OR Progressive Party mailed this letter to all Oregon US Representatives regarding ending all American military involvement in Yemen

Dear Congress(person)

The American military-industrial adventure in Yemen has resulted in the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world today. Over 24 million people are in need to humanitarian assistance, including water and sanitation services. More than 15 million people are on the verge of starvation. 1.1 million people are suffering from the world’s largest outbreak of cholera. 2 million people are now refugees. 
  
While Congress was prevented from voting last year to end American assistance to Saudi Arabia in their unholy war on Yemen, a New Year has dawned with the possibilities of a vote. The Senate voted last year to end American involvement. Congress must vote this year; the sooner the better.  
  
The Oregon Progressive Party demands that all members of Oregon’s Congressional delegation lead on this issue, pushing for the earliest possible vote, and then for all Oregon members to vote Yes for ending all American involvement (stop providing arms to Saudi Arabia, stop its refueling of military jets and stop all training activities) in this civil war.  
  
We look forward to your respond.  

David Delk, Chair of OR Progressive Party had this Letter to Editor published:

The Daily Astorian declares some Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) reforms — those that would result in less economically secure state workers — “solid ideas” ("Our View: Solid ideas for restructuring PERS," Jan. 3). So, let’s look at a couple of other ideas that don’t amount to an attack on public employees’ well being, but still would reduce PERS public employers’ costs.

1. Direct the expected $724 million upcoming state kicker to the PERS system to reduce the unfunded actuarial liability. The Legislature is empowered to redirect that kicker from taxpayer kicker refunds to other uses, like funding the PERS system. After all, the bottom 20 percent of taxpayers will get only an average of only $13. Not getting the kicker would not be a hardship, so let’s just divert the whole kicker to a higher purpose — PERS reform.

2. The Legislature could create a new tax surcharge on current benefits paid to the top 7 percent of PERS beneficiaries, those making over $6,001 to as much as $76,111 monthly. That revenue would be directed to the PERS funding difficulties. Applying a conservative surcharge of 7 percent on the PERS income of the top 7 percent would generate new revenue exceeding $54 million/annually at minimum. Making the flat 7 percent surcharge progressive would generate even more revenue.

Let’s get these two options into the public conversation, and on the minds of our elected officials in Salem.

DAVID DELK

Oregon Progressive Party supports Internet service as a right in the 21st century. It should be regarded as a public utility just like water or electricity instead of a huge profit century for very large multi-national corporations. Everyone without regard to income or economic status should have the same ability to access Internet service.

We can create a public municipal broadband system in Multnomah County with your help. Municipal Broadband PDX is asking that you call Portland city commissioners with this ask: “Support providing $100,000 for a feasibility study for developing a municipal broadband utility”.

Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved $150,000 for a broadband study earlier this year along with the communities of Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, and Wood Village. Portland is the last Multnomah County city to approve. City of Portland council will announce a decision on Nov. 26, 2018, so your action is needed now.

More details, talking points and ways to make this contact are here.

We were asked recently to withdraw our Progressive Party candidate by Oregon governor. This is our explanation for our refusal to do so.

Thanks for your note and your heartfelt plea for us to withdraw Chris Henry from the governor's race. We won't do that. Chris Henry would need to do that; even if he did, his name would still be on the ballot and he would still get votes.

Note that those votes are not stolen from Kate Brown. The Democrats do not own our votes; they need to earn them. While many Democrats are progressive people and we might elect to support them (thinking about Bernie Sanders who had the Progressive Party endorsement for Pres or some candidates for state legislature) but that would only be because they have taken stands which support a non-corporate agenda, especially by supporting limits on campaign contributions. I know that Kate likes to talk about her support for limitations but far as we can tell, she did the least possible while she was Secretary of State and during her time as governor to actually enact any. We note that environmentally she does not take strong stands in favor of addressing climate change (she has yet to oppose Jordon Cove LNG or to be a strong advocate for removal of diesel trucks on our roads, or for the inclusion of forests and agriculture in the carbon energy jobs bill). She bargained with Nike and the unions to not increase corporate taxes when enough signatures had been collected to qualify for the ballot. Therefore, voters did not get to weigh in on the question. She is not the kind of leader we need.

