Take action NOW. There is no time to waste. SB 1049 has already passed the Senate, and the House is voting this Tuesday, May 28. Call your Representatives now and tell them to vote no on SB 1049.

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The Democratic Party of Multnomah County opposes SB 1049, “Relating to public employee retirement; declaring an emergency.”

We call upon our state legislators to vote no on Senate Bill 1049. This measure is in opposition to the adopted 2018 Platform of the Democratic Party of Multnomah County:

Article X Plank 4 (p15): “We recognize the contract the state and local entities made with the public employees and support the full funding of PERS.”

Legislative Action Items, Article X, Item 2 (p25): “We call on our legislators to fully fund all levels of PERS, including individual annuity program (IAP).”

This measure is also in opposition to the DPO 2018 Platform:

Article 1 Plank 3 (p1): “We believe all Oregon wage workers have the right to a secure retirement, including protections of retirement accounts from corporate bankruptcies. We fully support protections for our public retirement systems.”

We join the Oregon Education Association in opposing PERS cuts. To quote John Larson, President of the Oregon Education Association:

“The Oregon Senate has voted to reduce the retirement security and compensation for educators, firefighters and all public employees. These unfair and illegal reductions are a betrayal of Oregon values. The Oregon House should vote no to avoid another expensive and lengthy PERS lawsuit.”

Please feel free to contact us for further input on the measure or to request assistance from us.

Sincerely,

Lurelle Robbins, Chair, Multnomah County Democrats

Faith Ruffing, Chair, Platform, Resolutions and Legislative Committee, Multnomah County Democrats

Michael Smith, Second Vice Chair, Multnomah County Democrats

Do you have skills in budget, fundraising, or event organizing? Are you seeking the volunteer opportunity that can help move your Democratic values forward?

If you are ready to commit the time and skills to making a difference as we prepare for 2020, Multnomah Democrats are looking for enthusiastic, qualified people to serve as chairs and members for three critical committees:

• Fundraising
• Budget
• Community Action

Interested in learning more? Read on. Want to submit yourself for consideration? Email info@multdems.org

In these roles, you can raise the profile and effectiveness of the Democratic Party of Multnomah County.

Requirements

• Committee chairs must be precinct committee persons (PCP).
• Appointment is for a two-year term
• Attend regular monthly meetings
• The Chair of each Standing Committee other than the Credentials Committee will be proposed by the Party Chair and approved by the Executive Committee.

The Budget and Finance Committee responsibilities

• Solicit input from standing and special committees and prepare and submit a proposed budget to the Executive Committee by July 15th;
• Submit budget to the Central Committee for approval within 60 days of approval by the Executive Committee;
• Create a multi-year budget plan for the Party;
• In conjunction with the Fundraising Committee, prepare an annual plan to raise the revenue to finance the activities in each current or proposed budget.

Community Action Committee responsibilities

• Recommend events that advance the Party’s mission. Coordinate volunteers and materials for approved events;
• Assist District Leaders and PCPs with local events;
• Maintain a calendar of events of interest to Democrats;
• Reach out to individuals, communities, and organizations that share our interests and goals;
• Assist the Party and other Democratic Party entities with events held in the county.

Fundraising Committee responsibilities

• In conjunction with the annual budget planning process, develop a fundraising plan to, at a minimum, provide for budget expenditures;
• Determine annual capacity for Party fundraising events, including a major fundraising event in honor of Dick Celsi;
• Provide primary leadership and oversight of Party fundraising events and programs;
• Develop and utilize all available tools to fulfill fundraising goals;
• Assist House Districts, Party committees, and Party members in organizing local fundraising events;
• Develop and operate programs to ensure communication with current and potential donors;
• Maintain a database of past, present, and potential Party donors;
• Assist Party officers, committee chairs, and District Leaders in making personal contacts for fundraising purposes;
• Develop and maintain the donor program, including donor recognition.

Interested in learning more or applying? Email info@multdems.org.

