[CFR-Announce] Oregonian Op-Ed Today on Oregon Campaign Finance Reform

[FairElections Oregon]

*We are _82_% of the way to getting two crucial campaign finance reform 
measures on Oregon's  November ballot.  Your help _now_ can make it happen!*

To get signature sheets, contact info at fairelections.net or 800-939-8011 
*and give us your mailing address* and the number of signature sheets 
you want (spaces for 10 signatures per sheet).  Be ambitious; ask for 
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Or go to www.fairelections.net and click on "Create Your Petition 
Packet" in the left column.    If you do this, YOU MUST PRINT THE "COVER 
SHEET" _ON THE BACK_ OF THE "SIGNATURE SHEET" OR ALL THE SIGNATURES YOU 
COLLECT WILL NOT COUNT.

        *_Join with the  the Oregon Sierra Club, Alliance for
        Democracy,  OSPIRG, and many others--to make history by getting
        real campaign finance reform in Oregon._*

Thanks!


  CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

Monday, April 24, 2006
by Dan Meek

*End corporate control of Oregon's politics *

*O*regon is one of only five states in the country with no limits on 
political campaign contributions in state and local races. The result? 
Corporate money dominates politics in Oregon.

Campaign contributions from corporations consistently exceed those from 
labor unions by 5 to 1 and massively overwhelm all other groups and 
causes put together, including those seeking better health care, 
environmental protection, human and civil rights, living-wage jobs, 
consumer protection, fair taxes and school funding.

Consider the numbers: Corporations pushed up the total reported spending 
on candidate races in Oregon from $4.2 million in 1996 to $42 million in 
2002. Candidates for seats in the Oregon Legislature spent $3.5 million 
in 1996, but $18 million in 2004. And 75 percent of that money came from 
only 1 percent of the contributors. It now typically costs more than 
$500,000 to win a contested seat in the Oregon Senate and more than 
$250,000 to win such a seat in the Oregon House of Representatives.

In Senate contests, the candidate spending the most money won 87 percent 
of the races in 2002 and 94 percent of the races in 2004. In House 
contests, the candidate spending the most money won 92 percent of the 
races in 2002 and 90 percent of the races in 2004.

Corporate contributions in Oregon are so huge that Tom DeLay wouldn't 
even be noticed. DeLay has been accused of illegally channeling $190,000 
of corporate money into races for the Texas Legislature. That would be 
legal in Oregon; it would also be insignificant, constituting far less 
than 1 percent of the corporate money pumped into our legislative races 
in the last two cycles.

It's the same story in the governor's race. Gubernatorial candidates in 
2002 raised and spent more than $15 million, more than double the old 
record. Each major-party candidate spent more than $4 million. Their 
cash from corporations was joined by huge donations from rich business 
executives.

The result? Big political spenders get what they want from Oregon 
government. Taxes are just one example. The Council on State Taxation 
reports that Oregon ranks 50th -- dead last -- among all the states in 
business taxes per dollar of economic activity. If you also include all 
local taxes, Oregon ranks 47th.

In 1975, corporations paid more than 18 percent of Oregon's income 
taxes; now they pay about 4 percent and are heading lower. They got a 36 
percent cut to their 2005 Oregon income taxes because of the "kicker" 
law, which is expected to reduce their 2007 income taxes by 54 percent. 
Half of these cuts will go to just 50 large corporations.

Instead, Oregon taxes the working poor: Oregon has the second-highest 
income taxes in the country for a family of four living at 125 percent 
of the poverty line. Oregon ranks No. 1 in share of state taxes paid by 
individuals vs. businesses.

Utility regulation is another example. The Oregon Public Utility 
Commission refuses to make PGE return any of the $800 million that it 
has charged Oregon ratepayers since 1997 for "federal and state income 
taxes" that have never been paid. This practice by Oregon's "regulated" 
private utilities continues right now -- at more than $120 million per 
year in phony charges for "income taxes." Why? The PUC is appointed by 
politicians, and PGE/Enron has contributed more than $500,000 to 
candidates from 1998 to 2004.

What Oregon needs is statewide campaign finance reform. Initiative 
petitions are now circulating in the state that would provide campaign 
contribution limits, including bans on corporate contributions -- as 
they do in 21 other states -- and limits on individual contributions in 
candidate races.

Oregonians need to loosen the corporate grip on our political process.

Dan Meek is a public-interest attorney living in Southwest Portland. 
Find out more about campaign finance reform online at 
www.fairelections.net or by calling 1-800-939-8011.


©2006 The Oregonian



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