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Jackson County Democratic Party Newsletter - June 1rst, 2009
EVENTS
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Sunday May 31rst, 2-3 PM. Santo Community Center 701 N. Columbus Ave. Medford.
Ever wondered how you can impact
the quality of a child's life?
Don't miss this opportunity to:
· Learn about Stand for children and how you can take action
· Protect our kids through this economic crisis
· Find out how we can stabilize funding for education
· Unite with others to become an effective voice for kids.
Refreshments and childcare provided
RSVP Abi Kurfman at akurfman@stand.org or 541-979-0030
For More Information
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Oregon's Ways and Means co-chairs released their budget proposal this week including $2.0 billion in cuts to vital services. The fallout is severe. Central Point SD is recommending a 4 day school week which will cut 19 days. Phoenix Talent is eliminating 45 positions including elementary music, and a principal. Medford is proposing eliminating 35 teaching positions, elimination of at least half of middle school sports and elementary music.
But wait, there's more. That same budget included $800 million in new revenue from raising the corporate minimum and a personal income tax surcharge on couples with net income over $250,000 (individuals over $125,000). Anti-tax groups are poised to gather signatures and force both of these measures to a November vote. While the legislature is smartly crafting measures which provide tax relief for middle class, and target the most prosperous taxpayers during this recession, tax votes are never easy. If these measures fail, that's another $800 million in cuts.
And the final straw: Oregon's insane kicker law could actually result in kicker checks going out for the 2009-2011 biennium if the actual revenues exceed the forecast used in the budget. Keep in mind the forecast was made last week also, at the bottom of what appears to be the trough of our current recession. Can you imagine kicker checks after all these cuts?
There was never a more urgent time to organize.
Thank you to those who have already committed to attending the Chapter Kick-off on May 31st. For those who have not yet made that pledge, please do so now, AND commit to bring ONE friend with you to the event.
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TAKE ACTION!!!
 Stacy Bannerman of Sanctuary for Veterans & Families, needs your contribution of $20 from 30 people IMMEDIATELY to help with travel expenses to D.C.
Stacy is going to the U.S. Senate hearing on military families scheduled for Wednesday, June 3rd, at 2:30 p.m., in Washington D.C. 28 May 2009 to represent military families and speak on their behalf.
MILITARY FAMILIES URGENTLY NEED OUR HELP. STACY IS A STRONG ADVOCATE WHO WILL NOT ALLOW SUICIDES AND OTHER CRICICAL MILITARY FAMILY PROBLEMS LEFT IN THE DARK!
Please make checks or money orders payable to:
IHC/Sanctuary for Veterans & Families (SVF)
Mail to:
International Humanities Center
860 Via de la Paz
Suite B-1
Pacific Palisades CA 90272
Phone: 310-526-9665
"I thank you in advance for your contribution, and invite you to visit our website, www.sanctuaryvf.org, which we are currently updating",
Stacy Bannerman, M.S.
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 Message from Stacy Bannerman:"I am asking for your help so that I can be in Washington D.C., along with a few dozen members of Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) www.mfso.org, who will come to the hearing wearing MFSO T-shirts and occupy the seats in the first few rows of the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. We will also do a press conference, conduct interviews, and I will write an article for multimedia publication and distribution.
The total cost of the trip to D.C. to attend - and hopefully speak - at the Senate Armed Services hearing is $859, including meals, ground transport, hotel, and fees assessed for award travel booking and luggage. I am using my frequent flier miles, and have secured a pledged donation of $250. The Armed Services Committee needs to see and hear from military family members who aren’t on the payroll, haven’t drunk the Kool-Aid, and want to bring our troops home now! I have made arrangements to be there, but I need 30 people to donate $20.00. Please be one of them.
The Sanctuary for Veterans & Families is a project of the International Humanities Center, a nonprofit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code. To make an online contribution to The Sanctuary for Veterans & Families, an IHCenter Project, please go to http://ihcenter.org/groups and select our name from the alphabetical list. Click on The Sanctuary for Veterans & Families to visit the page, so that you can easily process a direct contribution and instantly receive your personal acknowledgment letter.
May we all find sanctuary somewhere".
