It’s amazing what $1 million dollars can buy.
We could fund more teachers or better healthcare, but no. Instead, we got a $1million dollar signature gathering drive headed by Kevin Mannix and Co. to attempt a repeal on the most progressive tax fairness measures Oregon has seen in years.
Mannix & Co turned in their signatures 9/25/09 and their measures to reverse tax fairness legislation will almost certainly be on our ballots in January 2010. They are fighting tax fairness measures passed by the State Legislature this year that raise the corporate minimum from $10 to the still low $150 and that ask rich families to pay a fair tax of 10.8% on income above $250,000.
The two measures protect about $1 billion in funding for schools, healthcare, and public safety without making things more difficult for middle-class families.Our job as voters is to affirm these measures by voting YES!
When a single Oregon family pays more than 300 corporations combined, it’s time for a change. Voting YES on these measures will make Oregon’s tax system more fair for working families and will preserve schools and the essential services we all depend on.
ROP is collaborating with all our rural friends on this critical campaign. We have tools, materials, staff and resources – now is the time to get involved to protect funding those things that we value – education, healthcare and public safety!
Here’s three ways to get involved & help all of Oregon VOTE YES for Tax Fairness next January!
- First, sign the Pledge to Vote YES on these measures.
Your pledge means that we’ll trust you to do the right thing in January and we’ll take you off our priority mailing lists. Less snail mail and emails reminding you to VOTE YES!
- Second, Get involved and help educate others about how much we need these measures to pass!
Host a community conversation, a ballot measure forum, distribute materials. cara@rop.org for more information.
- Third, Sign up to be part of the Rural Media Center.
This means that you will be part of a statewide team that responds to news stories about the tax measures. You might be asked to write LTEs, key an eye on your local paper for related stories or call into a radio program about why you support fair taxes. Start right now by writing a response to the articles covering the signature turn-in in your town’s paper. cara@rop.org will sign you up!
This is an amazing opportunity to correct an unjust system. Join us to give rural Oregon a voice in the campaign!
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Here’s a great article about Tax Fairness and the People’s Economy in the Fall 2009 HOURS Exchange newspaper. https://rop.org/files/PE article final.doc