Tired of the legislature's abuse of the emergency clause to prevent Oregon voters from reining in their abuse? Click here to sign the petition to stop the abuse of the emergency clause!

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Think the death tax harms families in Oregon? Click here to sign the petition to eliminate that dinosaur of wealth-punishing taxes.

Mark your calendar for TriMet's next light rail opening ceremony - September 12, 2025. They say they're not sure of the route, terminus or mode, but they know what day it will open. You decide. Click here to read more.

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Cascade Policy Institute has begun researching the union-backed Gross Receipts Tax initiative (IP28) that may be on the 2016 General Election ballot. Far from only hitting "large out-of-state corporations" it's really a hidden sales tax on consumers and a drag on employment, possibly causing some to lose their jobs and others to not get hired in the first place.

Cascade’s first publication on the initiative -- Assaulting 'Corporate Profits' Will Hit Average Oregonians, by Steve Buckstein -- is here on CascadePolicy.org and here on Oregon Catalyst.

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Details of all Cascade events and publications are available at http://cascadepolicy.org/ and you can sign up for Cascade's free weekly Courier email list here.

Oregonians for Fair Elections is still collecting signatures for our initial signature submission! If you are having an event that we could attend and gather signatures in the next couple of weeks, please let us know. Also, Please like our Facebook page, Oregonians for Fair Elections. You will find it informative. If you have a story to tell you can post it there. Please share our articles with your sphere of influence. Every like, click and share helps others learn about the issues.

We will be needing signature gathers to circulate petitions. If you would help with a few signatures we would be very appreciative. Another great way to help is to send out the single-signer page to your network. Let me know how you would like to participate. Please send your contact information to me so that when we do get to start circulating in earnest we will be ready. It probably won't be until after the new year. Call Janice at 503-757-0670 with questions.

Thanks so much for all your help. At least 70% of Americans agree with voter ID, in some areas it goes up to 87%. We seldom agree on anything that much!

It's time for Oregonians to change the stale brand that is Ron Wyden to someone who has real-world skills and the requisite experience to do the job. It's time for Oregonians to ask themselves, "Am I better off than I was six years ago? Or 12 years ago?" It's time to ask whether it's sane to keep voting the same way and expecting different results after 35 years. Dan Laschober is ready, willing and able take this challenge all the way to next November.

Please visit www.Laschober2016.com to learn more.

Read the December 2015 MHRW Newsletter

Next Meeting is Wednesday, December 9, 2015, at Francis Xavier's Restaurant, 1933 N.E 181st Ave., Portland, Oregon 97230 (503-666-1957)

Business Meeting begins at 11:30am, followed at 11:55am with a presentation by Christine Jacobs, daughter of Marion, who will relate her many experiences while stationed in Kiev, Ukraine. Our Christmas Auction begins at 12:15pm.

I followed SB 941 closely during the last legislative session. We have a gun store in La Grande, Oregon. The frightening thing that I learned from that experience is how easily a handful of arrogant politicians with the power of a couple of Political Action Groups was able to avoid the democratic process and the wishes of the people of Oregon. With a few simple maneuvers and the power of the "emergency" clause they attacked our Constitution and changed the political process from one "of the people and for the people" to one "of the politicians and for the PAC's".

Click here to read my "letter to the editor", which covers my experience regarding how this occurred. It should motivate you to become actively involved in the petition to limit the use of the emergency clause so the people can demand a say in bad bills such as SB 941.

Irene Gilbert / 2310 Adams Ave. / La Grande / Oregon / 97850
e-mail: ott.irene@frontier.com

Steve Bates is the candidate for Clackamas County Commission Position Number 3 who holds Jeffersonian values and deserves your support.

He ran against Jim Bernard in 2014 and missed by 763 votes. It has been assessed that additional resources could have made the difference for victory.

Running against liberal democrat Martha Schrader, Steve needs your help.

Victory is imminent with the appropriate level of resources.

Please go to www.electstevebates.com and help with your credit card donation today!

Merry Christmas to all and to all good conservatives, may we have victory on May 17th.

PLEASE DIRECT INQUIRES TO: STEVE BATES @ 503-663-6271

This week Paul Thutt and I met with Sheriff Garrett and Washington County Commission Chair Andy Ducyk and presented them with the following requests:

1. Reduce the access to Drop site boxes to the Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of election week.

2. Relocate drop-site boxes to police stations, preferably inside.

3. Transfer the budget allocation for the ballot pick ups to the Sheriff and city police.

I said that 2016 is likely to be troubling year, and that ballot drop sites could be a target for dangerous groups. In short, prevention being preferable to cure.

We're seeing too many atrocities, such as the most recent in Bernadino, with innocent people suddenly finding themselves in harm's way.

Both the Sheriff and County Chair were receptive but also concerned that this wouldn't be accepted if it were simply seen as a Republican deal.

There was also concern that the reduced access to the drop sites might be a problem. The funding was also an issue except for the fact that the delivery of the ballots to the election office would only be for 2 days, the Monday and Tuesday.

Paul Thutt also raise concerns about the ballot containers in which the ballots were taken to the election office and the need for some bar code readers that would record the acceptance of ballots in the drop sites.

In closing, we need some support from Democrats by stressing the need to deter any threat to the integrity and safety of the process.

Ruth Bendl Ph 503-469-9576 (new phone number).