We’ve had difficult weeks here in Oregon with the wildfire devastation that has ravaged our beautiful state. Now we mourn another formidable loss with the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Her brilliance, courage, and indefatigable efforts on behalf of gender equality were legendary. Her spirit and dedication will fuel us in the weeks ahead as we strive to fulfill her “most fervent wish….[to] not be replaced until a new president is installed." We must double our efforts to change the President, flip the Senate, and hold or increase the House majority. RBG never gave up fighting for our freedoms and neither can we. ### Endorsement of Key Oregon and Metro Area Ballot Measures
The One Small Thing-PDX leadership team endorses the three ballot measures summarized below and encourages you to consider supporting them, too.
You can learn more about these key measures at our next virtual OST membership meeting, September 30 from 5:30 – 7. Leaders of the campaigns working to pass them on the November 3 ballot will share their knowledge and suggest actions we can take to support each measure. Register now HERE and receive the Zoom link to attend.
Yes for a Healthy Future (statewide measure)
This measure increases taxes on tobacco and other nicotine delivery systems, such as e-cigarettes. After administrative and enforcement maintenance costs, remaining revenue will be dedicated to the Oregon Health Authority—and the Oregon Health Plan, which provides health care for one in four low-income Oregonians—for medical and healthcare-assistance programs, including mental health services, tribal health providers (Urban Indian Health Program), and other programs concerning tobacco and nicotine health issues.
Yes for Fair and Honest Elections (statewide measure)
Oregon is one of five states with no limits on campaign contributions. Ballot measure 107 will 1) authorize the state legislature and local governments to enact laws and ordinances to limit political campaign contributions or other contributions that could influence the outcome of an election, without impeding candidates or political committees from obtaining resources necessary to run a campaign or advocate for an issue; 2) limit political campaign expenditures or expenditures that influence the outcome of any election to the extent permitted under the Constitution of the United States; 3) require disclosure of contributions and expenditures; and 4) require that political advertisements identify the people or entities that paid for them.
Strengthen Our Libraries (Multnomah County only)
Significant deficiencies exist in our library system. Multnomah County ballot measure 26-211 will enlarge and modernize eight county libraries across the district. East Multnomah County will gain a flagship library, comparable to the downtown Central Library, that has long been needed. Seven branch libraries will be built, expanded, or renovated: Albina, Belmont, Holgate, Midland, North Portland, Northwest, and St. Johns. All libraries will be equipped with gigabit speed internet.
These summaries are based on information provided by Multnomah Democrats.
We will summarize other initiatives on the ballot in a future article.
Honor RBG Join the Florida Voter Protection Team
As we grieve the passing of a remarkable jurist and a role model to us all, we can honor RBG’s memory by preventing voter disenfranchisement in Florida.
Our Swing Left partners and the Biden 2020 Victory Campaign have teamed up to protect the vote in Florida and prevent the debacle of 2000. We know this election will be contested and will face a conservative Supreme Court, so we need to win by a landslide. To accomplish this, let’s make sure every vote by a left-leaning voter is protected.
You can sign up to recruit poll watchers in Florida, staff a voter protection hotline, or work with Florida election officials if you have a law degree (you do not need to be actively practicing or have a Florida license to participate).
First ,watch this 15-minute video that will explain your options. The video also includes voter protection options in other states, though we want you to work to evict Trump by securing Florida’s 29 electoral votes!
Second, complete this form. Someone will contact you in 24 hours.
Notes from the OSTPDX Activist Reading Group A Brief Book Overview
The reading group readThis is an Uprising: How Nonviolent Revolt Is Shaping the Twenty-First Century authored by Mark Engler and Paul Engler and published by Nation Books in 2016.
The fundamental question the book posits is: how do you topple a tyrant?
Successful protest movements require both “movement building” and “organization building.” Movement building occurs when ordinary people rise up in anger and disrupt existing institutions, as they did with the Occupy movement and are currently doing with the Black Lives Matter protests. Organization building entails organizing people around narrower, winnable local demands.
Our group found Chapter Two to be the most interesting part of this very readable book, with its description of both movement and organizational building activities and examples of groups that have engaged in both types of activism.
Our conclusion was that we will need both going forward, no matter who wins the election in November.