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Bank Transfer Day Rally

Submitted by info on Wed, 11/02/2011 - 15:44

Bring Our Money Home!
(what's left of it)

From the organizers of Occupy Portland:

Opening a new account at the local credit union or community owned bank (such as Albina Community Bank in Portland).  Then you can start moving your money when you want.

Saturday, November 5:

9:30 AM -  Gather at Terry Shrunk Plaza (between 3rd & 4th Avenues, Jefferson and Madison Streets; directly east of Portland City Hall).

10:00 AM - Rally and actions at Portland’s big banks.  Draw attention to the financial crimes committed by the Wall Street banks.  March to local branches of financial institutions.

10:30 AM - Account Opening Action at credit unions and community banks open on Saturday for this purpose.

 
Some banks and credit unions spend a lot of time trying to “look local,” but as a movement we need to cut through the marketing campaigns and get the facts.  The Oregon Banks Local campaign has researched every bank and credit union doing business in the state to objectively measure which institutions are truly local and is working together with Occupy Portland to celebrate Bank Transfer Day in style.
 
Sponsored by: Occupy Portland and Oregon Banks Local (OregonBanksLocal.org); endorsed by Portland Jobs with Justice

Shame on PSU: Protesting Condi Rice's Richly Paid Speech in Portland

Submitted by info on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 16:39

Oct 19: Protest Condi Rice's Richly Paid Speech in Portland (your PSU Foundation dollars at work)

Submitted by info on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 00:53

Condi wants to waterboardOregon Convention Center (outside)
NE Holladay St & MLK Blvd
Wednedsday October 19th, 5:00 pm
(that's the time of the protest)

Condoleezza Rice comes to our city, PSU and the Convention Center, as the honored (and hugely paid) keynote speaker for PSU's Simon Benson Awards.  Individuals for Justice, members of Code Pink, and members of Veterans For Peace will be there outside the Convention Center to greet this proponent of unjust war and torture.

As Willamette Week wrote (Sept 18):

$5,000. That’s the minimum donation necessary to get a personal photo op with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She’s scheduled to deliver the keynote speech Oct. 19 at the Simon Benson Awards dinner, which benefits Portland State University. Rice, as you may recall, argued for the 2003 invasion of Iraq and (according to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee) approved the waterboarding of prisoners in U.S. custody. In a letter to faculty, PSU President Wim Wiewel defended the choice of Rice “largely because of her personal story” and rise from humble beginnings. The private PSU Foundation is organizing the event, and even though public entities are sponsoring it—including PSU Athletics, the Port of Portland and Oregon Health & Science University—Wiewel says Rice’s speaking fee is classified.

Classified!  Does he think PSU is now part of the CIA?  Miami University recently paid Condi $150,000 for a similar speech.  PSU should not be sponsoring a pay-off to this advocate of torture and "preemptive war."  She is featured in War Criminals Watch; http://warcriminalswatch.org/index.php/wcw-events/details/945-protest-condoleezza-rice-in-portland-or

Rally: Good Jobs for All! No Cuts!

Submitted by DavidDelk on Sun, 10/16/2011 - 22:56

Good Jobs for All! No Cuts!
March from Portland to Vancouver
Saturday, Oct. 22 at 11 am

Meet at the field just off I-5 Exit 308 to Jantzen Beach* to march across the I-5 bridge for a Noon Rally at Esther Short Park* in Vancouver

FDR Welcomes the Hatred of Corporate Leaders

Submitted by info on Fri, 10/14/2011 - 02:01

Listen to this 1 minute clip of Franklin Roosevelt, seeking re-election in 1936. Then try to imaging Barack Obama saying anything remotely similar.

Progressive Party Positions Table

Submitted by info on Thu, 10/13/2011 - 18:12

We are VERY different from the Establishment parties.
Our 2012 Voters Pamphlet Statement

 

Dem

Rep

Progressive
Real campaign finance reform NO NO YES
Oppose extension of income tax cuts for the rich NO NO YES
Oppose Wall Street bailouts NO NO YES
Oppose Cuts in Social Security Benefits NO NO YES
Employment for All (WPA style) NO NO YES
Increase minimum wage to living wage ($10 or more) NO NO YES
Single Payer comprehensive health care NO NO YES
Oppose Cuts in Medicare Coverage NO NO YES
End wars in Iraq and Afghanistan NO NO YES
Oppose use of mercenaries ("contractors") NO NO YES
Cut military spending NO NO YES
Equal rights for all; same-sex marriage NO NO YES
Oppose NAFTA & WTO; encourage local sourcing of products & services NO NO YES
Oppose spying on American civilians NO NO YES
End occupation of Palestine NO NO YES
Oppose shipping coal for export through Columbia Gorge NO NO YES
Oppose offshore drilling NO NO YES
Clean energy; no nuclear NO NO YES
Repair, improve infrastructure (transportation, water systems, etc.) NO NO YES
End the drug war NO NO YES
End the Senate filibuster; restore majority rule NO NO YES
End “corporate personhood” NO NO YES

 OREGON ISSUES

1)    We have worked for real campaign finance reform, not the phony bills promoted by the Democrats and Republicans, both of which opposed the 2006 Oregon campaign finance reform ballot measures.

