Beyond Obamacare: Colorado Considers Single-Payer Model

As Republican policymakers nationwide continue debating ways to replace Obamacare with patient-centered solutions, a Colorado group has landed a plan implementing a single-payer model of health care on November’s ballot. Coloradans are already bracing for its impact.
Read more at the Daily Signal Read More......

Voters may get chance to end Dems’ abuse of ‘emergency clause’

In the 2015 legislative session, majority Democrats denied Oregonians their right to refer many bills to a public vote — almost certainly, in at least some instances, because they feared voters would reject those bills if given the chance.  Here’s the story of one such bill — and of how voters, in 2016, might get an opportunity to stem future such lawmaking abuse.


Senate Bill 932, which was approved by the House and Senate in early July and currently awaits Gov. Kate Brown’s signature, credentials illegal-immigrant college students to compete with U.S. citizens for taxpayer-funded Oregon Opportunity Grants.  This is objectionable enough: Plenty of Oregonians, as we’ll see, went on record last year as opposing state-government benefits for foreigners here illegally.


Read more at Oregon Catalyst Read More......

CRNC Presents "Don't Put It On Our Tab: Not Too Big To Fail"

College Republican National Committee (CRNC)

www.crnc.org/petition SIGN NOW!!!

The College Republican National Committee is thrilled to announce the "Don't Put It On Our Tab" debt-awareness initiative! The national debt poses a lethal threat to our economic future, and we're not about to let the Democrats think we are ignorant to that fact. Help the CRNC stand up and speak out for our generation by signing the petition today!

Did you know that the a child born into this world today owes over $117,000 to the DEBT alone? With unemployment rising, 'entitlement' programs collapsing, and debt skyrocketing how are we ever going to pay that back? The answer is through conservative reform. Join our facebook group ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dont-Pu... ) to stay informed 24/7 about the debt, what we are doing to combat it, and to examine potential solutions to it! Read More......

Jan. 5: Public invited to forum on Measures 66, 67

Sen. Frank Morse, R-Albany, and Rep. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, will join the Corvallis Gazette-Times Editorial Board for a public session to discuss their views on Measures 66 and 67, the two tax initiatives on the ballot for the January 26 Special Election.

Date: January 5, 2010
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Corvallis-Benton Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave.

Oregon voters will be asked whether they want to uphold the Legislature's $733 million tax package, which raises corporate taxes and income taxes on wealthier individuals. ∴ The Democratic-led Legislature said the tax increases are needed to balance the budget and to protect schools and safety net programs from budget cuts. They also said the higher taxes are aimed at those who can most easily afford to pay them. ∴ Business groups who mounted the campaign to force a statewide referendum vote on the issue say the two taxes will prolong Oregon's economic slump and cost the state jobs.

The Gazette-Times frequently invites newsmakers to meet with its editorial board, which decides what positions the paper will take in its editorials. Those meetings are open to the public, and considering the high amount of interest in the tax initiatives, the paper is moving this meeting to the library.

Members of the public will get the chance to ask questions of the
legislators during the session.

"We've already seen a lot of heat over these tax measures," said Mike McInally, the publisher and editor of the G-T, "but not a whole lot of light. We're delighted that Sen. Morse and Rep. Gelser, two thoughtful lawmakers, have accepted our invitation to discuss the initiatives, and we're especially happy to be able to invite our readers."

Other members of the G-T's editorial board are Theresa Novak, city editor and editorial page editor; and Larry Thomas, press and packaging manager.

© Copyright 2009, gazettetimes.com, 600 SW Jefferson Ave. Corvallis, OR Read More......

Estacada Voters Pass Tax, Fee Vote Requirement

11/4/2009, Estacada, OR - The work of AFP-Oregon volunteers and staff led to another taxpayer victory in the Clackamas County community of Estacada last night. Measure 3-346, which will require a vote on all proposed tax and fee increases over 3 percent per year, or any new tax or fee, was approved by a comfortable 56-44 margin. ∴ AFP-Oregon volunteers - led by Dora Morgan - collected signatures to place the measure on the ballot. Local volunteer Steve Locke spearheaded the on-the-ground campaign effort. ∴ "The voters of Estacada have spoken," said AFP-Oregon State Director Jeff Kropf, "and have declared they want to reclaim control of their wallets. In these difficult economic times, governments across Oregon should be searching for ways to reduce the burden they impose on citizens. The City will now have to work collaboratively with voters to determine what programs are worth funding, and what sources of revenue make sense. It's a new era of fiscal responsibility and discipline in Estacada. I can't thank our AFP-Oregon volunteers enough for the tremendous effort they made."

