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I'm a Higher Ed state employee.  I'm so grateful to have the PERS system.  Something like PERS should be available to all citizens in Oregon and nationally.

Human dignity and respect should be shown to all people when they can't work or must retire.  I also feel that decent health care is a human and civil right.  We desperately need retirement systems for all, and a Medicare-for-All style health care system.

The wealthy and the largest corporations must begin paying their fair share of taxes to help the human village, the composite of all citizens of our nation to live a good quality of life with adequate health care and livable retirement income.

A great way to fund human rights such as health care and retirement income is to restore the tax cuts that people like GW Bush have given to the super wealthy.

That's why we need a YES vote in January on Measures 66 & 67.  The tax fairness measures are a modest (some would say miniscule) tax increase on the largest corporations AND for the upper income individuals and couples.  Everyone, inluding big corporations and their outrageously paid executives need to start paying their share and be thinking about helping the least among us to have a decent quality of life.

The same wealthy folks who don't even want to tolerate a tiny tax increase are usually the same people who are on Social Security when they don't need to be.  So many of those wealthy and selfish voices are the same folks who have no use for public employees and continually trash and ridicule state workers.

The PERS system has been adequately managed and is the precious nest egg for tens of thousands.  Politicians and anti-government critics must be met with firm resistance to any plans that will try to tinker with PERS benefits in the near or distant future.

posted 3 years, 6 months ago
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Federal stimulus funds approved by Congress are meant to assist states by providing services to our most vulnerable citizens. But cuts to senior and disability programs alone would forfeit nearly $200 million in Federal Funds. The consequence of job and federal fund losses will be a deepening and lengthening of the recession.

Home care workers face a 38 percent reduction in hours. The human impact on care recipients and their families is devastating. The cuts mean a loss of more than 6,000 jobs, mostly held by women who are relatively low-income.

Why in the name of decency would the Governor and Legislature even think of giving up an infusion of $200 million in stimulus money which would help to care for seniors and those who are disabled?  Where are our leaders' priorities!

Large scale citizen involvement can make a difference and turn around a disastrous course.  Please write or phone Gov. Kulongoski and your legislators.  Tell them that human services must not be cut and that federal stimulus funds will greatly improve the Oregon economy.

Take a stand.  Participate.  Please make those calls & send those email messages today.

posted 4 years ago
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What Kulongoski and Legislators must focus on is raising revenue to reduce the impact of the economic crisis.  Then there would be less need to lay off or cut the pay of the state employees who work on the front lines to keep the state operating and providing necessary services.   Here are a few ways:

--corporations with high profit margins MUST pay their fair share of taxes

--individuals earning more than $250,000 per year, should pay higher taxes

--Luxury tax, YES...for items purchased costing more than $50,000

--There are too many highly paid managers and administrative directors in state agencies whose salaries must be reduced.  The sacrifices must be shared!

--Collect more owed taxes.  Allow payments over time of overdue taxes.  Hire more workers in the Revenue Department who are actually working to increase revenue for the state

--stop wasting state funds on investigating, fining & jailing marijuana users and small-time growers. Divert these dollars to helping provide needed state services, education, and unemployment benefits

More suggestions later...

posted 4 years ago
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