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| Campaign Finance Reform: Why We Need It and How To Do It |
 Watch it in your browser |
| Download PowerPoint File |
| Download PowerPoint Show |
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| FairElections Oregon |
| P.O. Box 8488 |
| Portland, OR 97207 |
| 503-246-2906 |
| or use our Contact Form |
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BIG MONEY RUNS OREGON!
Oregon has no limits on campaign contributions for any state or local election. None!
The result is that corporations dominate politics in Oregon. They outspend labor unions by 5-1 and massively outspend all other groups and causes, including those for better health care, environmental protection, human and civil rights, decent and living wage jobs for all, consumer protection, fair taxes on corporations, less promotion of gambling, and sufficient funding for education and other needs.
Corporations pushed up the total reported spending on political races in Oregon from $4.2 million in 1996 to over $49 million 10 years later - a factor of 12 in 10 years. Candidates for seats in the Oregon Legislature in 1996 spent $3.5 million. By 2004, they spent $18 million. 75% of the money came from only 1% of the contributors. Only 3% of the contributions were in amounts of $50 or less. It now costs over $700,000 to win a contested race for the Oregon State Senate and over $400,000 to win a contested race for the Oregon State House of Representatives.
Big political spenders get what they want from Oregon government. Examples abound:
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Corporations paid 18% of state income taxes in 1975. It's now 4%. 80% of them pay only $10 annually. |
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Drug companies defeated bills that would allow the State to negotiate lower prices for drugs. They could do that, thanks to the $3 million contributed by drug and medical equipment companies in the past 3 election cycles. |
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Video Poker outlets receive over $100 million in excess commissions every year. Why? The Oregon Restaurant Association has contributed over $1.2 million to Oregon politicians' campaigns in the last 3 cycles. |
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Oregon has allowed private electric utilities to charge ratepayers over $1.2 billion for "income taxes" that the utilities never paid. |
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Enron/Portland General Electric gave over $500,000 to candidate campaigns, got a $400 million annual rate increase, and since 1997 has charged Oregon ratepayers over $800 million for "income taxes" it never paid. |
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Oregon's beer and wine lobby has showered lawmakers with contributions and luxury trips. Click here to find out what they got for their money. |
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The politicians and state bureaucrats have even gone so far as to refuse to enforce the limits on campaign contributions Oregonians voted into law in 2006 by statewide initiative. |
Many more examples are in the Powerpoint Show available in the left column of this page.
[Click to Learn more] |
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Oregon Legislative candidates who spent the most money won 91% of the time. Corporate contributions are so huge in Oregon that Tom Delay would not even be noticed here.
Delay was indicted for moving $190,000 of corporate money into races for the Texas Legislature. Doing that would be legal in Oregon and insignificant, since the corporations have pumped over $20 million into races for the Oregon Legislature in the last two election cycles. |
What Tom Delay did in Texas is perfectly legal in Oregon. |
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"Their big spending on the little city council election, however, will surely add fuel to a grass-roots movement now under way for campaign finance reform in Oregon."
—The Oregonian Editorial Board |
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| FAST FACTS / WHY WE NEED REFORMS |
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Oregon is one of only three states with no limits on political contributions. |
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Corporations outspend labor unions by 5-1 and massively outspend all other groups and causes. |
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Corporations pushed up the total reported spending on political races in Oregon from $4.2 million in 1996 to over $49 million 10 years later. |
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 In 2004 legislative races, 75% of money came from 1% of contributors. Only 2% of total contributions were $50 or less. |
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It now costs over $700,000 to win a contested race for the Oregon State Senate and over $400,000 to win a contested race for the Oregon State House of Representatives. The job pays $19,884 a year (plus diem). |
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The difficulty in raising the large sums of money required for campaigns discourages many capable Oregonians from running for office. |
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