Lately, note that every election cycle the same argument is made. You need to support so-and-so; if you run a candidate against so-and-so you will ensure that the other so-and-so will win and the world will collapse. Then, win or lose, after the election democrats fail to support election reforms like proportional representation or ranked choice voting, which would solve the problem and allow everyone to support and vote for the candidate(s) they really want.

We as a party will continue to run candidates. We will not accept blame for the failures of other parties. And we will not remove our candidate for governor.

Oregon elections awash in special interest money. Just look at the governor race. This race is spending 50% more than the last most expensive governor race. WOW! Time to limit campaign contributions.

Update on Oregon Governor Race Engulfed in Record-Breaking Tidal Wave of Money

Oregon is one of only 5 states with no limits on political campaign contributions; the others are Alabama, Nebraska, Utah, and Virginia.  One result is this year's record-breaking spending by candidates for Governor of Oregon.  Both candidates are relying upon huge contributions that would be illegal in 40 other states.

As of 7 days ago, the Kate Brown campaign has reported raising $13.9 million, while the Knute Buehler campaign has raised $16.5 million.  Both campaigns have raised only 10% of its funds from contributions of under $200.

David Delk, Chair of the Oregon Progressive Party, was published by The Oregonian, calling for TV stations and universities sponsoring gubernatorial debates this fall to include all three major party candidates, Democrat Kate Brown , Republican Knute Buehler and Patrick Starnes, the candidate of the Independent Party of Oregonian

The letter:

Oregon is the only state with three major political parties -- Democrats, Republicans and Independents. In the primary election, each of these parties selected a candidate for governor. The public looks forward to hearing debates between these candidates.  

Despite our desire, one of the candidates is being left out. Independent Party candidate Patrick Starnes has not been invited to debate alongside Democrat Gov. Kate Brown and Republican Rep. Knute Buehler in two widely-viewed TV station debates and one public university debate. 

I cry foul. The system is rigged. And it has been for too long. The Independent Party candidate needs to be included. Who knows, maybe if he is heard, we might get more than the 30 percent turnout we had in the primary elections.  

Or perhaps the Democrats and Republicans do not want a candidate whose primary issue is getting big special interests out of our elections to have a platform. 

All gubernatorial debates should include at least all the major party candidates. 

David Delk, NE Portland

These are the major upcoming debates. Please any and all and insist that at least all the major party candidates be invited to participate.

Children First for Oregon will host a debate in Portland in either late September or early October.
KOBI-NBC TV will host an October 4th debate in Medford.
KGW-NBC TV will host a debate in Portland during the week of October 8th.
KATU-ABC and Portland State University will host a debate in Portland on October 15th

OR Progressive Party Chair David Delk interview Suzana Gordon on her new book, "The Battle for Veterans' Healthcare, Dispatches From the Front lines of Policy Making and Patient Care" on his cable access program, The Populist Dialogues.

More Services/No cuts/Tax the Rich!

Julia DeGraw, Progressive Party endorsed candidate for Portland City council (Position 2, currently filled by Nick Fish) Julia DeGraw last week announced her BRASS TAX proposal in a press conference.  The Basic Rights and Social Services Tax (BRASS Tax) will focus increased city level taxes at major corporattions and the city's wealthiest citizens, raising revenue to fund services without cuts to basic city services.  

From Julia's press release:
 

• City-wide, tuition-free and universal Pre-K staffed by teachers paid and supported on par with Portland’s K-12 teachers.

• Massive expansion of public emergency, transitional and affordable housing projects, built or purchased with bonds paid back through rents and BRASS Tax revenues.

• Mental health and addiction programs to reduce suffering and replace a criminal justice-approach to health problems.

• Full-time, family wage positions at Portland’s Parks and Recreation to end the excessive reliance on “temporary” workers.

In order to fund these programs, the BRASS Tax proposes the following changes to Portland’s tax structure:

• Raise Portland’s business income taxes on the biggest companies, which are almost all global multinational corporations. This progressive tax would raise the threshold for exemption, while raising rates at the top.

