Ref: Newberg paper mill and use of eminent domain

The Oregon Progressive Party calls for use of the State’s eminent domain power to return the WestRock Newberg newsprint mill to operating for the benefit of the people of Oregon and the environment. Now that China is refusing to accept waste paper from the United States, we need to process our paper waste into pulp and paper products. The Newberg mill can do that.

A recent Op-ed in The Portland Tribune stated that Oregon’s congressional delegation and Governor Kate Brown should apply pressure to WestRock Co., current owner of the Newberg paper mill, to ensure that it returns the mill to production of paper goods. The question is not one of whether the mill’s production can find a market; it appears that there is international demand with interest expressed by companies in China and India.

In order to ensure the well-being of the former workers, the Newberg economy and the environment (Oregon is in need of a facility to recycle its waste paper, which China now refuses to accept), the State of Oregon should immediately investigate the use of the ultimate weapon – the use of the State’s eminent domain power - to acquire the property and reopen the mill immediately. While a trial would be required to establish the property’s value, we have a good estimate of the property’s value. WestRock Co. had already agreed to sell the property for $8.4 million, in this case on condition that the mill equipment be destroyed.

If the State of Oregon used its power of eminent domain, the mill equipment would not be destroyed.

A public purpose is needed for the State of use this power, but that purpose is easily established – job creation (or retention) and environmental protection by allowing Oregon’s waste paper recycling program to continue.

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.

The Oregon Progressive Party opposes the special tax break proposed by Governor Kate Brown. She called a special session of the Oregon Legislature just to enact this tax break, which means that sole proprietors will pay a lower income tax rate than their workers. How is this consistent with the alleged principles of the Democratic Party?

The gun measure (Initiative Petition 43) is already dead, thanks to the Democrats in the Oregon Legislature.

The Attorney General has until May 23 to issue a "certified ballot title." Any commenter then has until June 7 to file a ballot title challenge in the Oregon Supreme Court. Supporters and others (including the Attorney General) then have until June 18 to file responses. The challenger(s) then have until June 25 to file reply memos. The Court then takes the matter under advisement and has been taking an average of 2 months to decide such cases. The deadline for submitting signatures is July 6. You do the math.

Also, if the Court finds that the certified ballot title needs to be changed at all, the matter returns to the Attorney General for another week to make the change, and then there is another week for any party to challenge the modified title and then unlimited time for the Court to rule. The Court can then find fault with the modified title and send it back to the Attorney General for more cycles of revision and challenge.

Secretary Of State Dennis Richardson has tried to adopt rules allowing petitioners to gather signatures on sheets that print the full "certified ballot title," while the Oregon Supreme Court review is underway. But Democrats in the Oregon Legislature blocked that in the February 2018 session. So the gun measure is already dead.

There is an article at http://www.eastoregonian.com/eo/capital-bureau/20180517/ballot-initiativ..., which implies that IP 43 is still alive. It is dead, thanks to the Democrats in the Oregon Legislature, as are IP 40 for net neutrality and IP 44 to require firearms to be locked while stored.

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 deadline for Members of OPP to suggest nominees was March 14, 2018. The nominees suggested by Members were Chris Henry and Marc Koller. They have both said they are willing to serve.

The State Council believes that both of them would be valuable additions:

• Chris has been the OPP's leading vote-getter in Oregon elections every 2 years since 2014 (and 2nd leading vote-getter in 2012). His vote totals have been legally necessary to maintaining our status as an official Oregon minor party.  Chris is an active union member and long-haul truck driver.
   
• Marc Koller has been running for U.S. Representative in Oregon's 3rd Congressional District (mostly the east side of Portland an Multnomah County, plus some of the west side and some of Clackamas and Hood River counties). He is a long-experienced business executive, union member, and educator at several universities and other schools.

The State Council is amenable to having both of them serve on the State Council. That would require amending the Bylaws to increase the number of persons on the Council from 5 to 6. The State Council can amend the Bylaws by majority vote.

The voting of OPP members on the State Council candidates, Chris Henry and Marc Koller, will take place at the OPP Monthly meeting on April 16 (7:00 pm) at the usual meeting place (411 S.W. 2nd Avenue, 2nd Floor, in Portland). The meeting will also be available by conference call at (712) 775-7031, code 209-508-222#.

If you have questions, please send them to statecouncil@progparty.org.

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.

The term of Alaina Melville as a member of the Oregon Progressive Party (OPP) State Council has expired. The party will conduct an election for a new 5-year term for this seat. Members of OPP may suggest nominees for this seat until midnight of March 14, 2018.  We will post the names of the nominees on this website on March 15.

Please send your suggested nominations to statecouncil@progparty.org. A nominee must qualify as a Supporter or Active Member of OPP and must maintain that status throughout the term of office.

Supporters and Active Members of OPP will be eligible to vote in this election.

Votes may be cast at the party's monthly meeting on March 19 (7:00 pm) at 411 S.W. 2nd Avenue, 2nd Floor, in Portland. The meeting will also be available by conference call at (712) 775-7031, code 209-508-222#. Votes will also be accepted by email to vote@progparty.org on or before midnight of March 18.

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.”