Policies

Climate Change Package

mark — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 02:23:31 +0000

Environment Oregon and 1000 Friends are working with a coalition of environmental and other organizations on a comprehensive effort to make Oregon a national leader in solving global warming. We are working actively with Oregon Environmental Council, Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board, and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, as well as other organizations.

Policy Goals

Open Primary

mark — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:47:00 +0000

The Oregon Open Primary: What it Does, Why it Matters

In the May primary election, all registered Oregon voters – regardless of their own political party affiliation – would receive the same ballot, listing all candidates for major offices: U.S. Senator and Representative; Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, and state legislator.

Building Livable Communities and Protecting Farm Land

mark — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 02:28:17 +0000

Oregon is blessed with some of the world’s best farm land. Agriculture in Oregon provides tens of thousands of jobs and healthy, locally grown food for scores of farmers markets, restaurants, and local grocery stores. Our products are also exported nationwide and around the world, providing a boost to the state economy.

Managing urban growth makes our cities and towns more livable, reduces air and water pollution, increases our transportation options, and helps prevent sprawl from gobbling up valuable farm and forest land.

Voter Owned Elections

mark — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:36:05 +0000

Voter Owned Elections
Submitted by Pete Sorenson

About Pete:
Pete Sorenson leads the current effort to enact the Oregon Voter Owned Elections Act. He's a lifelong activist, working on dozens of campaigns. He's managed successful congressional and state senate campaigns, he's been elected to the Oregon state senate and has been elected three times to his current post, lane county commissioner. A multipartisan group of supporters is actively working on this effort.

About the Voter Owned Elections Proposal:

Carbon Tax

mark — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:51:18 +0000

Reforming Oregon’s Tax System:
A Carbon-based Approach

We propose a new approach to Oregon’s tax reform and climate change problems in which a $1.3B/year reduction in personal income tax rates and duplicate taxes are offset by a $1.7B/year tax on carbon-based fossil fuels. The remaining new revenue would be invested in abatements to poor and vulnerable citizens, new sources of clean energy, GHG emissions reductions, and climate change mitigation strategies.

Fighting the Expansion of Mandatory Minimums

mark — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:57:18 +0000

Kevin Mannix, former head of Oregon’s Republican Party and four-time loser in his bids to become Attorney General and Governor, is desperately trying to remain politically relevant and he is doing it at Oregon’s expense. He has already collected and turned in enough signatures to qualify Initiative Petition

The HOPE Initiative

mark — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:21:56 +0000

Summary
Every Oregonian has the fundamental right to access affordable and effective health care, and we need to amend Oregon’s Constitution to explicitly identify that right and require the legislature to develop a plan for a real universal access health care system. The HOPE legislation will refer this constitutional amendment to Oregon voters in the 2008 general election.

Real Estate Transfer Taxes

mark — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:37:56 +0000

Real-Estate Transfer Taxes: Boring name – Big idea

We must increase and stabilize state revenue
For too long, Oregon has ridden the boom and bust cycle of its tax system. When times are good, we are just able to hold the line on state services. When times are bad, our schools, health care system, and public investment crumble. Real estate transfer taxes (RETTs) offer a simple way for local governments and the State to increase support for education, affordable housing, and conservation, and to preserve the livability of our communities.

RETTs are fair and equitable

Informed Growth Act

mark — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 02:17:02 +0000

In the last few years Bend, Medford, Lincoln City, Central Point, Lebanon, Oregon City, Hillsboro, Gresham, Cedar Mill, Corvallis, Hood River, Cornelius, and Portland have all had grassroots citizen campaigns to stop unwanted Big Box development. In many cases the campaigns are very costly, and local laws narrow the area of contention to traffic increases

The Oregon Informed Growth Act (to be introduced during the 2009 session) would give an invaluable tool for communities and be an excellent campaign plank for local progressive candidates throughout the state.

Teacher Mentoring

mark — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:00:35 +0000

Policy Idea: Provide every new teacher, principal, and superintendent in Oregon with a high-quality mentor – a strategy proven to boost student achievement (especially among low-income students and students of color, improve new teacher retention, and save taxpayer dollars).

Where the policy idea is in the legislative or political process:
- Fall 2006: Stand for Children won support from Governor Kulongoski who put $5 million for program start-up in his 2007-09 budget.

Health Insurance for Young Adults

mark — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:58:36 +0000

Problem:
About 30 percent of adults ages 18 to 24, and more than one-quarter of adults 25 to 34, are uninsured, though the average for all age groups is 16 percent, according to figures released by the Census Bureau in August 2006. This makes young adults the most likely to be uninsured.

Currently, Oregon law only requires that health care policies include dependents up to the age of 19. In a time when adult children are more likely to remain financially dependent upon their parents, this is out of line.

A Look at What Other States Have Done:

Green Building

mark — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:04:00 +0000

IMPROVING OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Proposal: Require new buildings to be built to high green-building design standards.

Background: According to the US Green Building Council, “The built environment has a profound impact on our natural environment, economy, health, and productivity.” What’s the big deal, you might think. Buildings just sit there, right? Well, consider this: in the United States alone, buildings account for:
• 65% of electricity consumption,
• 36% of energy use,
• 30% of greenhouse gas emissions,
• 30% of raw materials use,

Fusion Voting

mark — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 07:32:29 +0000

Fusion Voting: A Simple but Powerful Reform
or "How to be true to our politics and still win"

Fusion voting is a simple democratic reform that gives minor parties the option to cross-nominate a candidate from another party if that candidate supports their issues. The votes on each party line are tallied separately and then added together for that candidate's total. This way, voters can vote for their party and their issues on their ballot line without worrying about spoiling or wasting their vote.

Real ID Repeal Campaign

mark — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:09:31 +0000

Passed by Congress in 2005 without any hearings, Real ID turns our driver licenses into national identification cards. If Oregon complies, Real ID will quickly turn into a Real Nightmare for us all!

Pro-Government Campaign

mark — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:04:46 +0000

“It’s gonna take the government (stupid!)”
Changing the Public Perception of Government

Answers to Policy Battle Royale Contest Questions

What’s the current strategy and general timeline?

Reinvigorating trust in and support for government will be one of OCPP’s principal areas of work in 2008 and beyond. Not only will it constitute a specific campaign, but the idea itself will be woven into all of OCPP’s policy work.

Same Day Voter Registration

mark — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:16:06 +0000

ADVANTAGES OF ELECTION DAY REGISTRATION
Election Day Registration (EDR), also known as “same-day voter registration,” permits eligible citizens to register and vote on Election Day. Six states had EDR for the 2004 elections.

- They boast higher-than-average voter turnout;
- Reported few problems with fraud;
- Insignificant changes in costs, or administrative difficulty; and
- Enhanced citizen’s participation in our democratic process.

Meeting the Challenge of Autism

mark — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:10:30 +0000

The Problem Oregon has the second highest per capita number of children diagnosed on the autism spectrum (one out of every 98 of our kids), and our families, schools, communities, and social services are not prepared to deal with this growing crisis. Parents do not have anything close to the resources needed to care for, and pay for, treatments that are vital to children with autism. Schools are already overwhelmed with the cost and difficulty of providing effective educational service to a population that requires specialized knowledge and teaching strategies.