Right now, March 2019, The Oregon State Senate has a key National Popular Vote (NPV) legislation bottled up in committee. If you believe in this issue Let them know you want the President decided by the popular vote, not the Electoral College

• Call your own state Representative and state Senator, particularly if your Senator is in leadership.
• You can also help by writing a letter to the editor
• Following us on Facebook
• Following us on Twitter

learn more at National Popular Vote web site which has 14 explanatory videos and answers to 131 myths about the bill.

MultDems Platform Supports the NPV

Under Article VI, Election Integrity and Legislative Accountability;

We stand for the principle of one person, one vote and believe every vote in every state should be counted equally in every election. We support the passage of the National Popular Vote in Oregon and across the nation.

https://multdems.org/resources/platform-of-the-party

Resolution in Support of HB2704 and SB870

On March 14, The Democratic Party of Multnomah County voted unanimously to support, as we did in 2017, the passage of NPV legislation here in Oregon. Download the resolution here to send to your legislators!

Multnomah County Democratic Central Committee Resolution: 2019-5 National Popular Vote

WHEREAS on five occasions the winner of the national popular vote for President of the United States did not become President, notably in 2016 and twice since 2000; and

WHEREAS the Electoral College violates the democratic principle of “one person, one vote,” giving unequal power to voters in different states such that it takes 3.2 times as many votes in California, the most populous state, to elect an elector as it does in Wyoming, the least populous state; and

WHEREAS shifting demographics make such mismatches between the popular vote and the electoral vote likely to happen with increasing frequency in the future; and

WHEREAS state’s winner-take-all laws result in “wasted” votes since any votes cast in excess of a simple majority in a state add nothing to the outcome and are therefore “wasted”; and

WHEREAS this effect is most profound in states that lean strongly toward one candidate; and

WHEREAS winner-take-all laws create “swing states,” in which small differences in voter preference can determine the election outcome for the entire country; and

WHEREAS due to their lopsided importance, swing states receive disproportionate numbers of candidate visits and vastly more campaign spending; and

WHEREAS because swing states are identified years in advance, political operatives have clear guidance on where to concentrate voter suppression efforts, voting machine hacking, and other types of election fraud; and

WHEREAS the current status quo within the Electoral College heightens a “red state/blue state” mentality, reinforcing an “us versus them” attitude and deepening perceived political divides; and

WHEREAS a majority of Americans support the idea that the winner of the national popular vote should be President; and

WHEREAS the Electoral College, as established in the U.S. Constitution would be difficult to repeal and replace with a popular national vote because a Constitutional Amendment requires ratification by ¾ of the state legislatures; and

WHEREAS an alternative that produces the same result is desirable; and

WHEREAS Article II of the U.S. Constitution assigns responsibility for selecting the method of choosing a state’s presidential electors explicitly to the State Legislature; and

WHEREAS In the entire history of the United States, every state winner-take-all statute, (and every other law, in every state, specifying the state’s method for choosing its presidential electors) has been enacted, amended, and repealed by action of the state legislature – not by initiative, referendum, or referral process.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

The Multnomah County Democratic Party supports the passage of HB 2704 and SB 870, which “Enacts Interstate Compact for Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote” and directs their representatives in the Oregon Legislature to pass, and Governor Brown to sign, National Popular Vote legislation this session, with no amendment relating to referring this issue to the voters.

Note #1: The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact has been enacted into law in 11 states and the District of Columbia, representing 172 electoral votes (CA, CT, DC, HI, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NY, RI, VT and WA). Legislation has passed both chambers in Colorado and New Mexico in the past month and enactment is expected by their Governors. The addition of these states would bring the total electoral votes committed to the compact to 186. Oregon’s seven electoral votes would bring the total to 193.

Note #2:  National Popular Vote legislation, identical to SB 870 and HB 2704, has passed the Oregon House of Representatives during the 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2017 legislative sessions.

Adopted on March 14, 2019.