• Create a city income tax with rising rates on the top 10%, 5%, 2% and 1% of income-earners.

• Enact a city-wide luxury tax on extravagant consumer goods and services—cars over $80,000, jewelry over $5,000, cosmetic surgery, moorage/slip fees for yacht owners, a special tax on corporate box reservations and season tickets at the Moda Center and Providence Park. 

View her press conference and get more details here. 

The Oregon Progressive Party has begun actively collecting signatures on a new statewide initiative petition (IP1 for 2020). This petition would:

• allow Oregon to join the ranks of 46 other states with limits on money in the political process,
• protect campaign finance reform measures adopted by initiative from being gutted by the sitting Legislature, as has happened in Massachusetts, Missouri, and South Dakota.

Oregon is the only state whose constitution has been interpreted to prohibit limits on contributions and expenditures to influence the outcome of elections, be they candidate elections or initiatives/referenda. As a result, Oregon elections are among the most expensive in the nation. The Oregonian reports Oregon is second only to New Jersey in per capita spending on state legislature races.
 
The chief petitioners are:

• Liz Trojan, State Council, Oregon Progressive Party
• Ron Buel, founder of Willamette Week

We Need Your Help ASAP
We need to collect 1,000 valid Oregon voter signatures in order to get a ballot title for the initiative. You can help us with this effort. Please contact David e. Delk, Co-Chair of the Oregon Progressive Party, for instructions and petition sheets. David can be contacted at davidafd@ymail.com or 503.232.5495.

How the Petition Reads
It is a model of simplicity.  It reads:

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Oregon, there is added an Article II, Section 25, of the Constitution of Oregon:
Oregon laws consistent with the freedom of speech guarantee of the United States Constitution may: regulate contributions and expenditures, of any type or description, to influence the outcomes of any election; provided that such laws are adopted or amended by an elected legislative body by a three-fourths vote of each chamber or by initiative.

This op-ed was submitted to The Oregonian 1/6/18

Oregon Progressive Party encourages a Yes vote on Measure 101. The hole in the state health care budget which would be created by its defeat would mean too many individuals being denied health insurance and being forced to use the all-too expense emergency room. That is not a tolerable situation.

However, we also recommend that everyone read the voter pamphlet arguments against passage. When you do, you will find many of the same arguments that we, as progressives, usually make ourselves of government policy and process.

First is that we are taxing the wrong people and organizations. Progressives were strong supporters of Measure 97 to tax the largest of the large national and multi-national corporations in order to fund our shared governmental expenses. Measure 101 abandons that approach completely. Instead those corporations will not pay these increased tax “assessments” at all. The tax increase instead will be paid by people like you and I and small businesses and school districts. As one opponent wrote in the voter’s pamphlet: “And it’s absolutely indefeasible that big corporations and insurance companies were exempted from sharing the burden to pay for Medicaid.” Or a small business owner wrote, “Asking families like ours to shoulder the burden of paying for Medicaid while big corporations contribute nothing to help provide health care to Oregon’s most needy citizens is outrageous.”

This op-ed was submitted to The Oregonian 1/6/18

Oregon Progressive Party encourages a Yes vote on Measure 101. The hole in the state health care budget which would be created by its defeat would mean too many individuals being denied health insurance and being forced to use the all-too expense emergency room. That is not a tolerable situation.

However, we also recommend that everyone read the voter pamphlet arguments against passage. When you do, you will find many of the same arguments that we, as progressives, usually make ourselves of government policy and process.

First is that we are taxing the wrong people and organizations. Progressives were strong supporters of Measure 97 to tax the largest of the large national and multi-national corporations in order to fund our shared governmental expenses. Measure 101 abandons that approach completely. Instead those corporations will not pay these increased tax “assessments” at all. The tax increase instead will be paid by people like you and I and small businesses and school districts. As one opponent wrote in the voter’s pamphlet: “And it’s absolutely indefeasible that big corporations and insurance companies were exempted from sharing the burden to pay for Medicaid.” Or a small business owner wrote, “Asking families like ours to shoulder the burden of paying for Medicaid while big corporations contribute nothing to help provide health care to Oregon’s most needy citizens is outrageous.”

