It was like that when I got hired on in 2006. Four years later people were coming out of the woodwork to work for the state due to the recession. 

The salaries are still lower than private sector by and large, but with benefits it's about the same. We do need a balanced budget, I just hope it's not all on the backs of the newest workers, which is traditionally the case. We also have a low effective corporate tax rate in Oregon. Solutions may need to come from multiple sources.