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Right now, the Department of Justice does not have the legal resources they need to guarantee the civil rights and civil liberties of Oregonians. CONTACT THE BELOW REPRESENTATIVES BEFORE THE NEXT BUDGET HEARING THIS TUES JUNE 2ND!
Please contact Senator Margaret Carter, Representative Chip Shields, Senator Joanne Verger, and Representative Peter Buckley and tell them why you support House Bill 5022, Attorney General's Civil Rights Enforcement Unit.
Even if you have already submitted a letter or sent an email, please send another! Do you have friends who might be willing to write? Please forward this email to them! Below are sample talking points to give you some guidance. However, speaking from your heart is FAR more powerful than using stock talking points.
TALKING POINTS:
Attorney General's Civil Rights Enforcement Unit (House Bill 5022)
We need to act. Right now, we do not have the legal resources we need to guarantee the civil rights and civil liberties of Oregonians. The Oregon Department of Justice used to have a civil rights enforcement unit, but in the 1980s the funding for this unit was eliminated. As a result, there is not a single attorney at the Department devoted to civil rights and civil liberties enforcement work. This is unacceptable.
Each day, Oregonians face discrimination because of their race, their age, their gender, their disability, or their sexual orientation. Illegal wiretapping robs our right to privacy. Wanton disregard for the Americans with Disabilities Act leaves entire neighborhoods inaccessible to Oregonians who depend on that protection. Servicemen and women are unlawfully denied their jobs when they return from serving our country... (continued in right column)
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The Department of Justice
Needs Your Help!
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(Continued from left column)
...To fix this problem, the Oregon Department of Justice is requesting $660,166 for the biennium – about $330,000 per year -- to fund the restoration of its civil rights enforcement unit. This unit will consist of one attorney and one investigator to combat discrimination based on age, race, gender, gender identity, disability or sexual orientation. This unit will also fight to protect our state and federal constitutional rights, promote environmental justice, preserve reproductive freedom, and defend the employment rights of Oregon's veterans.
This is a simple but powerful tool that can help Oregon become a more fair, equitable and just state. We urge the State Legislature to create and fund a civil rights enforcement unit at the Oregon Department of Justice.
This unit will:
* expose discriminatory financial exploitation
* stand up for reproductive rights
* protect persons with disabilities
* preserve civil liberties
* promote environmental justice
* defend the employment rights of Oregon's veterans
Other things to know:
- There are currently no full-time civil rights attorneys at the Oregon Department of Justice
- Starting the unit would cost about $660,000 over two years – or about $330,000 per year.
- This would fund 1 attorney and 1 investigator
Email Senator Margaret Carter, Representative Chip Shields, Senator Joanne Verger, and Representative Peter Buckley today and tell them why you support House Bill 5022, Attorney General's Civil Rights Enforcement Unit Info on JCDP Web Site
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Cost-effective investments in teachers and kids are on the chopping block.
Contact your Legislators today
www.stand.org/costeffectiveinvestments
Ask them to invest in the Mentor program and stop the 10% cut to Oregon Pre-Kindergarten.
Take action today to protect funding for these cost-savings investments in education!
Two critical investments that save taxpayer money and help students succeed are slated for big cuts in the proposed 2009-11 budget.
Supporting new teachers with rigorous mentoring cuts costly turn-over and boosts student achievement - yet this cost-effective program faces a 75% cut.
For every dollar spent on quality pre-school, $7 is saved in social service and criminal justice spending. Despite this enormous return on investment, 670 at-risk children won't be able to attend Head Start if the current budget goes through as written. |
For every dollar spent on quality pre-school, $7 is saved in social service and criminal justice spending. Despite this enormous return on investment, 670 at-risk children won't be able to attend Head Start if the current budget goes through as written.
Full Information
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Merkley Co-sponsored U.S. Senate Bill That Promotes Equality for Federal Employees
Tell U.S. Senator Ron Wyden that you support the Domestic partnership Benefits Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act
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Ron Wyden - (D - OR)
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223 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
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(202) 224-5244
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Web Form to Send Your Message: wyden.senate.gov/contact/
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Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley on May 21, 2009, co-sponsored legislation that entitles all federal employees, no matter their sexual orientation, to the same employment and health care benefits as married couples.
