Let's Build a People's Economy!

 Building a democratic economy starts here!

This is the place to find the newest information on the current Democratic Economy campaign, our analysis on the Economic Collapse, and ways to join the conversation about rebuilding our economy from the ground up.

Rural Oregon has been hard hit by the economic crisis. We see double digit unemployment rates in practically every county. The rate of people on food stamps is double or triple what it was one year ago. And there is no solution in sight from the federal government or big business.

ROP is engaging in a long term campaign to look at what it means to build strong local economies & resilient communities.

Now is our opportunity to reach into the mess of the economic crisis and pull out our direction for a better future - a future where our communities are valued, our neighbors are secure and our children have opportunity. This is a chance to revamp the systems that have failed us in these past years.

This is the place to find the newest information on the current Democratic Economy campaign, our analysis on the Economic Collapse, and ways to join the conversation about rebuilding our economy from a local perspective.

What is Democratic Economy?  Democratic Economy means that local communities should have a say in economic decisions that impact their communities.  It means that these decisions should not be made by a few people but by the people most affected.  It is about keeping local control over local resources. 

When most of us think of our economy, we think of it as something that is slightly mysterious, external, neutral, and decipherable only by experts.  In reality, our economy is what we do with our money and how we get our needs met, but we have too often ceded control to experts who are external to our communities or to a few wealthy individuals or corporations who control a disproportionate amount of local resources and may not have the interests of the majority of our community members at heart - or even know what those interests are. 

ROP's campaign to build Hometown Strategies for Democratic Economy is rooted in local control and decision making, local wisdom and experience, and fairness and equity in economic development and resource management.  We believe that through collective action as a community we can transform our economies to work for all of us.