2)    We want a State Bank to invest in jobs for Oregonians and to stop the State Treasurer and the Oregon Investment Council from jumping into bed with corporate raiders and fast-buck artists who lavish luxury travel and gifts on State employees.

3)    We want fair taxation.  Oregon has the 4th highest income taxes of any state on lower-income working families and is still at the bottom in taxes on corporations.  

4)    We want to stop government promotion of gambling (including video poker and video slots) and stop giving away $100 million per year in ridiculously high commissions to shops with video machines.

5)    We want to make the initiative and referendum again available to grass-roots efforts, instead of making it so complicated and expensive that only corporations and unions can afford to use it.

6)    We want to improve K-12 public education by giving parents and teachers more rights  to manage their neighborhood schools.

7)    We want social justice systems that are inclusive and that promote responsibility, safety, trust-building and equality.

8)    We advocate abolishing the Oregon Senate, leaving the 60-member Oregon House of Representatives.  Splitting the Legislature into two bodies allows both of them to play games and avoid responsibility.

9)    We want the Oregon Legislature to adopt the National Popular Vote plan so that Presidents are elected by popular vote.

OPP Nomination Process for CD 1 Congressional Special Election

Submitted by info on Thu, 10/13/2011 - 07:28

The Oregon Progressive Party has adopted this process for nominating a candidate to run in the January 31, 2012, special election to fill the currently vacant seat of U.S. Representative for the 1st Congressional district of Oregon.

Steps for Candidates

1.    Complete the Candidate Questionnaire, including the Federal Candidate Questionnaire, by October 26.

2.    Make a statement at public meeting of the Oregon Progressive Party:

People's Food Co-op Community Room (upstairs)
3029 SE 21st Ave
Portland, Oregon
November 8, 2011
7:00 p.m.

3.    Commit to following campaign protocol, supporting the OPP platform, and running a good campaign

4.    Comply with all laws regarding campaigning and reporting of contributions and expenditures, including all federal laws and rules.

Steps for the Party

1.    Any OPP member (as of October 1, 2011) who has attended at least one prior Party meeting may participate at the November 8 meeting and vote on the candidates.

2.    The OPP State Nominating Panel will officially select the nominee, based upon the recommendation of the members.

3.    The Party will issue a Certificate of Nomination for the candidate to file with the Secretary of State or or before December 1, 2011.

3 "Free" Trade Agreements Passed by Congress Today

Submitted by DavidDelk on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 21:29

In what was not a surprise, Congress passed the So. Korea, Panama, and Colombia "Free" trade agreements today in what is being described as a victory for bi-partisanship and the White House.

The votes, in part, were 278 - 151 in the House on the So Korea agreement. In the Senate, the votes were 83-15 So. Korea, 77-22 Panama, and 66-33 Columbia.

Even so, the votes among Democrats in the House was lopsided in opposition. From The Hill, "All three agreements had broad Republican support, while they divided House Democrats. Only 31 Democrats supported the deal with Colombia, while 59 Democrats backed the deal with South Korea and 66 supported the Panama agreement."

Occupy Portland Rally on Oct 6 at Noon

Submitted by info on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 05:14
Occupy Portland is a nonviolent movement for accountability in the United States government.  The assembly is at 12 noon on October 6th, 2011, at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 1020 Southwest Naito Parkway in Portland (SW Morrison St. & SW Naito Pkwy)
For more information:
http://occupyportland.org
https://www.facebook.com/OccupyPortland
Twitter: @OccupyOregon

3 Free Trade Agreements pushed to Congress | Act Now!

Submitted by DavidDelk on Mon, 10/03/2011 - 22:40

President Obama introduced three NAFTA-style "Free Trade Agreements" into Congress today. These are with Panama, Colombia and So. Korea. These agreements had been negotiated by Pres. Bush, and now, like Pres Clinton did with NAFTA, our Democratic party President is moving these Republican negotiated agreement ahead.

These agreements must be defeated. Each agreement signed using the NAFTA template is another nail in the coffin of democracy. "Free Trade Agreements" allow corporations to sue in secret international trade tribunals when they think that future profits will be threatened. Recently the WTO in two cases ruled against laws passed by the US Congress and signed by the US President . A third decision is pending. The two laws (1) allowed a Dolphin Safe label on canned tuna and (2) restricted the import of clove flavored cigarettes. The cigarette restriction was enacted as clove cigarettes are regarded as an entry-level cigarette to hook young people on smoking.

Such rulings on the part of the WTO undermine our democractic processes; they steal our sovereignty. We cannot pass more of these agreements and still call ourselves a self-governing people.