BlueOregon: progressive politics, news, and commentary for Oregon

Time 2020-09-21 06:02:32

Web Name: BlueOregon: progressive politics, news, and commentary for Oregon

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Donald Trump votes by mail. He did in 2018 in the New York election. And he did it earlier this spring in the Florida primary election (after he "moved" to the Sunshine State.)But now he claims that voting by mail causes fraud.Right here in Oregon, we know Trump's just plain wrong. Vote by mail is easy, it's convenient, it's secure, and it makes our democracy accessible to more people. Which is sort of the point of democracy, right?Here in Oregon, we've voted by mail in general elections for 20 years. We know it works. And that's why BlueOregon Action is proud to lead the national Vote By Mail For All movement.Please join Senator Ron Wyden, Senator Jeff Merkley, over two dozen members of Congress, several more elected officials and candidates, and over two dozen national organizations -- and sign our petition demanding national vote by mail for all.In 2020, in the midst of this pandemic, we need vote by mail more than ever before. Make yourself heard. Share this with folks you know, especially those outside of Oregon. Let's get this done!Our Featured ActionTo Republicans in Congress and in state capitals across the country: It's time to refuse the NRA's support and their money. And donations received in the past should be donated to organizations supporting the survivors of gun violence.This petition sponsored by BlueOregon Action. (You may always unsubscribe, of course.) Learn more.Lawrence J. Maushard a journalist and author who lived in Portland, Oregon for 17 years until 2017 before relocating back to Peoria, Illinois where he was born and raised. Read more of his work at Maushard.com.My late wife Fay Maushard and I lived in Portland from 1999 until she passed in 2017 from heart failure and other complications from Scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease. A proud feminist native of Iran, Fay lived a brave existence dealing with a too-often racist Portland which made it a daily battle just to interact with mainstream natives that would never let a naturalized Middle Eastern woman with an accent forget her otherness.White women especially would weaponize the phrase "I don't understand you!" with hateful vindictiveness. Nevertheless, we found some solace during our years there among wonderful neighbors in the Holgate-Foster neighborhood, along with the Scleroderma patient support, Persian diaspora, and international human rights communities. Fay truly loved everyone, and anyone who knew her felt the same.So I don't have any romanticized views of the Rose City, just a heightened understanding of its place in the world. Once you get past its history as a terrible hotbed of exclusionary racism against Chinese and Japanese immigrants, a northern outpost for the Ku Klux Klan, open segregation against its tiny black population, and enthusiastic support for its very own WWII concentration camp roundups and ethnic cleansing of the entire Japanese population in 1942, Portland somehow finally began to grow up.Portland's place as America's greatest antifa city was confirmed long before the nationwide BLM rallies and marches scorched the national conscious in the wake of the May 25 police torture-murder of George Floyd in broad daylight on the streets of Minneapolis.Well before President Trump sent in terrifying anonymous federal agents that have snatched protesters off the streets into unmarked vehicles like Central American death squads coordinated by US forces in the 1980s.Well, here we are. We've completed our last trip around the sun before the 2020 census gets underway. And once again, as we do every December, we take a look at the latest population estimates for each of the 50 states from Census Bureau -- and your friendly neighborhood reapportionment nerd is ready to roll. For over a decade, I've been tracking Oregon's progress toward a sixth congressional seat.And you know what? In 2016, we projected a sixth seat for the first time, and it's looking safer than ever.Our sixth seat this year ranks #427, it's definitely happening. (The last seat is #435.)The big news this year? For the first time in history, it seems that California is poised to lose a congressional seat. Right now, they're at 53. But based on this final population estimate, California's 53rd seat is at outer edge of the bubble, ranked #439.What else? If the 2019 census estimates are right, Texas will pick up two seats. States picking up one are: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, and Oregon. States losing one are: California, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. Right on the bubble? Ohio could lose one. Florida could pick up a second. Maybe Montana doesn't get the +1 and Minnesota dodges losing one. (And the potential out-of-nowhere surprise? A third seat for Idaho.)The decades-long population shift from the midwest and northeast to the south and far west continues unabated (excepting California.) In the last four years, Oregon’s most powerful industries have killed, weakened or stalled efforts to deal with climate change, disappearing bird habitat, cancer-causing diesel exhaust, industrial air pollution, oil spill planning and weed killers sprayed from helicopters. What changed Oregon? Money. Lots and lots of money. The Oregonian had a great 4-part+ series recently about Money in Politics. Here is a link to the articles - required reading for all Oregonians who care about our future. By Jeanne Atkins of Portland, Oregon. Jeanne is the former chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon and former Secretary of State of Oregon.On April 1st, a proposed Delegate Selection Plan for Oregon’s participation in the 2020 DNC Convention was released to the public for comment. This Plan was the combined work of a Committee made up of 11 volunteers and supported by hardworking staff from the party office. The group was led by our three elected DNC Committee members and included DPO volunteers such as caucus leaders and representatives of county party organizations. I’d like to emphasize the volunteer nature of this work.Such a plan is required by the DNC and has complex requirements. Because of concerns coming off the 2016 primary process, state parties are required to provide the greatest possible openness to participation, and are encouraged to find new ways to include more people in the choice of delegates. A separate affirmative action committee also has to be set up to assure diversity in the delegation sent forward to the convention. There’s more, but I’ll spare you.Some 26 days after the plan was posted, a “Press Release” was issued by the Chair of the 1st Congressional District Committee of the DPO. The release was not sent to the DPO or its officers, but of course through the magic of Facebook it was brought to their attention; and since it included my name, it was forwarded to me. The release is headlined “Malfeasance Plagues the Democratic Party of Oregon”. It says the plan was “illegally developed” because it wasn’t the work product of the DPO Rules Committee, and warns that as a result of this, the plan is fatally flawed and may lead again to what the author claims was a “near riot” at the 2016 state convention. Here’s a link to the release lest I be accused of misrepresenting its content.Given that many of our Oregon representatives are now in the majority in Washington, DC. What would you like to see them working on? Guest ColumnsGot something to say? We want a diversity of voices 'round the water cooler. Submit your guest column here.

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