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Action of the Week!
The Poor People's Campaign was started by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King 50 years ago. Guess what! It's being revived for our time by the Rev. Samual Barber in a new Poor People's Campaign. This campaign began in North Carolina, Dr. Barber's home state, and it has grown to include 25 states, including Oregon. On February 5th, folks all across the country at state capitols, and in Washington, DC, will be highlighting the human impact of policies which promote systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, and environmental devastation. The Action of the Week is to join the Oregon Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival on Monday, February 5th at 10 am for a Unity News Conference in Salem on the Capitol Steps. This announcement launches the Poor People’s Campaign here in Oregon. The campaign will continue through the spring with a series of direct actions including civil disobedience. The campaign will gather at 8:45 am at St. Mark Lutheran Church (790 Marion St NE, Salem, OR 97301) for breakfast and a short program before moving to the capitol steps (900 Court St NE, Salem, OR 97301) for the 10:00 am press conference. There is an optional light lunch and evaluation afterward at St. Mark Lutheran Church. Join the Poor Peoples Campaign on February 5th! For more information, contact oregon@poorpeoplescampaign.org. Please share in your facebook network by clicking here. In Love and Faith, Rev. Katie Larsell Calendar Feb 7, Wed. - Health Care for All Lobby Day - Info and Sign-up Feb 8, Thurs. - Small Donor Elections (HB 4075) House Rules Committee Hearing, 3-5PM tentative, Contact Common Cause for details. (503) 283-1922. Feb 12, Mon. - Clean Energy Jobs Bill Lobby Day - Info and Sign-up
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When I hear about tax breaks for the wealthy, I feel it in my gut, not my head. It takes me a minute to figure out why they offend me so much. When I look at our seven principles, I realize every one of them is touched. They degrade our democracy, our communities, and value the rich over the poor.
Recently, Congress passed a Federal Tax Bill that favored wealthy individuals and corporations. One of the features of the Federal Tax Bill was something called a pass-through provision. The pass-through provision allows business owners to pass income through from a business to themselves as individual business owners. They then pay the lower personal rate on this income. The pass-through provides a huge tax cut for already wealthy people. There is lots of criticism of this new Federal Pass through -- but did you know Oregon has such a pass through already in our tax code! The pass through was enacted here in 2013 as kind of a 'dress rehearsal' for the Federal Tax Bill! We can't afford this. It's an expensive tax break for a not-so-wealthy state like Oregon. This one tax break costs us close to $300 million dollars per budget cycle in lost revenue. 69% of the recipients of Oregon's pass through tax break have incomes over $500,000. 23% of the tax cut go to those who make between $200,000 and $500,000. Come on, that is terrible! As Oregon UU Voices for Justice Action of the Week: Let your Oregon legislature know that you oppose pass-through tax breaks. Click here to let them know. When I see $150 million in taxes lost to Oregon every year, I think of low-income students trying to go to college. Others might see pre-school cuts, or low-income housing lost. What do you see? In Love and Faith, Rev. Katie Larsell It's partly in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that the Action of the Week is about DACA, the Defered Action for Childhood Arrivals Program started by President Obama.
If Dr. King were alive today he would be working for these young people. You know he would. The DACA program protects young people, called Dreamers, who were brought into the country as children illegally. They had to apply and meet certain conditions of good character to be admitted to DACA! 800,000 did just that trusting in the good will and intentions of the United States. However, President Trump ended the program and handed it to Congress to solve. Now these Dreamers, who have never lived anywhere else, are being threatened with deportation. 11,000 of the Dreamers live and work in Oregon! Congress is in a big fight to protect the Dreamers by passing the Dream Act. The Dream Act actually has bipartisan support. Unfortunately these young people are caught up in the bad mojo of partisan and ugly politics. Congress is trying to pass a continuing resolution to run the government, and the Dream Act has become a bargaining chip. Friday, January 19, 2018 is the appropriations deadline, so its a good time to let your representatives know what you think. Connect to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee HERE and join with UU's around the country. Even if your legislator is a supporter of the Dream Act -- the intensity of public interest keeps them strong. Send this today! In Love and Faith, Rev. Katie Larsell Action of the Week!
Republican and Democratic Senators and Congressional Representatives agree! The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is a great program. It brings health insurance to children who need it. It helps working families who make too much for medicaid, but too little to cover their kids through employee plans. Its great! Yet this beloved program has expired, and Congress is having a hard time getting it renewed. Congress needs to know that we support this bill and we are watching. It matters! 80,000 children and 1,700 pregnant women in Oregon are covered by this plan. Nationally, 8 million children are covered. This is important, effective, insurance that saves lives. Can you imagine having a child that needed medical care and you couldn't afford it! Because we covenant and affirm justice, equity and compassion in human relations, please click here to send a message to your representatives. Doesn't it break your heart that we even need to advocate for this? We do though. I hope you follow through and let Congress know we expect action. In Love and Faith, Rev. Katie Larsell |
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