Vote "YES" on ballot measures 66 and 67 on the January 26, 2010 ballot

If these measures fail, we will not be able to avoid devastating cuts to our classrooms. Once again, we may be forced to cut days, layoff teachers, and eliminate programs that our students depend on. We’ll also see working families denied access to health care, and seniors unable to access services, and we’ll feel it in the safety of our neighborhoods with less funding for police and fire fighters.

It would be likely that the cuts will be deeper than last school year. Once again, we may get back on a roller coaster that will make us all sick and will decimate the public services that are very important to the people we care about, our students and families.

Please talk to your friends, neighbors, relatives, and anyone who will listen about these measures. We need to work as a team to get a “YES” vote on measures 66 and 67 on the January 26, 2010 ballot. Below I will include informational documents for you to share with family, friends, and colleagues.

Informational Handout

Fact vs Fiction Document

Frequently Asked Questions about 66 and 67

The Pledge to show your support

Will this changes affect me? Will the changes affect my business?

RURAL Farming Communities about 66 and 67

In order to uphold these measures and preserve Oregon’s critical services, now is the time to get involved in the YES campaign.

• Voting YES on these measures will preserve services by raising the $10 corporate minimum income tax for the first time since 1931. Right now, two-thirds of the corporations doing business in Oregon pay just $10 a year in income taxes, while the average family pays about $3,100.
• The YES campaign needs your help. The corporate-funded opponents may have millions of dollars to spend on misleading TV ads, but we have you. We need your help to reach out to voters to explain why a YES vote will protect schools, community colleges, and critical services by making our tax system more fair. Your voice will make the difference.

Here’s how you can get involved:

• Sign the Pledge: The pledge is in the informational section of this document or you can visit www.DefendOregon.org to get the facts and sign the Defend Oregon Pledge online. Then, get your friends and family to sign up as well, letting the campaign know that you plan to vote YES on January 26.
• Your building representative will visit you to ask you to volunteer your time. We are asking each member to donate two hours of their time to help with the communication about these measures. They will be asking you to volunteer for phone banks and canvassing.
• For more facts and information about these measures, visit: www.defendoregon.org/thefacts.html

Ballot Measures and Candidate Recommendations

How OEA Takes Positions on Measures?

• The OEA members who form our Board of Directors take positions on several ballot measures that, for good or ill, could have a heavy influence on public education for years to come.

Statewide Offices

How does OEA Decide Which Candidates to Support?

• Statewide elected officials and candidates for federal offices are selected at the OEA-PIE Convention, held in even-numbered years.
• OEA-PIE members evaluate and recommend pro-education candidates using a unique, thorough, non-partisan, and democratic process.
• OEA-PIE considers candidates from all parties for its recommendations, which are based on local OEA members' assessment of how candidates measure-up to established criteria.
• Locally, OEA members interview candidates for house and senate districts before making their recommendations.