Live Blog - Welcome and let's get started!
Hi folks! We're very excited about this live blog. This is a first for OLCV (and for me personally). If this goes well - and from the initial interest - I think this will go well, we plan on making this a regular thing here on the OLCV blog.
The solemn expression on her young face, gazing out over the vast ocean before her, speaks volumes to me. This experience must be protected and provided for all generations to come.
Karen Erickson, Chayse's grandmother
Join us in fighting for Oregon’s environment
OLCV passes laws that protect our natural legacy, elects pro-environment candidates, and holds our elected officials accountable.
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Measure 66 will also help to support Watershed Councils all across Oregon.
Okay everyone! Thanks this has been really fun. We will do another one soon. I'm slightly disappointed in the lack of attacks on my intergrity since those were in most of the pre e-mails. That would have been fun to talk about in a live blog. :) I kid!
Maybe next time.
Take care everyone who participated!
Vote YES on 66 & 67!
I just moved this comment from the other thread I had started. Now everything is on one thread.
This is one of my favorite examples of why a Yes vote is so important for protecting the environment -
Earlier this year, if you remember, Oregon had an unusually high number of cruise ships stop in Astoria when the H1N1 originally broke out in Mexico. Rep. Jules Bailey - OLCV's Innovator of the Year and People's Choice Award winner - realized that is it not against the law to "dump" in the the three miles of ocean governed by State law.
So he planned on drafting a bill to make dumping illegal. I think we can all agree that cruise ships should not be allowed to dump their sewage, gray water or hazardous materials in our oceans. Well Rep. Bailey found out that the State couldn't afford it because of the State's current lack of revenue. So he was forced to scale his bill back - HB 3123 - to a study of the effects of dumping to determine weather we need a ban on dumping and how much it will cost.
This is one of the best specific examples I know of to illustrate why a Yes vote is a pro-environment vote.
Besides working on the grassroots field effort (which I know is a huge deal), what else can we expect from OLCV and the coaltion to help get these Measures passed?
I think you can expect/hope to see a major campaign and everything that comes with that - TV, radio, major field effort, ect. I don't expect the Yes campaign to be out spent our out worked, but that all depends on you/us. Will people step up and make a small contribution? Will people step up and make phone calls and knock on doors in December and January in the cold? If you care about the future of this State - strong public schools, a healthy environment for our kids, health care, safe neighborhoods - then you need to get involved and help the Yes campaign.
I am now live blogging on two threads. Are you impressed Carla?
Sure. :) I'll be more impressed when you answer my question. LOL
Would failure of Measures 66 & 67 affect the Environmental Enforcement Unit of the Attorney General's office that was added during this last session?
I think that unit could be at risk. Its very exciting that Attorney General John Kroger wants to make enforcing environmental laws, and cracking down on big polluters a priority. The Legislature gave him the authority to create the Environmental Enforcement Unit last session but becasue of the lack of revenue, required him to do it out of the existing budget. In other words - they didn't fund it.
If 66 & 67 fail, the AG's office, along with most environmental programs, will face big cuts. It will be up to the AG - and of course we hope that he wouldn't cut the unit - but I think it could be likely. It will certainly be in jeopardy since it is so new.
Hi Jim. I know i owe you a phone call. :)
Answer to your question coming up.....
Thanks for making 66 & 67 a priority for the environmental community. But it often seems like the environmental community can't even get organized with each other - much less partnering with organized labor, health care advocates, etc.
How do you see this playing out? How can Oregon's environmental groups actually make a difference in the outcome?
The Oregon Conservation Network is a coalition of over 40 environmental advocacy organizations with a combined membership of over 200,000 Oregonians. Its our job to contact and mobilize them to vote yes on 66 & 67. If enough people get involved by making phone calls, giving a little bit of money, etc. We can make the difference in helping the Yes for Oregon campaign win.
Also - protecting Oregon's quality of life, natural beauty and environmental legacy for our children are deeply help values here in Oregon. Its our job to help Oregonians understand how important voting Yes is to protecting these values.
I should say that 88% of Oregon businesses will pay the minimum of $150. The largest corporations - many of them out of state - will pay one tenth of one percent of their sales.
What kinds of things can people do to get involved in spreading the message of YES on 66 & 67?
Great question!
OLCV will be announcing our Yes on 66 & 67 for the environment campaign after the Thanksving weekend. Beginning November 30th, you will be able to check this website every week for ways to get direclty involved and help the Yes for Oregon campaign win. We will be organizing phone banks, canvasses and be asking conservation advocates to take a "vote yes for the environment" pledge.
You can also visit the Yes for ORegon campaign here: http://voteyesfororegon.org/ to find out ways to get involved.
We also received a series/comments of questions that made several claims about Oregon's tax structure and 66 & 67. It sounds like there's some confusion - and an attempt by the opponents to create confusion.
I think its really important to realize how simple these measures are -
By voting YES you wil be voting to do the followong:
1. raise the corporate minimum tax for the first time since 1931 from $10 to $150.
2. raise the marginal tax rate on the richest Oregonians - those making over $250,000 a year -.
3. CUT taxes for about 270,000 Oregonians will get a tax cut. The first $2,400 of unemployment benefits will be exempt from taxes fy 66 & 67.
That's it.
I should have said THE most important pro-environment vote - Yes for Oregon.
Toby did a great job of asking for pre-questions, and we had some submitted. Nearly every question came from opponents of the tax fairness measures (66&67), and essentially made the claim that the Oregon Conservation Network - the 42 organizations that make up the coalition - has decided to work on a "non-environmental" issue. And I want to address that one right on, because passing 66 & 67 - YES on 66 & 67 - is one the most important pro-environment votes since measure 49.
These measures will preserve our environment for future generations by preserving funding for vital environmental programs -
-clean air monitoring, clean water protection, investments in renewable energy, reducing pollution.
all of these things require revenue and if measures 66 & 67 fail, they will face devastating cuts.
Its really that simple.
measures 66 & 67 are a cheap fix for a serious funding issue that deserved better from our state legislature.
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