically than the state that keeps taxes low?

All across the West other states are struggling with the same problems because states have to balance their budgets. Oregon pioneered the regulatory takings laws and then adjusted it when it didn’t turn out the way they had hoped.

Most of all Oregon pioneered the initiative process of direct legislation, where voters, not elected lawmakers, make the laws. William S. U’Ren led the effort to give voters the chance for initiatives and referendums while a legislator in 1898.

He led the effort to expand it to local governments with a constitutional amendment in 1906. Under his leadership Oregonians banned free railroad passes, made U.S. senate election by popular vote instead of by the Legislature, established a presidential primary, and gave voters the power to recall officials.

If Idaho Republicans are right, then our state should directly benefit as businesses choose to come here instead of staying in a place that will hit them with taxes. If Oregon Democrats are right, those businesses will stay because the leaders and employees have kids in school.