Pendleton

Oregon is facing a $3.1 billion shortfall for the 2009-2011 state budget. What's that mean? Well, without generating new revenue sources - the result of this shortfall will mean cuts in many programs.  

The state legislature will be holding a series of public hearings throughout Oregon in the next two weeks to hear your thoughts and input.

This Saturday, April 25th - the committee hearing will be in Pendleton from 10am to 12pm at the Pendleton Oregon National Guard Armory, 2100 NW 56th Ave.

This event will be a great opportunity to:

• Learn more about the challenges Oregon is facing in responsibly balancing the budget this year,
• Share your views with the committee through their budget priorities worksheet,
• Hear your friends and neighbors give their input directly to committee members.

If you plan to testify then please make sure to arrive early (15-30 minutes) as the last time Ways & Means held public hearings on the road - the line was pretty long. Make sure to keep your oral testimony to 3-5 minutes long but also make sure to bring photocopied handouts for the entire community.

These forums are just another event to make your message heard about health reform. To go beyond the usual rhetoric and to make sure legislative members understand that the economic downturn cannot be addressed without doing something about health reform. If we let this session go by without making real changes, the economics of health care will continue to dominate the state’s budget, making it even harder to invest in other priorities. 

We can't afford to wait any longer. Legislators have an opportunity to set the direction for Oregon's future health system, one that creates several changes:

• Ways for us to share both the cost and the responsibility for a new system;
• A way for Oregon to spend its public resources more wisely, and
• Creating a framework for a system that makes sense and meets the needs of all Oregonians.

 Take a look at the attached handout from our last lobby day in Salem or check out http://wecandobetter.org/your-legislator.

Please let us know if we can be of any assistance.

In good health,

Matt 

Inaugural Membership Conference
Saturday, June 14, 2008

» Register & Pay Now

John Kitzhaber invites you to join him at our 1st Annual Membership Conference. You can see Gov. Kitzhaber's invitation in his blog.

Agenda
9:30 am - Pre-conference workshops (optional, but pre-registration is required)
12:00 pm - Registration and lunch, and bumper sticker contest
1:30 - Plenary Session and Member Convention with John Kitzhaber and the Interim Steering Committee (see grassroots structure document here)
2:45 - Concurrent workshops
4:30 - Looking Forward: Our Next Steps, John Kitzhaber
5:30 - 7:00 pm - Members-only Reception with John Kitzhaber: Appetizers, no-host bar and live music by the Bobby Torres Ensemble - Fun!

» Workshop details (tentative)

Location

Accommodations
Lewis and Clark is making dorm rooms available for those who wish to spend the night Friday and/or Saturday evenings. The lodging must be pre-arranged and costs between $22-$27 per person.

Cost
$30 - Conference sessions, materials and lunch
$35 - The above, plus the Members-only Reception and 1-year membership

A limited number of scholarships are available. You may also inquire about a travel stipend.

For more information or to reserve a room or to arrange to pay onsite, please contact Matt Webber at 503-860-5854 or matt@wecandobetter.org.

To register and pay for the Conference, please use our secure online process. To reserve a place now, but register and pay on-site, or to request a scholarship. Please contact Matt.<!-- (c) 2006. Authorize.Net is a registered trademark of Lightbridge, Inc. -->

Save the Date: Wednesday, May 23rd

With SB 27 – the Oregon Better Health Act – now in Joint Ways & Means Committee, we need to maintain our momentum to win.

Join us for a day at the Oregon Capitol and talk to you legislators about SB 27.

We'll help you get prepared. You'll get talking points and lunch!

Sign-Up & Carpool
If you can attend this event, please email (matt@wecandobetter.org) or call (503-709-8574) Matt Webber.

Note that the start time below is when we need to meet in Salem. We'll follow up with more details.

Come help us kick off the beginning of the legislative process at our press conference announcing that our bill, the Oregon Better Health Act, is on it's way to legislative council.

Please help us keep track of how many people are coming by using the sign-up link located below the location information at the bottom of this page.

Also, if you already have a We Can Do Better t-shirt, please wear it. (Call Jan, 503-537-0590, to get a t-shirt and connect with others who want to carpool.)