"It is plain wrong that some federal employees are not currently entitled to equal health and employment benefits," said Merkley. "This legislation will ensure that all federal employees, regardless of their sexual orientation, have access to employee health benefits, family and medical leave, compensation for work injuries, and the retirement and disability plans that are vital to the financial security of families."
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Senator Merkley joined a bipartisan effort in the U.S. Senate to ensure that all federal employees receive equal federal benefits. The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act will help the federal government keep pace with the 16 states, including Oregon, and the majority of Fortune 500 companies that are already offering domestic partner benefits to their employees. The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act will provide the following benefits to federal employees and their domestic partners:
- Employee health benefits
- Family, medical and emergency leave
- Retirement and disability
- Group life insurance
- Long-term care insurance
- Death and disability
- Compensation for work injuries
- Relocation, travel and related expenses
“This bill is a step in the right direction to make sure that all Americans are compensated equally under the law,” said Merkley. “It is time for the federal government to stand up for fairness and ensure that all federal employees and their loved ones are treated the same.”
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Contact U.S. Senator Wyden to support the Employee Free Choice Act.
wyden.senate.gov/contact/
Read Letter from United States Senator Jeff Merkley in Support of the Employee Free Choice Act
"I support EFCA because it would help rebuild the middle class in America. The middle class is under assault. Working families are losing their jobs, retirement security, health care, and homes at an alarming rate. Over the last twelve months, six million Americans have lost their jobs, and the unemployment level is the highest it has been in 25 years. Oregon has been hit particularly hard, with unemployment exceeding 12 percent -- the second highest in the nation. And as Oregonians lose their jobs and face exploding interest rates on home mortgages, more and more citizens are losing their homes. By one estimate, Oregon now has the fifth highest foreclosure rate in the country.
In this current climate, labor unions become even more important because of their ability to provide good living wage jobs, health care benefits, and worker protections. Currently, federal law allows employers to choose whether workers use a petition or election process to decide if they want a union.
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The Employee Free Choice Act would allow the workers, themselves, to decide whether and how to organize, so they have a free and fair opportunity to make that decision. It will enable union workers to bargain for better benefits, wages, working conditions, and ensure that they get a first contract. Employees in unions earn 30 percent more than average and are 60 percent more likely to have employer-covered health insurance. The bill will also ensure that unions can negotiate on a level playing field by imposing tougher penalties on those who break our existing labor laws."
I believe we must give working people a fair and direct process to form unions and bargain collectively to help turn around the economy and begin to rebuild the middle class, which is why I support EFCA. I am confident that employers and their workers can work collaboratively to ensure the competiveness of American business while restoring opportunity to the middle class..." Read Full Letter
Jeff Merkley
United States Senate
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Articles
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A welcoming crowd met with Senator Jeff Merkley on May 26th for an hour of lively discussion & passionate exchange
Photos - Helga Motley
A roomful of people greeted Senator Jeff Merkley at RCC in Medford on Tuesday afternoon, May 26th. Commissioner Dave Gilmour introduced Jeff, who wasted no time getting down to hearing from his constituents - the questions came thick and fast and ranged over a variety of issues.
Health care dominated the conversation for much of the hour. The room was very supportive of the Senator's support of a public insurance plan, while advocates of a single payer sytem pressed their case. Jeff answered that including the choice of a public plan was going to be difficult enough politically, and it was counter-productive to insist on shutting out the for-profit system completely when there were still millions of people reliant on such insurance...
Other questions referred to environmental concerns, money for transit systems, credit cards, our banking system now and in the past, and trade agreements. A local landowner was concerned about new definitions of waterways...
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The most eloquent plea came from Stacy Bannerman who pleaded for better medical help for returning vets and their families. Ms. Bannerman started The Sanctuary for Veterans and Families, a non-profit initiative that provides advocacy, support, and Sanctuary Weekends for women veterans, wives of veterans and their loved ones (more info in report).
As the Town Hall came to a close, a crowd of people with more to say clustered around both Jeff and Marc Siegel, his Deputy Communications Director, who was visiting Oregon for the first time. He also introduced Amy Amhrein, his regional coordinator for southern Oregon - who we all remember as the champion campaign director for Peter Buckley, an Ashland School Board Member, and past director of LCV.