Don't Waste Your 2017 Oregon Political Tax Credit on the Oregon Progressive Party!

Yes, contributing $50 per person costs you nothing,*
but why help them tear down America?

The Oregon Progressive Party is BAD! They came up with Multnomah County Measure 26-184, the toughest campaign finance reform measure on any ballot in America in 2016, and fooled 89% of voters into voting YES on it--even though it was opposed by great patriotic groups funded by the Koch brothers and big corporations.

Oregon Progressive Party leaders are now working to spread this "real campaign finance reform" to other cities and counties and the whole State of Oregon. Don't let voters spoil our rigged system!

Progressive Party leaders are now planning to spread this "real campaign finance reform" to other cities and counties and the whole State of Oregon. They need to be stopped now.

Don't Contribute to the Oregon Progressive Party.
Save that money for something you will need, like your next prescription.
Below (in blue) is some text from the Oregon Progressive Party email asking for money.
It shows they are losers!
Oregon does not need new voices or new choices.

Don't Donate here before January 1, 2018

The stupid Oregon Progressive Party is working hard to:

• Enact real campaign finance reform in Oregon
• Limit political campaign contributions; ban those by corporations
• Require all political ads to identify their top 5 donors
• End the Electoral College; elect Presidents by popular vote
• Enact Medicare for All (single-payer)
• Increase minimum wages (to $15 or more, now, for everyone)
• End needless police violence and unequal treatment
• Effectively control use of drones
• End "corporate personhood" and "money is speech"
• Oppose Wall Street bailouts
• Achieve employment for all (WPA style)
• End the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
• Avoid entanglement in Syria
• Cut military spending and foreign bases
• Oppose Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), NAFTA, WTO, fast-track trade deals
• Oppose Pacific Northwest export terminals for fossil fuels and the trains that bring them (coal, oil, LNG)
• Stop cutting federal and Oregon taxes on corporations and the wealthy
• Create State Bank and stop sending $1 billion of Oregon taxpayer money to Wall Street every year in fees and excessive interest rates
• Oregon taxpayers get a $50 per person credit on their state income taxes, as long as their income is not more than $100,000 per person ($200,000 per couple).

Stop the Oregon Progressive Party | 411 S.W. 2nd Avenue | Suite 200 | Portland | Oregon 97204 | 503-548-2797 | info@progparty.org | progparty.org

Forum on 
   
Creating the Democracy Movement to Abolish Corporate Personhood.
With Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap
National Director, Move to Amend

Join Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, National Director of Move to Amend, for an evening to find out how to end corporate personhood and control money in the political system. Move to Amend advocates for a 28th Constitutional Amendment saying

Corporations are not people and money is not speech.

The 2010 U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. FEC expanded spending on elections from corporations and wealthy individuals. Sopoci-Belknap will help local residents understand the more than century-long history behind that decision and how they can work to abolish "Corporate Personhood" and establish a government of, by, and for the people. The program will focus on how Portland can contribute to the growing national movement to affirm that only human beings have constitutional rights and that money can be regulated in elections and is not defined constitutionally as free speech. Sopoci-Belknap will report on and discuss actions that have taken place in hundreds of communities across the nation in support of the federal We the People Amendment, H.J.R. 48 as part of a larger movement of needed fundamental democratic changes.

IN PORTLAND
Date/Time: Thursday 12/7, 7:00:00 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM)
Location:  First Unitarian Church, Eliot Chapel, SW 12th and Salmon St. Portland
More info:  David Delk, davidafd@ymail.com, 503.232.5495

IN ASTORIA
Date/Time: Friday 12/8, 7:00:00 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM)
Location: Alderbrook Hall at 45th and Leif Erickson, Astoria, OR
More info:  Brian P. Halvorsen, brianphalvorsen@gmail.com, (971) 306-1136

Admission Portland and Astoria: Donation $5-20 requested; no one turned away for lack of funds
Co-sponsored by Move to Amend, Oregon Progressive Party, Alliance for Democracy, Oregon Common Cause, Oregon Fair Trade Campaign