Ron has been running around telling folks that we can fully fund the Oregon State Police if we privatize the food service at state prisons - just like they did in Washington County. Here's the story from the Oregonian:

His chief opponent, Republican Ron Saxton, said he, too, wants more money for state police and wants the patrol force increased closer to past levels. However, he said he said he would find the money through efficiencies, such as reducing the cost of feeding inmates in state prisons or other, undescribed cost-cutting methods.

But today's Eugene Register-Guard reports that the state, through centralized purchasing and the endeavors of public workers, is actually paying less per meal than Washington County:

Prison officials consider the program a real success story. Since Monem traded his gig with a major commercial food vendor for one with the Oregon Department of Corrections, the state has seen its costs drop from $3.95 per inmate a day in 1997 to $2.38 [79 cents a meal]. Only 11 states feed their prisoners more cheaply than Oregon does, according to a U.S. Department of Justice study.

[..]

Saxton's spokeswoman, Angela Wilhelms, said when the candidate talks about counties spending half what the state does to feed inmates, he's actually comparing the costs of two counties to the state.

One is Washington County, where a switch from government-run to contractor-provided food service cut costs by about one-third, said Sgt. Todd Iverson, who oversees the program.

The contract leaves the county paying between 83 cents and 89 cents per meal.

What is particularly sad is that Saxton's numbers were already debunked in the primary. But that hasn't stopped him yet. We can only guess that it doesn't matter what you say if you're only concern is saying whatever you think it will take to get elected.