PAGE 8 | September 16 , 2016 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
Who’s on our side?
By Tom Chamberlain Oregon AFL-CIO President
Ballot Measure 97:
IT’S TIME
L
Machinists’
Guide Dog Dash
motorcycle poker run
raises $4,400
M
achinists Lodge 63 and Machin-
ists District W24 raised $4,400
for Guide Dogs of America Aug. 27 at
the Chuck Drake Memorial Guide Dog
Dash motorcyle poker run.
Guide Dogs of America was
founded by the International Associ-
ation of Machinists in 1948 in Sylmar,
California, to provide guide dogs free
of charge to the blind community.
The organization depends solely on
voluntary donations, bequests, and
fundraising events, such as the motor-
cycle poker run.
The 10th annual event attracted
67 motorcycles and another 26 pas-
sengers. The 110-mile ride began and
ended at the union hall in Gladstone.
Afterward, riders enjoyed a barbe-
cue, drawings for prizes, and music
by the band “Soul Expression.”
Raymond White finished with the
winning poker hand, holding four 7s.
The ride is held in honor of Chuck
Drake, who passed away in Decem-
ber 2013. Drake had the original idea
for the ride to raise money for the
Guide Dogs program.
ast Friday afternoon my commute to Salem from the Ore-
gon AFL-CIO office in Portland was an hour and forty-
five minutes. In other words, I had 105 minutes to either allow
my road rage to grow to astronomical proportions, or ponder
why Oregon roads are at capacity.
Oregon added over 58,000 people in 2015, bringing Ore-
gon’s population to over 4 million. That is a 1.6 percent
growth rate, doubling the national growth rate of 0.8 percent.
By and large, these new residents are moving to Oregon’s met-
ropolitan areas. The Portland metropolitan population now
stands at 2.7 million. Salem’s and Eugene’s population growth
have outpaced the state’s average, respectively. Bend is the
fastest growing city with 3.4 percent growth in one year, bring-
ing its population to over 87,000.
Over the last 10 years, Portland’s population increased from
534,000 to 632,309. Over the next 20 years, Oregon is pro-
jected add more than 590,000 new residents — with 400,000
in the Portland Metro Area.
It is no wonder that 2015 Tom Toms Travel Index rates the
Portland Metro Area as the 10th most traffic-congested in the
United States.
Oregon’s rapid population increase impacts more than trans-
portation. Oregon’s class sizes are the third largest in the na-
tion, and we have one of the shortest school years. Oregon’s
high school graduation rate is the fourth lowest in the nation.
Education experts estimate that Oregon would have to invest
$1 billion a year in K-12 schools to deliver quality education
for Oregon students.
As Oregon’s population grows by another 590,000 people,
the price tag will continue to increase because more people re-
quire more healthcare. Healthcare is more than going to the
doctor; investments in public health programs keep people
from getting sick in the first place. Per capita public health
funding in Oregon is 20 percent lower than the median state.
Oregon is a place where a lot of folks want to retire. A rap-
idly aging population with limited retirement savings means
higher demand for senior services. Over the next 10 years, the
state demographer predicts the number of people 75 or older
will grow by 233,000. Two-thirds of Oregon retirees have no
personal retirement savings, meaning many end up relying on
family or the state for care. Investing in more senior health care
services, especially in-home and community-based care like
day centers and adult foster care, would allow older Oregoni-
ans to live independent lives with dignity and choice.
But, Oregon is ill prepared to increase funding for infra-
structure, education, healthcare, and senior services, let alone
the demands placed upon the state by surging population
growth.
One of the biggest hurdles to proper funding is Oregon’s
patchwork of tax revenue. From Governor Barbara Roberts to
Governor Kate Brown, tax reform has always been a central
issue of discussion. Over the last three decades nothing has
been done to increase revenue for vital services and infrastruc-
ture. In fact, there has been a shift from corporations paying
their fair share to working people paying more. Oregon has
one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the nation.
After 30 years of waiting for tax reform, we have the op-
portunity to approve Ballot Measure 97. We have a chance to
stand up, speak out, throw our hats in the ring and demand
something better for our kids, our communities, and our state.
We have an opportunity to do better.
Tom Chamberlain is president of the Oregon AFL-CIO, a 130,000-member-strong
federation of labor unions.