Oregon Investment Act (OIA) – HB4040:

Submitted by State Treasurer, Ted Wheeler, along with a bi-partisan list of co-sponsors, the OIA has language aimed at helping get loans to Oregon small businesses, the bill also places a strong focus on incentives for so-called “venture capital” expansion, going so far as to create tax advantages for venture capital firms should they bring their money to Oregon.  The OIA is not a State Bank bill.  However, it can be an opportunity to focus the State’s investment practices towards helping small businesses and family farms. Click here for our legislative critique of this bill.

Saving Oregon’s Paper Mills (and Jobs!) – HB4142:

The export of America’s paper waste to China is negatively impacting Oregon’s paper mills – causing them to struggle with high prices and dwindling supply.  These struggles have contributed to mill closures and bankruptcies and hundreds of jobs lost throughout the state — with more on the brink.

HB4142, sponsored by Co-Speaker Arnie Roblan, the Republican and Democratic chairs of the Business and Labor Committee, and many other Representatives, will begin to address this problem by expanding the state’s preference for procurement of recycled products which is already written into law*, to include a preference for paper manufactured at paper mills located in the state. as long as the cost of that paper does not exceed the cost of non-recycled paper or paper manufactured outside Oregon by more than 10%.

This is not the full solution to the closure of our paper mills, but coupled with federal action it could help to save thousands of family wage green jobs in our State.

For a full analysis of the issue, CLICK HERE.
For a fact sheet regarding this issue, CLICK HERE.

Stay tuned to our website as the 2012 legislative session moves along for more updates on these and other pieces of legislation that will have an impact on Oregon’s working families.
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*(ORS 279A.125)

CLICK HERE TO RSVP FOR THIS EVENT

There’s a movement sweeping across Oregon – a movement that is questioning where the state puts its money.

It’s a movement that is asking how we can build a more self sufficient economy independent from the power of Wall Street.  It is a movement demanding that we use our common financial resources to support small Oregon businesses and family farmers–not out-of-state mega banks.

Last legislative session, a proposal to create a State Bank just barely missed a chance for a floor vote.  However, the fight didn’t stop there.

Join the Oregon Working Families Party at a forum to discuss these critical issues.

Date: February 1st, 2012
Time:  6:00 – 7:30pm
Location: Auditorium of the Salem Public Library

Note: A membership meeting of the Mid-Valley chapter of the WFP will follow directly after this forum.  Those who wish to attend this meeting may do so, but decision making will be reserved for WFP members.

Yesterday, Oregon Senator Wyden teamed up with the leader of the Tea Party Caucus, Congressman Ryan to release their bi-partisan “agreement” that they claim is only a push to “modify” Medicare and lower costs.  However, this “compromise” would actually eliminate Medicare all together by driving program beneficiaries into private insurance plans.

This proposal is so bad, that the Gray Panthers–the organization that Ron Wyden led in Oregon for 6 years –had this to say about it:

“If this plan were implemented, retired, elderly persons would be responsible for health care cost inflation caused by a grossly inefficient and corrupt medical-industrial complex, over which they have absolutely no control.”

Sorry, but this deal is hardly our idea of finding a sensible middle ground.  Oregonians don’t believe in undermining Medicare by giving in to the unfettered market ideology of the Tea Party.

Working Oregonians deserve better, and Senator Wyden needs to know.  Take a moment to sign our petition to Senator Wyden today:

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1306/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5185

The Oregon WFP has been a leader in the state on the issue of attacking the root causes of bank consolidation and in offering viable alternatives to the problem such as our legislative proposal to create the Oregon State Bank. We have also played a key role in launching the new campaign Oregon Banks Local, in which we researched and rated every bank and credit union in the state to find out how local they truly are.

Now the Oregon is being recognized as a leader in this national movement to strengthen local economies and create a more resilient, community-scale financial system. Take a moment to read all about it in this Nation article entitled “The Oregon Trail to Banking Local.”

Where do Portland city subsidies go? Fighting poverty or supporting the demands of downtown developers and the richest 1%?

The Oregon WFP believes that the 99% have for too long been closed out of the halls of power–whether that is in Washington D.C., Salem, or in City Halls across the state. We believe the Occupy movement taking root all across the country is putting the needs of working people where they belong: at the center of our national debate.

Barbara’s article was also reprinted at Commondreams.org.

This coalition researched all of the banks doing business in Oregon and weighed several objectively measurable factors to rate how local the banks and credit unions truly are.

Head on over to the website to see the research, and get all the information you need to start moving your money:

www.oregonbankslocal.org

That’s okay, you can watch the video here:

Oregon\’s 1st Congressional District Campaign Forum

Help us tell Congressman Schrader to vote “NO” on the job-killing Korea Free Trade Agreement. Donate now to help us get this ad on the air.

I want to buy one ad for $24.

I want to buy two ads for $48.

I want to buy five ads for $120.

I want to contribute some other amount to support the effort.

Congressman Kurt Schrader is saying he supports the Korea Free Trade Agreement, which would be the largest free trade deal since NAFTA. This trade agreement would mean more closed factories and more Oregonians out of work. Despite the federal government’s own estimates that this deal will make our trade deficit worse, Kurt Schrader appears ready to side with Wall Street by supporting this new free trade agreement with South Korea.

Here’s the goal…

We hope to run this ad in the heart of Kurt Schrader’s congressional district. If we can raise $1560 we will be able to play this ad next week (starting on 7/11/11) on the radio once an hour between the hours of 6 AM and 7 PM in Newport and the surrounding areas. If we reach our fund raising goal we will be able to run this ad simultaneously on two stations in the district.

Each run of the ad will cost $24/spot. Can you contribute $24 dollars to run the ad? How about $48 or $120? If we work together we can send a clear message to Congressman Kurt Schrader: “No more NAFTA’s! No more job-killing free trade agreements!”

Make your contribution now –>

He recently gave an interview to his union newsletter discussing his support of the the WFP.  According to Ray, “The trade union movement is supposed to be about social justice. The WFP is bringing in other community organizations. It’s not just about unions. It’s about working families, working people. If we are inclusive, it will help our own organizing efforts.”

Read the whole interview here.