AFP-Oregon has assisted in passing similar measures in Damascus and Cascade Locks, and several Oregon communities are considering the measure in light of local efforts to raise taxes, fees and charges beyond what taxpayers can afford.

AFP-Oregon has 17,000 members in Oregon organized into 30 local Chapters with local leadership which hold regular meetings. AFP-Oregon provides training and motivation to volunteers to go out and work for limited government and economic freedom.

Matt Evans, AFP-Oregon Read More......

Oregon: Tax Petitions now available online

Concerned Oregonians: Citizens across the state are hard at work gathering signatures to refer the two massive job-killing tax increases to the ballot and we are having a great response. If you haven't signed the petitions yet, please go to http://www.myafpor.org/. Read More......

Faith-Based & Community Initiatives are Working

National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) Political Briefing - President Bush Has Improved How We Address Human Needs Through Faith-Based And Community Initiatives

"[T]he Administration has upheld its promise to treat community and faith-based organizations as trusted partners.... You've helped revolutionize the way government addresses the greatest challenges facing our society." - President George W. Bush, 6/26/08

Faith-based initiatives are working...
The Faith-Based and Community Initiative Has Revolutionized The Way Our Government Addresses The Greatest Challenges Facing Our Society

President Bush created the Faith-Based and Community Initiative with his first Executive Order. It lead a determined attack on need in partnerships with frontline nonprofits and to ensure faith-based organizations were welcomed as equal allies in this work.

The Initiative has transformed the way government addresses human need and increased its effectiveness by:
Expanding partnerships with local nonprofits to battle poverty, disease and other ills.
Securing a "level playing field" for faith-based organizations and establishing clear, constitutional guidelines for their use of public funds.
To strengthen America's "armies of compassion," the Initiative:
Trained more than 150,000 social entrepreneurs on how to increase the impact of their work.
Supported amendments to the tax code that provide greater incentives for charitable giving and activities.
Established the Compassion Capital Fund to provide grants and training designed to increase the effectiveness of grassroots nonprofits.
The Faith-Based and Community Initiative "has fundamentally changed the government's strategy for improving the lives of the downtrodden.... [D]ue to the achievements of faith-based charities that have received Federal aid, the partnership between government and religious organizations will continue to strengthen." - Peyton Miller, Harvard Political Review, 11/5/08

The Faith-Based And Community Initiative Joined With The Armies Of Compassion To Wage A Determined Attack On Need
Access to Recovery (ATR) program: Provided nearly 270,000 recovering addicts with vouchers that enabled them to choose from an expansive network of faith-based and other community organizations (FBCOs) for the clinical and supportive services that best met their individual needs.


Thousands of participating FBCOs helped produce results that outperform many national programs on multiple measures.

The President's Prisoner Re-entry Initiative: Links returning nonviolent offenders with FBCOs that help them find work and avoid relapse into criminal activity. Participants' rate of re-arrest within one year of release is 15 percent, less than half the national average.

Disadvantaged Students: More than 515,000 children received after-school tutoring annually through Supplemental Educational Service providers, including FBCO partners.

Community Health Services: The President's Community Health Center Initiative exceeded its goal of creating or expanding 1,200 community-based health centers, many of which are operated by FBCO grantees. The number of low-income individuals receiving medical services from these centers annually has increased by 5.8 million since 2001.

Homelessness: Federal partnerships with FBCOs have been greatly expanded to combat homelessness, contributing to a nearly 30 percent reduction in chronic homelessness (approximately 50,000 individuals) from 2005 to 2007. The estimated number of homeless veterans was cut by nearly 40 percent from 2001 to 2007.

Global Health: In FY 2007 alone, 87 percent of partners in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) were local organizations, mostly faith-based and community groups. The latest results show that PEPFAR now supports life-saving treatment for more than 2 million people worldwide. Read More......