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Senate supports prescription drug donation program - it now goes to the Governor's desk for signing.
Charitable Prescription Drug Program will provide a safe, regulated way to donate medicine
The Oregon legislature takes lead on lowering cost of drugs and protecting the environment with prescription give-back program. The drug donation program will potentially save over 1 million unused prescription drugs that are thrown-away every year in Oregon, and safely get them to people who need the medication.
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Aside from the worthwhile charitable aspect of the drug donation program, there is an important environmental component.
Ten years ago, the US Geological Survey became concerned about possible drug contamination in the Potomac River. The agency studied 139 streams around the United States, and discovered that 80 percent of water samples contained drug residue (including pain medication, hormones, antibiotics, and blood pressure medicine). The USGS findings were shocking, and indicated that drug residue was more invasive than had been imagined. At the same time the Food and Drug Administration began to study the effects of drug residue in water to determine if the contamination would further worsen the problem of drug-resistant strains of bacteria.
Read More
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Forty-six hundred jobs per year will be created in Oregon as a result of legislation crafted by a bipartisan, bicameral group of state legislators Full Information
Key legislators from the House and Senate, both Democrat and Republican, announced today they had reached agreement and had the support of Governor Ted Kulongoski on HB 2001, the Jobs and Transportation Act, that will create thousands of jobs per year for the next decade to repair and modernize Oregon’s aging transportation systems
“We came into this session knowing we had to do something about transportation. Meanwhile we learned fast that jobs had to be the priority issue for the Legislature,” said Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Gervais/Salem/Woodburn). “This package creates jobs immediately and over the next decade, and will build roads and infrastructure that will last for generations. The short and long term benefits of this project are critical to getting us out of this recession and building wisely for our future.”
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At a Capitol news conference Friday, May 22nd, House Speaker Dave Hunt, Senate President Peter Courtney and legislative leaders on the transportation committees in both chambers said the state would begin a series of projects approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission and listed in HB 2001 that will fund maintenance, repair and modernization projects.
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Video - Personal message from President Obama:
I am proud to announce my nominee for the next Justice of the United States Supreme Court: Judge Sonia Sotomayor.
This decision affects us all -- and so it must involve us all. I've recorded a special message to personally introduce Judge Sotomayor and explain why I'm so confident she will make an excellent Justice.
Please watch the video, and then pass this note on to friends and family to include them in this historic moment.
Article on JCDP Web Site
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Judge Sotomayor has lived the America Dream. Born and raised in a South Bronx housing project, she distinguished herself in academia and then as a hard-charging New York District Attorney.
Judge Sotomayor has gone on to earn bipartisan acclaim as one of America's finest legal minds. As a Supreme Court Justice, she would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any Justice in 100 years. Judge Sotomayor would show fidelity to our Constitution and draw on a common-sense understanding of how the law affects our day-to-day lives.
A nomination for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land is one of the most important decisions a President can make. And the discussions that follow will be among the most important we have as a nation. You can begin the conversation today by watching this special message and then passing it on.
http://my.barackobama.com/SupremeCourt
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
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Of Continuing Importance
Health Care Action on Two Fronts - JOIN ONE OF THE ACTION RESPONSE TEAMS
to write letters to editor, call your Senator
"Let there be no doubt: Health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year."
… President Barack Obama
More Information
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VOLUNTEERS ALWAYS NEEDED & APPRECIATED FOR OUR STANDING COMMITTEES
FULL INFORMATION
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THE JCDP
The JCDP is an entirely Volunteer Organization. We have many interesting committees and activities that you can be a part of. Please contact us to be part of Unity and Real Change in Jackson County.JCDP HQ at 541-858-1050 or email mail@jcdemocrats.org 40 S. Central Ave, Medford, OR Google Map
About our JCDP Email Newsletter and Web Site
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The JCDP web site is full of exciting information – Come see how we are involved with Jackson County and our greater community at http://www.jcdemocrats.org If you have questions, please contact our Webmaster Linda Sturgeon
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